Verify Funds on That Check Before You Cash It
Here’s a simple tip that’s easy to remember, check it before you cash it. You want to make sure you’re not cashing a bad check and finding out is really quite simple. Here’s how.
While working at Bank of America, I learned a magic phrase that I hadn’t heard before: “verify funds.”
When someone writes you a check (I know, it’s 2020, but even I use them sometimes for plumbers or whatnot), you may feel uncomfortable about whether the check author has enough money to cover it. If you’ve ever deposited a “funny” check, particularly for a large amount, you know how painful it can be to have the money credited and then later taken back out. Fortunately, sometimes you can find out in advance if the check is good.
In general, you call the bank that houses the check author’s account, provide them the check information and they’ll tell you either yes or no. Of course, even if they say yes, that information is only foolproof for about the next 3 seconds since any number of things could happen before you deposit or cash the check, but it’s better than not knowing.
Ironically, it’s more useful when they tell you, “No, funds aren’t currently available to cover that check,” because now you have options.
- You can keep trying every day until funds are available
- You can contact the check author and work out a different method of payment
- You can decide never to do business with that person again
I did a little research for us all and called the top 6 national banks (some of them several times) and asked whether they would verify funds for a third party (the recipient of the check). Here are the results:
| Name of Bank | Over the phone? | In person? |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America | No | Yes |
| Chase | Yes | Yes |
| Wells Fargo | Yes | Yes |
| Citibank | No | Yes |
| PNC Bank | Yes (for a $5 fee) 1-900-988-4762 | No (but every other bank said Yes, so…) |
| U.S. Bank | Yes | Yes |
If you’ve had an experience lately that doesn’t match the table, please leave a comment and I can revisit my findings. Read further on the best online checking accounts. Online banking usually offers much easier and flexible fund verification services.
Pros Tip! Run a Background Check On The Check Author
Verifying funds on a check before you cash it is a great way to avoid awkward check situations. On many occasions verifying funds is done after the check has been already issued. What if you could filter out potentially problematic check authors before receiving the check (and even before making a deal)?
Now it is possible, accessible and simple, with an online background check service. Background check services aggregate countless public records like criminal records, property records, contact information, personal information, and more, into one clear report. This can give you valuable insights into your potential check author – insights that might shield you from awkward situations.
We personally like BeenVerified background check service. It’s simple, intuitive and affordable. Starting at $14.86 a month, you can generate an unlimited number of reports.
Why not to try it out? Just throw in the information and get your report.
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Article comments
How do you create a online I’d and do you use your name on it ???
I opened a Capital One 360 account and deposited a check. They put a hold on my money until they personally talk to the writer of the check. Fine print says paper deposits are subject to verification. That means you have to give them the contact number of the check writer so they can verify with them that they wrote the check (something their OWN bank does) meanwhile, your money is held without access to it. Never heard of this!?
My credit union tried to verify funds from us bank whose check was issued to me by my title company but was refused causingmy credit union to hold my funds up 7 days
I have an outdated cashier check from march 9 2020 from usbank for 2.000 dollars can I c@she it
Your good in my eyes. I would assume cashnet USA site is a phishing site and is scamming because I’ve taken loans out with CashNetUSA and they don’t ever ask that so I’m assuming you’re on a phishing site and I would take the money and not give them s*** but that’s where your moral compass comes in.
This company cashnetusa wants to verify my bank account they will deposit money then they want me to with drawn it and send it back to them once they get their money back they will deposit my funds
Ok my question how much trouble will I be in if I scam them like their doing me keep their verification money
That check that thay send will bounce later and you pull the money you will have money but your acount will be shut down and thay will report you to check systems and can’t open a new acount later so get the new acount first you can’t get into trouble its on the bank but it will go to bill on your credit
If a check is drawn off another institution and you try and cash it at your bank but they state it’s counterfeit; can they keep the check?
Hi Becky,
The short answer is yes. They are allowed to keep the counterfeit check because it is not legal to allow circulation of a fraudulent documents.
US Bank will not verify a check. Called multiple times. A customer wrote a check for over $15,000, and wont back their check. Told me to deal with my bank, basically keep depositing til it clears.
Hi Bryan,
From my experience US Bank will verify funds 800-872-2657, but you may need to do a three way with the issuer in order to get that information. Also, you can’t keep depositing a check till it clears you’ll have to deal with NSF (non-sufficient funds) I believe you are limited to 2 redeposits.
Hope that helps
Hello
I received a check from a partnership on email and i want to verify if it is real. Please
Just called Wells Fargo to verify funds on a check. They refused. She said they will only verify if an account is valid, but will not verify funds.
Thank you, this is helpful.
I have a check from commerce Bank that was issued by my mom’s insurance company neither will verify the check so I can’t cash it..help
I need to know if a check I received in the mail is a real check???
Me too. It is drawn on Chase – I go in circles on the phone. Only one person verified the number i valid, but said the name on the account was different. This is an unemployment check and I am getting DD but it also has my claim ID on it. I do not want to deposit if its a scam.
I was also sent a fake looking unemployment check. I might just deposit in an account with no money that won’t cover it like a cash app. That way if its fake it just do snot go through.
I need to know if a check i got in the mail is legit
Me too. It is drawn on Chase – I go in circles on the phone. Only one person verified the number i valid, but said the name on the account was different. This is an unemployment check and I am getting DD but it also has my claim ID on it. I do not want to deposit if its a scam.
