How long does it take a check to clear your bank account?

Ever since shortly after the 9/11 incident, the federal government passed the Check 21 law into place making it easier and hassle free to merchants to accept checks. Older stores, smaller merchants etc... usually don't have the capability to electronically process your check with a check imager. But when you go into some place like Target or Walmart and write a check, they run it through their electronic imager and look to see if you are a known bad check writer. If they get an approval, they are protected by their check processor by letting you leave with their goods. Once electronically processed, you will usually see it clear your bank account in two business days. If you are ina smaller retailer and they do not use a check imager, they 5 business days is the norm.





When a check is electronically processed, what is happening is that a digital image of your check is being made in the store through their check reader and once approved, that electronic image is immediately transferred to that stores bank who then immediately forwards that same image to your bank for payment hence the faster pay time.





When not run through an imager, the longer wait time is because the chekc goes into the cash drawer at the store you are buying from, then someone takes it to their bank with their daily or sometimes weekly deposits. Once at the bank of the merchant, they make a digital image of it which sends to your bank that same night and then payment is made to from your bank back to them within a day or two.How long does it take a check to clear your bank account?
usually 5 working days, most banks offer faster clearing but at a feeHow long does it take a check to clear your bank account?
A local check can take as little as a few hours. The funds on any will be held immediately such as a point of sale transaction - works the same way which would have the same effect. Check kiting is almost a thing of the past as transactions move much faster after some regulations and new technologies instituted by the Federal Reserve
In the US, if you have a bank account, they allow 300 dollars to be available to you immediately and on average, it takes 3 working days to clear the rest.





Some banks, 5 days.





So, you have to ask your banker or bank manager because each bank may have a different policy.