Money orders, check holds and sending limits, worked out
Pick your question: the date your deposit must be available, where a money order costs least, or how many days a transfer takes.
All of it available by
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Counted as deposited on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Funds open from 9:00 a.m. local time that day at the latest.
| $275 | Wed, Oct 28 | First $275 of the day’s check deposits: next business day (§ 229.10(c)(1)(vii)) |
| $925 | Thu, Oct 29 | Rest of the check: second business day (local check) (§ 229.12(b)) |
To take it out as cash, the bank may wait until Fri, Oct 30, except $550 by 5:00 p.m. on the day above (§ 229.12(d)).
- Regulation CC was written for paper deposits: a mobile deposit is treated here as a deposit not made in person. Your bank’s mobile deposit terms say how it applies the schedule to the app.
These are the latest dates the regulation allows. Many banks release funds sooner; your deposit receipt or the bank’s availability policy shows its own schedule.
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored.
Three money questions come back every time a landlord refuses a card or a paycheck arrives as paper: where to get a money order and what it costs, when a deposited check can be spent, and how much a bank or an app lets you send. Each has a precise answer. The Post Office sells money orders of up to $1,000 for $2.65 up to $500 and $3.75 above, the prices in force since October 4, 2026; $1,500 therefore takes two money orders and $6.40 in fees. A deposited check is governed by Regulation CC: the first $275 by the next business day, the rest by the second, and up to $6,725 protected from the large-deposit exception, amounts in force since July 1, 2025. Sending limits belong to each bank: Wells Fargo publishes $3,500 a day by Zelle, Bank of America $3,500 after 60 days. The tools above do the counting with the figures read on October 27, 2026.
Radif Partners · How the dates and fees are worked out · About this site
Money orders: who sells them, for how much, up to what amount
A money order is a prepaid paper payment: you hand over the amount plus a fee, and the seller prints a slip the payee can cash or deposit. The Postal Service issues its own, and stores sell those of Western Union or MoneyGram. The cost is the fee multiplied by the number of slips, and the number of slips depends on the cap per money order, which is $1,000 at the Post Office. Banks sell money orders too, but mostly to their own account holders.
| Seller | Fee per money order | Cap per money order | Needed for $1,500 | Total fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (Post Office) | $2.65 | $1,000 | 2 | $6.40 |
| Walmart | $1 | not published | – | – |
| Kroger | $1.50 | $1,000 | 2 | $3 |
| Publix | $1 | not published | – | – |
| Western Union | varies by location | varies by location | – | – |
| MoneyGram | not published | not published | – | – |
| Chase | $5 | $1,000 | 2 | $10 |
| Regions | $2 | $1,000 | 2 | $4 |
Some stores do not appear with a fee because they publish none: Western Union and MoneyGram let each location set it. The where to get a money order page goes through every seller, the filling guide shows the fields to complete before you hand it over, and cashing one is free at a Post Office for a postal money order.
Check holds: the dates the law sets
Regulation CC, the Federal Reserve’s rule at 12 CFR Part 229, sets the latest day a bank may make a deposit available. It counts in business days, skipping weekends and ten federal holidays, and it starts from the day the deposit is received before the bank’s cutoff, which may not be earlier than 2:00 p.m. at a branch or 12:00 noon at an ATM. The amounts were raised on July 1, 2025 for inflation: $275 next day instead of $225, and $6,725 for the large-deposit and new-account thresholds instead of $5,525.
When will a personal check be available?
All of it by
Wednesday
| $275 | Tuesday (§ 229.10(c)(1)(vii)) |
| $925 | Wednesday (§ 229.12(b)) |
Teller deposit of a local personal check, no exception, no holiday. Days are the latest the rule allows.
The exceptions allow longer holds, never unlimited ones: for a deposit over $6,725, only the excess can wait, up to five more business days for an ordinary check. A new account, in its first 30 days, is the one case without a federal deadline for ordinary checks. The check clearing calculator handles every case and the hold rules page explains each exception and the notice the bank owes you.
Sending limits: Zelle, apps, ATMs
Zelle has no limit of its own; each bank sets one. A few publish it in their agreement, and the figures differ widely: $1,700 in 24 hours at USAA, $2,500 a day at TD Bank, $3,500 at Wells Fargo. Apps publish theirs: Venmo allows $60,000 a week once your identity is verified, and Cash App $40,000 in 30 days. When a sum is above the limit, it takes several days, and a rolling monthly cap can stretch that further.
How many days to send it?
Days of sending
4
| Per day | $2,500 |
| Last day sends | $500 |
Sending $2,500 a day, the most allowed.
The Zelle limits page compares every bank whose limit could be read, the ATM limits page does the same for cash, and the cash reporting page explains what happens above $10,000 in a day.
Every page of the site
Money orders
- Money order finderType the amount: how many money orders it takes, and the fees at the Post Office, Walmart, Kroger, banks and others.
- Where to get a money orderPost Office, Walmart, grocery stores, 7-Eleven or your bank: who sells money orders, to whom, and how you can pay.