More to discussion. I didn’t go to sale so that ger & her son. My x; could not go. Realtor was their uncle & found a way 2 accommodate them. My money was wiretransfered to her name only. I had 80.000.00. In. With 100.000.00 loan.pd.off
I had my home sold. Myself being seller as well as owner. I built it. .y x mother got involved w/out informing me. All places say she resided at my address. But lived at her home 17yrs.
Bank of America will not verify a cashier’s check if it is dated the same day you are calling to verify it. You have to wait until the next day. They will tell you if you call the branch that issued the check, no one will answer the phone. They say they are “busy”.
How to verify a TCF National Bank check
I WANT TO USE ALL CAPITALS to get you all your attention. I have read the article and each and all of your responses. Reason I landed in this website/article is the same reason that you all are in here. I got my payroll check, I always cash it with Bank of America, my employers Bank. I bank with US Bank. So after cashing my employer check every two weeks at the Bank of America no problem. Today they refused to cash my check and because of privacy reasons, they could not tell me the reason. I went to my US Bank Branch to see if they as Bankers could talk to Bank of America and verify the funds. No can do. They would however be extremely happy to allow me to deposit the check with unverified funds into my account.. I cannot hardly blame the Banks. The problem is YOU, the people failing to standing up against the big corporations. Refuse to verify funds because of privacy reasons? Bologna, just like Judge Judy says. The Banks wants YOU to deposit the check and gamble. They know that a number of those unverified checks deposited will bounce charging a modest $35 to $45 fee to the person who deposited the check and to the person who wrote the check. $35 to $45 fee doesn’t sound too profitable for the Banks to be tricking, forcing and coercing customers to deposit unverified checks. However when you multiply those fees for hundreds of thousands customers. The Banks, Bankers and Shareholdera get even richer when the customers were ripped off of a small convinience fee.
I told my coworker about it. Like my employer, she is a Bank of America customer. She told me it has happened to her several times. When there are not enough funds in our employer account. Bank of America will simply won’t accept the check as a deposit and while they won’t tell her the reason. They tell her to try to deposit it again in few days.
Me as a US Bank Customer I was left on the dark with only one choice. To deposit my employer Bank of America payroll check with US Bank and hope for the best. In the mean times both Banks executives and shareholders are hoping the check will bounce and my employer and I will be charged the fee that keeps them rich.
It is NOT the Banks, Bankers or Shareholder fault. If you want to look at someone to blame. You need to look in the mirror.
It is YOU and only YOU the one who is at fault for failing to make a stand, fight for your rights and fight for your hard earned money.
There was a Class Action Lawsuit against Bank of America about their overdraft fees and the courts found Bank of America guilty and they were forced to return the overdraft fees they have stolen from their customer.
Instead just being here whining about why the banks won’t verify funds. I suggest you all get of your butts and protect your hard earned money and either launch a Class Action Lawsuit against the banks or lobby legislators to change the laws so the public is protected from those unethical business tactics. Oh yeah sure. Banks won’t tell you if there are enough funds to cash the check. But they are too quick to accept it as a deposit and charge you convenient return check fees. Protecting Privacy my ass. They are just making a buck of you all.
PEOPLE: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFE AND START A LEGAL OR LEGISLATIVE ACTION AGAINST THE BANKS. The lawsuit might take years or decades but you will be glad that your children or grandchildren will be protected from the Banks predatory tactics because YOU did something about it… other than just whine in a random internet blog.
Thank you for your time.
Felix
Cc: Bank of America Corporate Offices and local Seattle WA main Branch.
US Bank Corporate Offices and local Seattle WA Main Branch.
Damn Corrupt Bankers.
I need to check a check I got in the mail if it good not
I am trying to find out if the check i received it valid. I have called the bank it was drawn on and they told me to try ” verifyacheck.com”. tried to create an account and got no where. They also told me to go to another lending institution to have them tun the check. Sounds fishy to me. Just want to know if it is good as I don’t want to deposit it and then it have it come back as NSF.
I read your post about the check how did u get yours verified
You must work for a bank….all the wonderful services they provide? You must be hitting that crack pipe, cuz you forgot to mention…the services they provide…with strings attached of course, oh & I did i mention provide with your own money? Cuz everyone knows that they loan you your own money yet collect interest on it as if it’s theirs. The banking system almost completely a scam is if you really look at it, but for your sake I did say almost
Hi Out there, I’m just putting some feelers out there to see if there’s anyone interested in making a pretty substantial amount of cash in a short amount of time. Only thing this requires is that you have an active bank account or credit card in the US. No cash is required up front to start. Which means your account can be on a zero balance and that’s completely fine. You can text +1(314) 856 1730, lets talk about the next deal
I’m interested email me back at charleanwitit@gmail.com please
hahahahahahahahahahahah
Up @ 2:26AM Huh?¿
Im Positive That You Are Most Likely Not A Scammer, Lol!¡
|-Somebody Out There-| =
“SURE, ILL GIVE YOU MY *ACCOUNT* & *ROUTING* NUMBER”!¡ Lol
Does anyone have the number to TCF Bank check verification line?
The phone number you have put for PNC bank is not a good number. Not anymore anyway. The correct number is 1-877-448-9544. And its free.
