Ever wondered why it takes a while for money to appear in your account when you deposit a cheque? In this guide, we'll explain the process and show you what's happening in each stage.
After you pay in a sterling cheque at any HSBC branch in the UK, you can be certain that your funds will be available within six working days. This is because all UK banks and building societies must meet the requirements of a cheque clearing process.
T is transaction day. The working day you pay in a cheque before 3.30pm. In this example, our cheque is paid in on a Monday.
T+2 is the day interest, if applicable, will be earned. In this example, on Wednesday.
T+3 is the day the funds are available for you to withdraw or use in another transaction. In this example, on Thursday. Please note, if you withdraw or use the funds at this point, it would be at your own risk as the cheque could still bounce. If the cheque bounces, those funds will be debited.
T+6 is the final day that your cheque could bounce. In this example, on Tuesday.
Please bear in mind our end-of-day processing means that any cheque reversal transactions may not be visible on your account until the start of the next day. Therefore it's advisable to wait until after 9am the following morning to be certain that the money is yours - in this example, on Wednesday.
For more information about the clearing cycle, please refer to our General and Current Account Terms and Conditions.
Need your cheque to clear faster? You can now pay in cheques through our new HSBC UK mobile app.