- Money order costThe fee per money order at each seller, and what a large payment really costs once it is split into several slips.
- USPS money orderPost Office money orders: the fees since October 4, 2026, the $1,000 cap, how to pay, cash and verify one.
- Walmart money orderWalmart money orders: the published maximum fee, payment, ID above $1,000, refunds and where they can be cashed.
- Western Union money orderWhere Western Union money orders are sold, what the stores charge, and the refund and inactivity fees in its terms.
- MoneyGram money orderWhat MoneyGram publishes about its money orders, what it leaves to its agents, and how its refund process works.
- Money order limitsThe cap per money order, the daily reporting thresholds in cash, and how many slips a large payment takes.
- Filling out a money orderPay to, purchaser, address, memo: what goes in each field, what the clerk prints, and the stub you must keep.
- Where to cash a money orderPost Office, your bank, Walmart or a check casher: where each kind of money order can be cashed, and what it costs.
- Lost or cancelled money orderCan you cancel a money order? What each issuer charges to refund or replace one, how long it takes, and what you need.
- Money order vs cashier’s checkWho sells each, the fees, the caps, when the payee gets the money and which one a landlord or car seller will want.
Checks, holds and cashing
- Cashier’s check feesWhat a cashier’s check is, the fee at each large bank, waivers, online orders, stop payments and availability.
- Where to get a cashier’s checkYour bank, a credit union, online orders or the issuing bank: where you can get a cashier’s check and what to bring.
- Cashier’s vs certified checkWho is liable, which banks still certify checks, how each is held after deposit, and which to ask for when a seller wants certified funds.
- Check clearing timeThe latest day your bank must release each part of a check deposit under Regulation CC, with holidays and cutoffs.
- Check hold rulesLarge deposits, new accounts, redeposited checks, overdrafts: how long each exception lets a bank hold, and the notice it owes you.
- Cashier’s check clearing timeNext business day at a teller, second by app, and what large deposits and new accounts change, with the date for your deposit.
- Mobile deposit timingWhen a check deposited in the app is available: the bank’s cutoff, the Regulation CC dates, and what banks publish about holds.
- Where to cash a checkYour own bank, the bank the check is drawn on, Walmart or a check casher: who cashes what, and the fee each publishes.
- Check cashing feesFlat fees, percentages and minimums: what Walmart and banks charge to cash a check, computed for your amount.
- Walmart check cashingWalmart’s check cashing fees, the $5,000 limit ($7,500 in tax season), accepted checks and the two-party rule.
- Cashing without an accountThe issuing bank, Walmart, the Post Office for money orders, check cashers and apps: options and costs when you have no account.
- Fake check scamsWhy a fake check can look paid for days, the overpayment pattern, how to verify a cashier’s check or money order, and who to call.
Transfer and cash limits
- Zelle limits by bankThe daily and monthly Zelle limits each bank publishes, the ones it shows only in the app, and how many days a large sum takes.
- Zelle limit at Bank of AmericaBank of America’s Zelle limits by tenure, per recipient and per month, and its cutoffs for mobile deposits, wires and transfers.
- Zelle limit at ChaseChase’s new tiered Zelle limits from $500 to $10,000 a day, what decides your tier, and Chase’s deposit cutoffs and fees.
- Zelle limit at Wells FargoWells Fargo’s Zelle limits over rolling 24 hours and 30 days, business limits, and its mobile deposit and Early Pay Day rules.
- Zelle limit at CitiCiti’s Zelle limits by account package, the $500 limit for new enrollments, and Citi’s ATM, card and deposit cutoff figures.
- Zelle at Navy Federal and USAAZelle limits at the two largest military financial institutions, with their mobile deposit, ATM and early pay rules.
- Venmo limitsVenmo’s weekly sending limits before and after identity verification, bank transfer limits, and the instant transfer fee.
- Cash App limitsCash App’s $1,000 limit before verification, $40,000 after, card and ATM limits, and its instant transfer fee of up to 2.5%.
- PayPal limitsPayPal’s sending limits per payment before and after verification, transfer limits to cards and banks, and personal payment fees.
- Instant transfer feesWhat Venmo, Cash App and PayPal charge to move money to your bank instantly, and what banks charge for instant check funds.
- ATM withdrawal limitsThe daily ATM cash limits banks publish, those set per card, and how many days a large cash withdrawal takes.
- Debit card purchase limitsThe daily debit card spending limits banks publish, why a large purchase is declined, and what to use instead.
- Withdrawing large amounts of cashATM limits, teller withdrawals, the $10,000 report, and why splitting a withdrawal to avoid it is the real offense.
- Depositing more than $10,000 in cashWhat happens when you deposit more than $10,000 in cash: the report the bank files, the structuring rule, and when the money is available.
- Mobile deposit limitsHow much you can deposit by phone at each bank, why most limits appear only in the app, and what to do with a check above yours.