Natalie, that is the number to verify Progressive checks. It’s not a PNC number.
If I call to verify a check. And it can’t be verified will that mess up the check or prevent me from going somewhere else to cash it?
I need see if a check is available before I cash it
I just spoke with US Bank and they informed me that they could not verify a check printed from a business made out to me on a US Bank check. Your findings say otherwise. Can you help ?
That’s very strange. Perhaps its policy has changed, but it seems odd they can’t verify a check from its own bank.
Just had my bank [Bank of America] try and verify funds on a US Bank check and US Bank would not confirm.
Not true for Wells Fargo. I called 7/20 @ 8:15 am and they said they could not verify the check without the customer account number. Someone paid me through Bill pay and I have the verification and check number but Wells still won’t verify if the check was sent. Thank goodness I don’t bank with them anymore. I hated Wells service and all their fraudulent activities.
I sold my house been with BOA for 5 years with my business and personal. 9 days before they will release the funds. I BEGGED them to call and verify the funds thru the title agency (which of course was a WIRE TRANSFER from the buyer and funds available immediately) and they said flat out NO. So here I am no money no home and looking for a NEW bank starting Monday to do business and personal with.
How is that even possible to have lost your house if escrow hadn’t closed yet and there was still nine days to go? What about your realtor? You just handed over full right to possession and the buyers never wired the funds? That doesn’t make sense.
Bank of America now will not verify checks unless you have an account.
PNC Bank assures me that even though I am putting my entire life savings into a joint account with my family due to the long history of them at the bank my funds should be safe. Several Days go by and I start demanding my check from the sale of my house which I had deposited nearly a week prior. Saturday the banks are not actually open….whatever sence that makes, hit yourself in the head with a hammer it doesnt help. So Finally the funds validate(I had expected them the day of the sale, beings as I sure as hell gave them access to my house how come I had to wait to access my half of the deal? So The funds go through, I wrote a check to my family for 15k due to them demanding I owe them for absolute lies, yet I pay it to keep them quiet rather than think that they would take another 15k out in a personal check to themselves. I see that of my entire life savings I have 15k left and figured it was due to them reaching their limit or whatfuckever. I freak out close the account and get 4k cash and a cashiers check from PNC for 10k. Plan was to get to maine where I have work waiting for me and deposit the check in my new home state. I shouldnt continue….. PNC 9 days later tells me they dont have enough funds to cash the check that they wrote me. now im really fucked and am about to steal a cop car and do something stupid.
Hey jesus sorry bout wat happen to u. I know this post is kind of old and shit. I hope things are a lot better for you now. But I have to admit that last part was funny as hell. I totally understand the amount of frustration when it comes to not having access to your own money. Anyway just thought I had to let you know man. I sure hope you didn’t steal that cop car. LOL
I went to a Members Choice credit union to cash a check a customer gave me. I had all ID needed as well. They could not tell me why, the teller just said they could not tell me why. Even after I asked them is there money in the account. Then called the main office and ask to verify funds. The reply was no, they only verify cashier checks.
Chase will verify that the account is valid. They won’t verify the amount unless you have an account with them 🙁
I just called Wells Fargo and they said they do not verify funds unless you bring the check to the bank n then they run the check through the check reader. I was also told they honor checks up to 6 months old.
I just called the Wells Fargo customer service and they will NOT verify funds over the phone or in person. I called 800-869-3557.
This information is wrong. I just called Chase bank and they would not verify the funds. They said they could only give that information to the account holder.
I think it is always a good idea to check that there are funds available when accepting a check from anyone for the first time. Then, if you have worked with them for a while you can stop checking. It is all about building trust and it pays to be careful.
I just called to verify funds at a California credit union and they told me it was against California law to verify funds. I’ve done this every time I have a large check that needs to be deposited. All of a sudden, I cannot? Has something changed? All they would verify is that the account was open and that I had the right name on the check.
US Bank will NOT verify funds on ANY checks drawn on their banks. They tell you to keep depositing the bad check until it clears… NEVER ACCEPT THEIR CHECKS!
Please remember this world is full of scammers and crooks. We all pay the price in convenience for their fraudulent practices. If a crook holds a stolen or counterfeited check, they can call over and over again to best guestimate how much they can write a forged check for to optimize their take. That’s the reasoning behind bank policy. Don’t get pissed at the bank Also, what good is telling someone that the check will clear if 10 minutes later the owner of the account can spend all the money in the account at Home Depot on their debit card? Or multiple other checks written by the acct owner can be cashed or cleared before the check you’re holding is presented for payment Stop the alarmism and bashing of banks. We couldn’t function without all of the amazing services they provide.
Amazing services? ROFLMAO!! Obviously you’re not old enough to have experienced all the unamazing nonservices these OG scammers(banks) do with our money. We’ve been bullied around with multiple fees here and there. They rape us of our hard earned money with their trickery ways to gain off of our ignorance. Small fees add up with the amount of customers at hand. That sum would make one man rich
If you verify the account at the bank and you are at the bank the check is drawn on and there is not quite enough money in the account to cash your check if it is a larger amount. You can deposit enough into the account to make your check good then cash your check and walk away, all the rest of the persons checks will bounce but you gat your share with just a little loss. That person will never give you a bad check again. When there are a couple of thousand dollars involved saves you he time of chasing after them.
