Cashier's checks are also useful in time-sensitive transactions. The funds are usually available immediately—in most cases, the next day. If you're looking to make a big money purchase, a cashier's check may be the quickest and safest way to go.
Generally, if you make a deposit in person to a bank employee, then the bank must make the funds available by the next business day after the banking day on which the cashier's check is deposited.
You can get a cashier's check by visiting your bank branch or credit union or going to its website if it offers these checks online. If you don't want to use a cashier's check, other options include a money order, certified check, wire transfer, or a social payment app.
Cashier's checks are also useful in time-sensitive transactions. The funds are usually available immediately—in most cases, the next day.
Although the policy may change from bank to bank, generally there's no upper limit for a cashier's check. The payee typically has quicker access to a larger amount of the funds with a cashier's check.
With a normal check, it typically takes a few days before recipients can access the money because the receiving bank has to make sure the sender has enough to cover the amount. Use a money order in situations where you need to pay someone and need the payment to be secure but available immediately.
On average, a certified check will clear quickly, usually the next business day after the check is deposited by the recipient.
Most checks take two business days to clear. Checks may take longer to clear based on the amount of the check, your relationship with the bank, or if it's not a regular deposit. A receipt from the teller or ATM tells you when the funds become available.
Depositing a big amount of cash that is $10,000 or more means your bank or credit union will report it to the federal government. The $10,000 threshold was created as part of the Bank Secrecy Act, passed by Congress in 1970, and adjusted with the Patriot Act in 2002.
The Bank Secrecy Act is officially called the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, started in 1970. It states that banks must report any deposits (and withdrawals, for that matter) that they receive over $10,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Large checks: Checks that are for large amounts usually have a hold placed on them. That's so that the bank can protect itself from lost funds if the check doesn't clear. If your check is for at least $5,000 or more, expect a hold to be placed on the check until it clears.
Do banks put a hold on cashier's checks? A bank can place a hold on a cashier's check if it has reasonable cause to believe that the check is uncollectible from the paying bank. Banks can also place a hold on cashier's check funds if the total amount of cashier's checks deposited in a single day exceeds $5,525.
The bank guarantees a cashier's check—meaning the bank is held responsible if the check bounces. With a certified check, you guarantee the check you write from your account. That makes cashier's checks safer and potentially slightly more expensive to obtain.
With a certified check, the teller will earmark the amount the check is written for, so it remains available when the check is cashed or deposited. And with a cashier's check, you'll give the amount to the bank and they'll write the check from their own account.
It can take up to 30 days for the issuer to confirm the money order's loss or theft. Depending on the issuer, you may have to pay a fee. For example, Western Union charges $15 for a refund — $3 for money orders of less than $20 — if you have a receipt or $30 for any refund without a receipt.
The United States Postal Service
The check will reach the recipient in one to three business days. There's also Priority Mail Express if you need the cashier's check overnighted.
Many consumers have become victims of scams involving a fraudulent cashier's check. A cashier's check is a check that is issued by a bank, and sold to its customer or another purchaser, that is a direct obligation of the bank.
The safest way to send money through the mail is with a money order. This offers more security than cash, as it's only payable to a specific person and can be cancelled and reordered if it is stolen or lost. It's also better protected than a check, as it isn't linked to a bank account.
Large deposits (those greater than $5,000) can be held for a “reasonable period of time,” between two and seven business days, depending on the type of check.
Note that under a separate reporting requirement, banks and other financial institutions report cash purchases of cashier's checks, treasurer's checks and/or bank checks, bank drafts, traveler's checks and money orders with a face value of more than $10,000 by filing currency transaction reports.
As mentioned, you can deposit large amounts of cash without raising suspicion as long as you have nothing to hide. The teller will take down your identification details and will use this information to file a Currency Transaction Report that will be sent to the IRS.
Go to your local bank or credit union. Take your check to a friend or family member's bank or credit union. Go to the bank or credit union that issued the check to cash it. Go to any bank or credit union to cash a check.
The FDIC's Regulation CC addresses bank deposits. Banks must place a hold on check deposits of $5,000 and up. When you deposit an amount up to $5,000, the bank can place a hold on it for two business days, and any amount over $5,000 will be released after seven business days.
Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks and other financial institutions must report cash deposits greater than $10,000. But since many criminals are aware of that requirement, banks also are supposed to report any suspicious transactions, including deposit patterns below $10,000.