Why do I have money in my current balance but not my available balance?

Asked by: Crystel Halvorson  |  Last update: February 17, 2026
Score: 4.8/5 (75 votes)

The current balance listed in your account includes any transactions that are pending but have not yet cleared. As such, the current balance might be listed as higher than the available balance — in other words, the current balance can be an amount that's greater than what you're able to withdraw from the account.

How long does it take for current balance to become available balance?

Depending on the type of transaction, it could take anywhere from a few seconds to several business days for a purchase or a deposit to be processed, also known as “settling” or “clearing.” But while the transaction is being processed, the debit or credit won't impact your current balance; it will only impact your ...

Why is my money in current balance but not available?

Because you have spent the money. The cycles of deposits and withdrawals from the actual bank aren't instant. Your available balance is the amount left after you consider all deposits and debits to that point that have been submitted.

How long does it take for present balance to become available balance?

Your present account balance (sometimes called the current balance) shows how much money is currently in your bank account—but it doesn't consider pending transactions, which can take up to three business days to clear. That means your present balance will probably run higher than your available balance.

What if I have a current balance but no available balance?

The current balance on your bank account is the total amount of money in the account. But that doesn't mean it's all available to spend. Some of the funds included in your current balance may be from deposits you made or checks you wrote that haven't cleared yet, in which case they're not available for you to use.

Why is my available balance and current balance different?

25 related questions found

Why do I have a balance but no available credit?

Pending transactions that haven't posted to a credit card will further lower your available credit. For example, if your credit limit is $2,000 and you have a balance of $500, then you would have $1,500 of available credit. A pending transaction of $100 would reduce your available credit to $1,400.

Why is my money not reflecting on my available balance?

If you've made recent purchases with your debit card, but the financial institution hasn't fully processed the transaction, the current balance will be higher than the available balance. This is also the case if you have written a check that has not yet cleared.

Why is my current balance still pending?

Pending transactions can happen when the money needed for the transaction is still moving between accounts, like after using your credit, ATM or debit card to purchase gas at the pump, get cash or add a tip at a restaurant. In a bank account, pending transactions include: Cash, check and direct deposits.

Can I withdraw money from my current balance?

Put simply, your current balance in a checking account is your total amount, why may include pending transactions, while your available balance specifies the actual amount you can withdraw at that point in time. In other words, your bank will allow withdrawals up to your available balance.

How long does it take for current balance to become available balance in BDO?

For Savings, Current Account and BDO Cash Card your available balance is real-time and will change throughout the day based on your activities. For Time Deposit and Consumer Loan Accounts, balances are based on the previous day's balances.

Why is my money deposited but not available?

Your bank may hold the funds according to its funds availability policy. Or it may have placed an exception hold on the deposit. If the bank has placed a hold on the deposit, the bank generally should provide you with written notice of the hold.

Can I spend money that is pending?

Can I spend the money that's being held for a pending transaction? No, the funds are temporarily unavailable until the transaction clears. Spending them could result in overdrafts or declined transactions.

How do I make my current balance my available balance?

In a checking account, the available balance is the amount of money that the account holder can withdraw immediately. The current balance, by contrast, includes any pending transactions that have not yet been cleared. The bank will honor any withdrawal or payment you make up to the available balance amount.

How long does it take for your current balance to become available Capital One?

In general, deposits into Essential Checking, 360 Checking, Total Control Checking, and Money Accounts are available the next business day. Checks drawn from another Capital One, N.A. account will generally be available the next business day.

Why is my current balance and available balance different from Unionbank?

The available balance for your account may differ from the current balance because of pending transactions that have been presented against the account, but have not yet been processed. Once processed, the transactions are reflected in the current balance and show in the account history.

Why can't I use the money in my current balance?

The current balance listed in your account includes any transactions that are pending but have not yet cleared. As such, the current balance might be listed as higher than the available balance — in other words, the current balance can be an amount that's greater than what you're able to withdraw from the account.

How do I withdraw my current account balance?

Use an ATM

Every ATM is slightly different but you simply insert your debit card, enter your PIN (personal identification number), select the account you wish to withdraw money from (if you have more than one), enter the amount, and then wait for the ATM to give you your cash and a receipt.

Why is my account showing zero balance when I have money in my account?

You could have any pending transactions that may be affecting the current balance. There can be deposits, transfers and more which might be pending. Check all the recent transactions from your account to see if there are no unauthorised transactions.

How long until current balance turns into available balance?

The current balance is all the money that is in your bank account right now. This balance might include pending transactions, like a credit card payment or a check that hasn't cleared. If there hasn't been any activity on your account in at least a week, your current balance might be the same as your available balance.

Can I spend my current balance?

In those cases, you can only spend your available balance (or less if you have outstanding checks), and the rest of the money is being held by your financial institution. Current balances include all of your money, including all available funds PLUS funds that are being held.

Why is my current balance on hold?

A hold prevents access to an account or restricts some transactions from occurring in the account. A deposit of a large check, an out-of-state check, or a foreign check may trigger an account hold. A hold may occur when there is suspicious activity detected on the account.

Why is my money in balance but not available?

Notice a difference between your account balance and your available funds? It may be because of a pending transaction. Some payments, cash withdrawals or deposits appear as pending on your account until a transaction is fully processed.

How long before my money is available?

The Federal Reserve has set baseline rules for check deposits: The first $225 must be available the next business day, while amounts from $226 to $5,525 must be available within two business days after the deposit, and amounts of over $5,525 generally should be accessible on the seventh business day.

Why is my money still showing as pending?

A pending transaction is an approved debit or credit to your bank account or credit card that hasn't been processed yet. Essentially, the money is still in transition from one bank to another. Pending transactions may include: Bank account deposits made by check, cash or direct deposit.