I received a Bank of America for a large amount – as I live in Japan I am unable to verify the check as there is no branch in Japan I can’t check online either – any suggestions on what I can do? (I don’t want to deposit the check if it bounces I’ll have to pay charges)
If it’s an over payment on buying items and they want you to wire the money left over after buying something from you then it’s a big time fraud and needs th be reported…. Anytime ppl want you to wire money it’s a scam 99% of the time! Take the Check to a bank and just have them look at it… They can tell u most likely If it’s fake… I hope this helped you hun
Hello all…
I met a lady who was supposedly deaf and wanted to order products from my company.. So she wanted to send me a check so I told her that would be fine. Well the check is for about $1600 more than what the products is costing her. So the check came. The lady’s name is not on the check she claimed it was from her debtor… But she is so very eager for me to deposit this check and telling me it will clear overnight which I don’t think is true! She keeps telling me deposit and withdrawl all the funds the next morning the wire her the money…. Btw it’s a wellsfargo check. It has no watermark of any kind but still looks real. The bank is from the west of me about 7 states away! I don’t have a checking acct but I’m ever so very suspicious!!!! What do I do???? If I do withdrawl the money and then the check is bogus then I’m left holding the bag for a $2000 check that was no good! I have heard to be weary of wiring money to ppl! I Called the bank they wouldn’t tell me a thing!!!!! What do I do or who do I turn this over to???? Could I ask a bank to just hold it till it clears – IF it clears….. I have never known of a outta state check to clear over night tho! Help plz! Thanks in advance!
Watch out, Baby Bee. That sounds like a typical wire scam. Never accept a check from someone who overpays and wants you to wire the overpayment as a refund.
Thank so much for your advice Luke! It’s very appreciated!!! Get a load of this… I told this person I put the check in the bank yesterday (which i didn’t) and I told her my bank has a 7-10 business day period to make sure the check clears and she then said her “debtor” told her the funds had cleared at their bank…. Gee that’s funny beings I didn’t even deposit the Check! But she is sure eager to get that FREE PAYDAY at my expense! Well Im not stupid! So… Now how and where do I report this CROOK? It just upsets me that ppl out that do this dishonest crap to innocent ppl that don’t know any better than to fall for it …. I had a feeling it was a scam! These ppl need to be punished! Thanks again for your advice Luke!!! You have a wonderful day sweety!
Baby Bee if I’m not mistaken you can get in touch with the fraud dept for wells fargo and let them know the situation and that you want to press charges against this person and the so called debtor to cover all people/persons involved and the fraud dept should be able to handle it from there or at least inform you of what steps you need to take btw it will take some time but make sure you keep in touch with them to see how things are coming along in the case and follow thru with making sure these people are punished there is way to much of this crap going on with no one being held responsible. they need to go to prison unfortunately from what i have heard it would be a federal prison where they have steak dinners but have to do the entire time they were sentenced to which is nothing like state prison where you only do half of the time you were sentenced to and have dry bologna sandwiches and a piece of fruit so i dont know but they cant keep getting away with this they have to be punished for the hurt they have caused to so many innocent unknowing people btw i know people who have been in both types of prisons thats how i got the info not from personal experience. wish you all the best
People should know what they are saying prior to leaving blog messages. F=There are no steak dinners in federal prison and you do 87% of sentenced time. Federal is much harder than state prison. You are correct about needing to do something about the problems but that will be an entire day of writing and you understanding the reality of today’s world
Never EVER deposit an a check for over the amount you expected. She was eager so you could send the excess back to her- it’s the oldest trick in the book.
I called US bank to verify a check I recieved through craigslist and the operator refused to verify funds without the checking owners consent, so I asked if I went into a location could they verify the funds in person and I was again told they could not help me, ultimately the check ended up being linked to a closed account and I am out $1500, but I could have saved myself a whole lot of hassle if US bank would have just verified the account.
My 18 year old step son was written a check for work the he did for a company that was written on a Bank of America account. He went to cash the check at Wal-Mart and was told that the account was frozen. I called 800-432-1000 number for Bank of America and spent an hour trying to get a live person only to be told that I have to speak to another department and cold transferred to a closed department. I called the number back and reached another representative who told me that she did not have access to the account, so I asked for a supervisor who was at least able to tell me that the account is open and active which is all I really needed to know in the first place. So I guess it does depend on who you talk to.
Our non-profit LLC uses its online business merchant account to process all credit/debit cards and checks as a business policy, for its master members. LLC went from 45% collection rate to 99.9% since fifteen years ago. We allow for the 1% of our clients who desire to transact business using cash or trade.
I work for a bank and at times we call other banks to verify funds on checks.. Wells fargo is the worst bank to call and try to do this.. they will not provide us with any information for our customers. Its a waste of time for everyone
That would be because of privacy reasons and protecting customers information. Account information other than if that account is open and in good standing will not be given. How would you like it if someone was giving anyone that called info on how much money was in your account or what amount of a check would clear? There’s no way to properly validate anyone’s identity over the phone. Anyone could get someone’s account number fairly easy. They could then call the bank and pretend to work for another institution. Then BAM, a fraudulent check is cashed against your account and it takes days to get it back. It’s not a waste of time, whoever you work for just must not take customer’s privacy that seriously.
With chase over the phone verification you have to be a chase account holder to verify funds
checklookup.com is worthless!!!!
