How can stale-dated checks impact your business?

Ultimately, a stale-dated check is one that is at risk of not being honored. Allowing a check to become stale increases the chances of the funds becoming unclaimed property. The longer you wait to cash or deposit a check, the greater the chance that stale check is bad. In this situation, a check will be returned for deposit at a later date when the funds might not be available. The “expiration date” on personal checks is commonly accepted as ​six months​ after the date of issue, which is approximately ​180 days​ old. With a stop payment notice, the bank employee who is responsible for handling your accounting transactions ensures that the check becomes void.

Requesting a voided check is the usual way employers set up direct deposit into their employees’ checking accounts. Employees prefer direct deposit because it’s instantaneous and eliminates the need to wait for a paper check to clear their accounts. When someone writes a check, it has a limited amount of time before it becomes stale dated. If you try to cash or deposit a stale dated check, you may face a variety of issues.

When does a government check expire?

If in person is not possible, a fax delivery is preferred to email. After all, an email can be forwarded, exposing your check information to unintended parties. stale dated checks Voided checks are also frequently requested when setting up recurring financial transactions because they contain all of your banking information.

The disclaimer here is that banks are not under any obligation to honor a stale-dated check. Further, banks are not required to cash a check for non-customers. Unclaimed Property is anything negotiable that has monetary value. In the case of the University, most unclaimed property is uncashed checks issued by various departments. State law requires that all checks two years or older be reported to the Department of Revenue. The exception is Payroll checks which must be reported when they are one year old.

What Is the Effect of a Stale Check?

Ruled that banks can retrieve funds after the issuer’s requested void period unless that person specifically instructed the bank not to honor the check after that time frame. If you’ve been given a check, it’s best to cash or deposit it as soon as feasible. It’s always best to contact the issuer before trying to cash a stale or outstanding check. Such a call may be awkward, https://www.bookstime.com/articles/quickbooks-accountant but it’s better than imposing an overdraft fee on the person or business that wrote it. Specifically, a customer or any person authorized to draw on the account can request their bank to flag the account to stop the payment of the outstanding check. A stop-payment order is designed to stop the check from being processed and prevent the withdrawal of funds from the account.

There may be legal remedies available to you as well as other steps an attorney can help you with to resolve the issue. If possible, try to go to the branch where the payor’s account is located as they may have a banking relationship with the person or business that wrote you the check. Another thing you can do to prevent a stale check from clearing is to freeze your account.

The Bankrate promise

Your state will act as a custodian for your property and will return your money upon showing proof that you are the owner or that you have the right to claim the property. If you don’t have any luck contacting the check issuer, consider working with your bank. Some banks may deposit checks if they have reason to believe that the issuer is legitimate, and the company has enough funds in its account to cover the check. The length of time for a cashier’s check to go stale can also vary — from 60 days to never — depending on multiple factors. In some cases, the issuing bank may specify an expiration date on the check itself. The only exception to stale-dating may be a certified check, which must be honored, even after 180 days.

A company, ABC Co., buys goods from its supplier, XYZ Co., on 1st January. ABC Co. also mentions 1st January on the check as the check date. However, XYZ Co. does not present the check to the bank until 15th July. At this date, the check has gone through seven months without presentation.

Even with this, many banks will still accept them up to the usual 180-day limit without difficulty. Generally, the 90-day warning is often just meant to encourage the check holder to cash or deposit the check as soon as possible for the sake of convenience for both parties. If you have a check and need to tell if it is expired, there are a few steps you can take. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) governs checks regarding payment dates. For non-certified checks, banks do not have to honor checks older than 180 days. If somebody worries that a check got lost, they may decide to stop payment—an order not to pay a check that has been issued, but not cashed—on that check.

Do not place a stop payment with your bank until you have issued a new check. The policy should state more clearly what you will do if a receiver does not cash a check that you have issued. Stale dated checks are becoming an increasing issue for plan sponsors as the number of small-balance accounts and separated members increases. Chase’s website and/or mobile terms, privacy and security policies don’t apply to the site or app you’re about to visit.

Beyond that, it is up to the bank’s discretion, which may include contacting the account holder for approval. The bank also can simply bounce the check without even trying to reach out, which means the depositor may get hit with a “deposit item returned” fee that can be up to $30 or more. A bank will, in good faith, do all it can to stop payment on a check, but a bank will not guarantee that the check will not be processed.