Direct deposit and cutoffs
- Early direct deposit by bankWhich banks release your paycheck before payday, how many days early, on which accounts, and why it is never guaranteed.
- When direct deposit arrivesWhen a paycheck by direct deposit must be in your account, why it can arrive overnight or late, and what holidays and weekends change.
- Mobile deposit cutoff timesThe time until which each bank counts a mobile deposit for today, converted to your time zone, and what happens after it.
- Bank holidays 2026 and 2027The days banks do not count as business days in 2026 and 2027, the Sunday rule, Juneteenth, and how a holiday moves a deposit date.
Why our data changes the answer
A fee or a limit copied from an article goes stale without anyone noticing. Three changes in the last year show it: the Regulation CC amounts rose on July 1, 2025, the Postal Service raised its money order fees on October 4, 2026, and several banks moved from one fixed Zelle limit to limits that depend on tenure or on the payment. This site reads each figure on the page of the bank, the store, the issuer or the regulation itself, keeps the address and the date of reading next to it, and re-reads those pages every month with a script that flags any page whose text changed.
When a provider publishes nothing, the site says “not published” rather than borrowing a number from elsewhere. That is less tidy than a full table, but it is the only way a table can be trusted.
How this site works
The tools run in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored, there is no account to create, and the site carries no link to open an account and no sponsored ranking. Bank, store and app names appear as plain text, without logos. The method page explains each calculation.
Sources
Rules, fees and limits on this page were read on these pages on October 27, 2026.
- 12 CFR 229.10, Next-day availability (read Oct 27, 2026)
- 12 CFR 229.12, Availability schedule (read Oct 27, 2026)
- 12 CFR 229.13, Exceptions (new accounts, large deposits, redeposited checks) (read Oct 27, 2026)
- 12 CFR 229.2, Definitions (business day, cashier's check, certified check) (read Oct 27, 2026)
- 31 CFR 1010.415, Purchases of cashier's checks, money orders and traveler's checks with currency (read Oct 27, 2026)
- 31 CFR 1010.311, Filing obligations for reports of transactions in currency (read Oct 27, 2026)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual, Notice 123, Price List (read Oct 27, 2026)
- USPS, Money Orders (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Walmart, Money Orders (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Walmart, Check Cashing (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Western Union, Retail Money Order Terms and Conditions (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Wells Fargo, Zelle FAQs (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Bank of America, Online Banking Service Agreement (Zelle limits) (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Zelle, FAQ (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Venmo, Personal profile payment limits (read Oct 27, 2026)
- Cash App, Account limits (read Oct 27, 2026)
- PayPal, Sending limits (read Oct 27, 2026)
- FTC, How to spot, avoid and report fake check scams (read Oct 27, 2026)
Figures checked on .
Questions people ask
Where is the cheapest place to buy a money order?
Among the sellers whose fees could be read, Walmart publishes a maximum of $1 and Publix $1 per money order, against $2.65 at the Post Office for up to $500 since October 2026. The Post Office caps each money order at $1,000, and so do most stores. The finder above counts how many you need for your amount and adds the fees seller by seller.
How long can a bank hold a check I deposit?
For an ordinary check with no exception, the first $275 by the next business day and the rest by the second business day, under 12 CFR 229.12. Cashier’s, certified, Treasury and postal money order checks handed to a teller are due the next business day. A deposit over $6,725, a new account or a redeposited check allow a longer hold, with a written notice.
Does Zelle have its own sending limit?
No. Zelle’s own help pages say each bank or credit union sets the limit, and most do not publish it outside their app. Among those that publish, the daily figure for a consumer account ranges from a few hundred dollars for a new user to several thousand for a long-standing one, often with a separate monthly cap. The limits tool lists what each bank published.
Is anything I type on this site sent to a bank?
No. Every tool runs in your browser and nothing you enter, not an amount, not a date, is sent or stored. The site has no account, no form and no link to open an account. It publishes the rules and the fees as their owners publish them, with the address and the date of the page each figure was read on.
Why does the site say not published so often?
Because many banks show their limits only inside the app or online banking, and many stores leave money order fees to each location. Writing a number found in an old article would be guessing. When a provider does not publish a figure, the site says so and points to where the figure appears, usually the app or the deposit receipt.
How often are the fees and limits checked?
Every figure carries the date its official page was read. A script reads all the pages again and flags those whose content has changed since, so a new fee schedule or a revised help article is caught and the figure updated. Between two readings, a provider can change its terms; the date shown tells you how fresh each figure is.
Which is safer to receive, a money order or a cashier’s check?
Both are prepaid, so neither should bounce for lack of funds, but both are counterfeited in scams. A cashier’s check is drawn on a bank you can call at a number you look up yourself; a money order can be verified with its issuer, such as the Postal Service or Western Union. Never send money back before the item has been verified.
Written by Radif Partners
Independent publisher of free tools that answer the everyday rules of paying and getting paid in the United States
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US payment rules 2026, read on bank, store, Postal Service and eCFR pages, last checked on