$5 to validate whether the routing number is correct or not (this can already be done online) and then gives you a bank phone number to call. I called Chase, they denied as prior posts have stated.
I wanted to drop a line and say… I called he 800 number, and a very nice gentleman at Bank Of America and he verified funds for me (a third party (the recipient of the check) with no issues.:)
I just called US Bank to try and verify a check, they told me they don’t do that – don’t verify funds or account status – on the phone or online. They said the only way was to do it by fax which includes a $25 charge.
If yoiu are a merchant or a landlord, please do not accepts checks issued by account holders of Bank of America. You will not nbe able to verify the availability of Funds on the phone from Bank of America. Their merchant line if you can get through will only verify the if the account is active or not. Tell your customers or tenants to open accouint in Chase or other banks who will verify funds for merchants via Phone.
Bank of America ‘s Customer service is lowest in the industry. tell your friends.
Do not have a account with bank who does not verify funds over the phone for merchants. I just had a tenant check returned as NSF. Tenant had enough funds to cover it for second and wanted to verify from Bank of America and was told thaT THIS DOES NOT VERIFY FUNDS.
Even though I also have a commercial account with Bank of America. They still refused to verify.
Bad Service by Bank of America. I am going to close my account and open with who provides verification service via phone without any charge.
Chase does do check verification over the phone. They have a full listing of how to do it online. Here is the link: https://www.chase.com/online/services/document/chase_by_phone_03_23_09.pdf
I just verified a business check over the phone and they verified that the funds were not sufficient. Hope this helps!
Simple solution – don’t accept personal checks, accept only money orders or cashiers checks (already paid for). Greenbacks work too if the amount is not too large. When I was young and rented, I had one landlord who would only accept money orders for the monthly rent. Guess he had learned the hard way.
No one is allowed to verify funds in your account without your permission it is against the law. I called Wells Fargo and they do not verify funds to anyone.
Bank of America won’t verify funds over the phone or in person at the Bank.
us bank no longer does funds verification for third parties unless it a bank. at least not over the phone that is.
Not only did my credit union say I have to pay the bad checks written to me but also INS charges and if I don’t pay in a “timely” manner, it will be turned over to a collection agency and I” cannot open an account in any financial institution until it is paid” I guess they think I won’t last long enough to pay them. Poor things.
WTF isn’t this procedure MANDATORY? If I am in Texas and get a check from California and they say I have to bring the check to verify funds, HUH??? I called a bank the other day in Los Angeles and they refused to tell me anything other than the account number and the name on the account match up “To protect the account holder!”…..I got stuck with a $57,000 NSF check!!!
I too verified this week that bank of america does not verify over the phone, but does in person. Just a piece of advice. If you do go to a branch to verify funds, instead of cashing the check, at most banks you can exchange the check for a bank garanteed check on the spot . then you can deposit that check in to your account.
I tried to call US Bank today (7-8-2011) and was told that they can verify funds in persona at the bank (which I have done but I am also a US Bank customer) but no longer over the phone.
Did you call their 800# or the local branch? You have to call the local branch.
5/2011
Just called BoA to verify funds on a rent check and they declined. Also refused to verify the account holder. Lame…
bank of america will verify funds using the 800.432.1000 if you have check holders acct number and ss# it will say to enter your phone id just ignore that than enter the acct# than it will ask for the 9 didgt ss
FYI, Citibank will not verify funds availability on a personal or business check. Releasing any information about a client’s account would be violating the client’s confidentiality.
In any case, verifying if the money is available in an account AT THAT VERY SECOND is meaningless anyway, even if you try and deposit that check immediately. If you deposit a check written from Bank A into your account at Bank B, that money is not transferred between the banks immediately — it takes a couple of days for Bank B to verify that check at Bank A is good (unless the check is over $2500, in which case Bank B *must* verify within 24 hours, as per E.A.R.N.S.). Furthermore, transactions on accounts do not occur in strict time/chronological order. Traditionally, at the end of the business day, transactions are presented against the balance on the account as deposits/credits first, electronic debits second, service fees third, and checks last (either in order from largest/smallest or vice-versa, depending on bank policy).
You could call Bank A at 9:00 AM and verify funds on a check. Then walk down to the bank, deposit the check into your account at 10:00 AM. The person who has the account that check was written on then withdraws a bunch of money at 11:00 AM. Viola, account is overdrawn, and your deposited check is returned.
A better solution? Instead of writing personal checks, send out checks using your bank’s bill payment option. Bill payment checks are considered the same as official/cashier’s checks, are guaranteed funds, and also clear on the same/next business day (as opposed to personal checks that can take 2, 3, 4, or more days to fully clear).
There is no such thing as guaranteed funds on any type of check. That is a misconception.
Right, you can place a stop on bill pay checks, plus, the debit on your account is more of a provisional debit while the check is cashed. You can report it lost, stole, place a stop, place a fraud claim, etc, and the check won’t get paid. No such thing as guaranteed funds check, not even cashier’s checks, actually, as you can place stops and claims on those too.
When we have our movers out doing a residential move and they think the customer may be passing a bad check (its easy to spot), they call into our office and we call our local PNC. The PNC tellers at the local banks always just looked it up right over the phone.
ok here is a weird sit. My friend worked for a hotel they paid her with checks fromt here banl of america account. she went to BoA and cashed them. yesterday she tried to cash her last check and they told her that the account didn’t have any money and she needed to pay back the amount for the two previous cashed checks plus bounced check fees. she doesn’t have an account with them. can they do this?
well, they can ask, lol. I am not sure if they can actually ‘charge or sue’ her for that money… though if she had deposited the checks in her bank account and this happened they would have taken the money back from her, like they did to us, leaving us with 100’s in overdraft fees, because bills had been paid on that money and it was like 4 days after supposedly ‘clearing’. UNREAL.
Leslie,
The answer to your question is NO. The bank can not get the money back from you if you do not have an account with them. They should have NOT cashed the check in the first place if money wasn’t available. Seems to me that the issuer wrote some bad checks and their account was in the negative and the bank was trying to pull a fast one on you.
Sorry, Smitty, I guess “personal protection” has effected even writing rubber checks, I spoke with Wells Fargo just a few minutes ago. They advised me the account was active, but would not verify funds. The only way to tell is I went into Wells Fargo in person and actually cashed the check for CASH. Never deposit these kinds of checks for the obvious reasons. Thanks for your service.
Thanks, “Stung too many times in Fresno”
Wells Fargo does not verify funds, only accounts.
Hi,
Everybody’s comments have been very helpful. I was wondering if anybody had the actual 800-numbers for the banks that will verify funds over the phone. I work in real estate and have several rental properties and it would be very helpful if I was able to call and verify that the funds are there even though it is not a 100% guarantee,
Hi, just thought you’d like to know that you need to cross US bank off of that list. They refused to verify the funds of a check drawn on their bank for “privacy reasons.” Also, they charge a $5 fee to cash checks OFF OF THEIR BANK if you don’t have an account!!! Their response to my complaint was that I could open a free checking account in order to cash those checks, which I refuse to do on principle!!!
You should call your banking commission and file a complaint about that one.
Well Fargo the same way with fee even if check drawn on that bank with an account holder there, AND they need two forms of ID, fishing license counts. unreal, so my pic and matching signature aren’t enough?! They say the privacy reasons are people could call asking about a check for 500 to see if you have that much money or not. and they don’t ‘really’ have a check. ugh. we have the same dilemma on a check we have tried cashing 6 times now. and the person is nowhere to be found, we lost out. I guess.
Banks have been charging those fees for years to non-account holders. I used to work at Fifth Third Bank. It is customary now. And remember, it is the Bank’s policy… not the teller’s policy to charge fees or not to verify funds.
I just tried to verify a check for nearly $1,000, through Chase, and the automated system could only verify that it is a VALID account. Since I am not a customer of Chase, it doesn’t allow to me to check the AMOUNT. Super big bummer- I’d like to just deposit into my account and forget about it. It’s been sitting in my wallet for two days (over the weekend), and it looks now as if I’ll have to wait another few days for it to clear? It seems like there has to be a better system…
I have used the universal 1-900-868-2995 number to verify checks and their validity. The number gives you the direct bank phone if the routing number is valid. If you have the person there giving you the check, you can have them call through to their bank with their 800# and when they enter in their Social Security number you can have them hand you the phone and check their actual balance yourself. All banks have this.
that 900# did not work
I recently received a personal check and the bank is Chase. I did try to call to verify funds on this check before I deposit it in my checking account, but they would not do so. My problem is there is no Chase Bank in my area, so what do I do??
US Bank does have an automated 1-800 number to verify funds on. I use it every day.
Hello,
Do you have that number handy. I really need it.
Thank you
True – but you have to not only enter the account number that the check is drawn on but your account number as well. And, if you don’t have an account with US Bank, they will hang up on you. I have not, however, tried to verify funds using the account number that the check was written on as if it was my account number in order to side-step the system. I would think that would lead to legal issues if you pretended that account was yours.
What is the 800 number for US Bank to verify funds on an account you have to cash a check on?
In case you get a check from BB&T, they have an automated funds verification system that is very easy to use. The number is 1-800-422-8010. Took less than a minute.
Check your state laws you may be better off depositing the check. If it bounces take out a warrant for the issuer’s arrest. It is fraud. Their attorney will call you when the bum gets thrown in jail asking how much you need to drop the charges.
I wonder if I can go after the person who wrote the check. The funds were verified, but then he withdrew them and closed his account! My credit union says I have to pay them and now. I can’t, am on S.S. and can pay them $50. a month, but why do I have to pay? He wrote the checks, (yes more than one).
Jenny: Could it be possible that Diana mistakenly left her ALL CAPS on? I overlooked it, just as I’m willing to overlook your misspelling “screaming.” Relax….life’s too short!
Diana Gonzales – THANKS FOR SCREEMING THAT TO ALL OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
**screaming 🙂
Caps do not determine loud or screaming. Exclamation points define emotions or loud. Please get a proper education, then comment!
So not true…internet etiquette states that typing in all caps is, indeed, considered SHOUTING/YELLING at the reader…
I was just informed by US Bank that they will not verify funds unless you are the account holder. This just bites when I need to see if the check is good to let these people who rented from me is good or not.
I WORK FOR AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS. I CALLED WELLS FARGO BANK TO VERIFY FUNDS ON A CHECK WRITTEN TO OUR FIRM AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT GIVE OUT THAT INFORMATION. THE ONLY INFO THEY GIVE YOU IS IF THE ACCOUNT IS ACTIVE OR NOT.
US Bank’s auto phone teller will only verify an account if the third party holds an account with USBank.
Wachovia will not verify funds either. I was told to go to a branch to do so. Um They are primarily an online bank and the closest branch is over an hour away. Sucks because I will not try to cash a $3000 check if I do not know that it is valid.
The laws really suck that we as consumers are no longer protected against this kind of stuff.
I to could not verify funds on a account drawn on Chase Bank.
I no longer accept checks from any client that has a bank THAT WILL NOT VERIFY FUNDS! It is now Cash Only!
I just went to a TCF Jewel Branch to cash two checks. They informed me that their limit is $250, unless I open an account with them. I politely declined to open an account, and asked them to verify funds. No luck there either, stating privacy concerns.
For a second I thought I was on candid camera.
On their website it states that they do verify funds for a third party (which by the way makes a lot of sense). As an apartment building manager I get my fair share of bounced checks.
Wells Fargo will only verify an account is valid they will not verify a check is good or has funds unless you take the check into the bank..
Prior to that Wells Fargo use to have a 900# pay per call line to verify funds but as most businesses and phones have 900 block and merchants complained they did a way with that and now offer no verification at all..
Welcome to the 21st Century Wells Fargo
I went to US Bank about two weeks ago to have them verify a rental deposit/first months rent check that I was going to cash on the spot (since the tenants wanted to move in on the 15th). They told me they could not verify it unless they tried to run it through, and since I wasn’t a US Bank customer, there was a $5 charge to do so. Same with Bank of America – $5 charge and they won’t verify without running it thru. Banks have started doing it this way because when they attempt to run it thru and the funds aren’t there, they still get to charge the check writer a bad check fee. And, you end up paying the $5 charge and may or may not walk out of there with any cash.
That’s not why they tell you they need to run it, it’s not to charge you the fee. They actually NEED to run it to know, the service is called positive pay, and the machine is the one that tells them if the check was actually issued or not. It’s the only way they have to accurately verify the check. Especially with business checks, sometimes they special services that a teller won’t even begin to understand, they have to use the machine first and foremost.
A credit union in Wisconsin also refused to verify fund over the telephone. The banker requested that I either came in in person or fax in a copy of the check. Didn’t they know that not all people would have a fax machine. I was over 50 miles away from the credit union physical location, so get there in person is not possible.
In my opinion, the credit union is responsible to protect their clients financial data, however, by refusing the verification of a check written in the name of their institution, the credit union is also unintentionally committed fraud as they are encouraging their clients to go ahead and issue bad checks as their clients are now known that the bad checks wouldn’t be verified.
You did great on this issue, please keep on doing what you have done.
Regards,
Nhut Truong
I am a branch manager at Chase and it is the bank’s policy not to verify funds on a check over the phone. However, like it is stated above, you can verify funds in person. You may have contacted a rogue branch or two that wasn’t familar with this policy. And like someone else said, if you always work with the same person on that branch then they may extend that courtesy to you on an exception basis.
I was written a check by a person who banks at the same bank i bank with.I went the our bank and i cashed the check for the amount of 4500 dollars.The bank told me it would take a few minutes to verify the signature of the check and if the funds were available in the other persons acount.Every thing checked out and the bank cashed the check.I took half of it in cash and put the rest in my checking acount.Three days later the bank called me and told me they over drafted my acount and i needed to bring them the money back.I asked why and they said the person who wrote the check had passed away and thet closed the acount because the check was writen from a line of credit.Not anything i did wrong but they said they made a mistake and the check was cashed on good faith.Is that legal or should i persue the bank on the next level?
BTW
Its not a chase bank.My girl friend banks with you and loves the servise.I will be opening an acount with Chase as soon as my direct deposit comes good with my employer.Thanks for the 100 dollar coupon.
The same thing happened to me but I kept the whole check in the account for 3 days. It cleared 2 days after I deposited it into my account but when I finally decide to use it my account is overdrafted 400 dollars. I am going to persue legal action on this cause if I do not the bank said they would prosecute me for not paying it bac. They gave me that same we cleared the check on good faith stuff. I only been with them for 2 months “good Faith”.
I beg to differ, I just verified funds over the phone on the merchant verification line, if you have an account with Chase, they will allow you to verify funds of another account holder. The number to do that is 1-800-935-9935, option 4. If you do not have an account with Chase, they will verify that it is a valid account.
Not entirely correct, this will only verify the validity of the account. It will not at all verify any funds availability. So the account could be overdrawn or have $10,000 in it….it just tells you whether the account is valid…unless you’re a chase account holder and then you can verify funds availability.
This number worked for me. I tried to call the general information line first and the “telephone banker” I talked to said he was unable to verify funds since I wasn’t the account holder. I argued with him briefly, googled this site and argued some more. Then I let go and just did this. Worked fine – check verified.
I just received a questionable check via through the mail system, after having bad experiences with receiving bad checks and made to look like the bad guy and wanted to have the check verified, so after running across your statement, decided to give it a shot, I was told that I would have to have a account there, when I told them I didn’t have an account there, I was given the run around a couple of times back to there automated system, on a Sunday night not during regular business hours, where I finally realized that they were not planning on given me any information that I was seeking over the phone and will have to give them a personal visit for a better solution.
a lady had wrote me a check for 3250. since the money was in theaccount the next day i assumed it had cleared. two days later i have a balance of -2520 and i dont know what to do.
If you are a business owner and hold a Chase account, you simply call this Chase number 800-242-7338 and follow their instructions you can verify a check.
Not true. I called Chase and they do verify funds over the phone AND through the automated system. If you call customer service, choose option #2 then option #1. YOU have to have an account in order to do this. If you do not have an account, you do not get much information.
Wells Fargo will NOT verify funds, only that the account is valid and open. Their policy regarding such is here: https://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/help/verification.
I just called Wells today and NO problem verifying fund on a check written for a vehicle purchase at my car dealership. I simply told her that I received a check in a large sum and I wanted to verify that it was good. I gave her the account number, account holders name, amount of check and check number at her prompting. She said that the check hadn’t cleared yet ( I just got it) but there are sufficient funds to go ahead and deposit it.
Yes, the Wells Fargo website https://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/help/verification definitely says “we can only verify that the account in question is a valid … account…. information regarding funds in the account or any other account information will not be released.”
NEVERTHELESS, I just (3/24/2016) called the number listed at the site, 800-869-3557 for consumer accounts, and spoke to a human who told me that the check I called about had cleared the WF account.
A customer wrote me a large check on his Wells Fargo account. I did go to a branch at first, and they confirmed that there were funds in the account to cover, but the funds were so new that they would put a hold on the check to cash it. (The customer had just deposited a check into HIS account the day before to cover the check he wrote to me, and WF wasn’t going to be left holding the bag!)
Because the customer is sketchy, I called WF a day after depositing the check in my bank, and as noted was told it had cleared the WF account.
I hope this means that the customer’s deposit check to WF was paid, all is well, and I won’t be surprised by an $8K debit in the next week if something goes awry!!
I should have done what MyJourney suggested a few months ago. I got burned by a previous employer of all things.
How you ask? Well, in 2008 I was part of a downsizing. Not that big of deal really, b/c I had other reasons to quit. But part of the severance was getting the bonus for the % of the year worked (roughly 50% of what I could have gotten if I had stayed). Time passes and here in Feb 2009, I get that promised check. Within a few days, I deposit the check.
Here’s the kick in the teeth. Not 3 days after I deposited it, my ex-employer filed for bankruptcy. The bank then came back, withdrew the “given” funds”, and hit me with a bounced check fee. Took about a month to find someone to remove that fee. Luckily enough my wife and I didnt -need- that money. But if we had been less careful in general that stunt could have caused major problems.
I routinely call Bank of America to verify funds available on my tenants’ checks, never had a problem, maybe it depends who you talk to and whether or not you give a reason.
Also, I used to always just cash checks at the bank they were drawn on, but I have found that in the past few years most banks have changed their policies so that a fee is charged (usually $10 or more per check) if the person cashing the check does not have an account with them. I couldn’t believe it the first time this happened to me.
What is the number you used to verify funds for bank of America accounts
i tried calling BoA but they said that they would only verify a valid account, not an amount?
Smithee,
My Pops is a landlord and he has been burned SO MANY times with bounced checks, after witnessing this for the 90th or so times, I just asked, “why not just verify before depositing?” He had never thought of it!
Good advice.
Also another trick is…cash it at their bank, right on the spot after verifying. Then bring the cash to your checking account where it will credited right away. It may take a few mins longer, but at least you know all is safe.
That is absolutely awesome advice. Not EVERYTHING in life has to be done the quickest, most “convenient” way. It is very much worth the extra time and effort when it is concerning my MONEY!
So true. I’m a landlord, and so far, I’ve been very fortunate. I don’t verify funds on tenants who have been with me for a little while without missing a beat – but I do always verify the funds of the security deposit, and of the application fee.
If the bank won’t verify funds over the phone, I go in in person and make a big production about it, cash the check at their branch, and let them know that this would’ve been easier for both of us if they had allowed me to verify funds over the phone. Chase Bank, for non-Chase accountholders, will now only verify that it’s a valid account. Good enough for me to make a decision on an applicant, I guess. I will still cash in person just because. 🙂
I actually work at a bank and i have seen land lords burned also. I always suggest to them not to except personal checks request money orders or cashiers checsk becasue those are guaranteed funds.
Accept*
Also money orders and cashiers checks are not guaranteed at all. They are just as fraudulent these days as any other personal check. I have seen counterfeits of all 3 of those come through my bank on several occasions.
And as you mentioned above everything CAN change in 3 seconds…point in case. I received a post dated check from a wells fargo business account holder. This check was a “promise” to purchase our land within 90 days. We have a 2 page contract that CLEARLY state’s if the buyer does not come through within the 90 days the deposit is ours! 90 days comes and goes, date on check is 10/17/15. I call,no funds. I call him and he tells me to go “F” myself. On 11/4/15 he calls me state’s your stupid check is good and hangs up. I call and verify, yes everything is good. I go to my bank on 11/5/15 to deposit. On 11/6/15 my bank account is frozen. On 11/8/15 I talk to my bank and am told the account holder reported this check lost or stolen. Am I in a JAM?!?!? Yup but I will have my day in court because HE committed fraud but I am guilty until I prove myself innocent. Lesson learned: always go to the account holders bank. It is way easier that way.