Stop Payment: The Cost to Cancel Checks at Banks

Spencer Tierney is a consumer banking writer at NerdWallet. He has covered personal finance since 2013, with a focus on certificates of deposit and other banking-related topics. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, USA Today, The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, among others. He is based in Oakland, California.

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Sara Clarke is a former Banking editor at NerdWallet. She has been an editor and project manager in newsrooms for two decades, most recently at U.S. News & World Report. She managed projects such as the U.S. News education rankings and the Best States rankings. Sara has appeared on SiriusXM Business Radio and iHeartMedia’s WHO Newsradio and has been quoted in The Salt Lake Tribune, The St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press and other outlets. She is based near Washington, D.C.

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The fee to cancel, or “stop payment,” on a check can be $30 or more at many large banks. However, some banks and credit unions charge less, and the cost can vary depending on how you make the request. Here’s an overview of what you might pay.

» Want to start at the beginning? Find out how to cancel a check

Stop payment fees by financial institution

Here’s what it costs to request a stop payment for a personal check* at some of the bigger banks and credit unions:

Stop payment fee**

Bank of America

$30 (waived for customers with Advantage Relationship Banking, Advantage with Tiered Interest Checking, Advantage Regular Checking accounts and Preferred Rewards), $0 for recurring debit transactions.

$25 via online, mobile or automated telephone banking; $30 via customer service call or at branch (waived for customers with Chase Sapphire Checking and Chase Private Client accounts).

$30 (waived for customers with Citigold and Citi Priority accounts, as well as Private Bank clients).

Navy Federal Credit Union

$20 for a single item; $25 for a series of items.

Alliant Credit Union

Capital One 360

Connexus Credit Union

Consumers Credit Union

PenFed Credit Union

$20 for a single stop payment; $30 for two or more simultaneous stop payments.

$33 (waived for customers with Performance Select Checking).

$30 (waived for customers with TD Relationship Checking & Savings, TD Beyond Checking and TD Premier Checking accounts). ***

$35 ($0 for Premium and Pinnacle Checking customers and members of the military).

*A preauthorized series of electronic transfers can also be canceled. Cashier's checks and certified checks usually are not eligible for stop payments.

**This information is based on each financial institution's current deposit agreements and disclosures online.

***TD Bank is only available on the East Coast: CT, DC, DE, FL, MD, ME, MA, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA.

Some requests cost more

Generally, you can ask for a stop payment through online banking, automated telephone banking or customer service at a branch or over the phone. Some financial institutions have the same fee no matter what; others charge more for personal assistance.

Canceling multiple checks can be cheaper

Some institutions, including Navy Federal Credit Union and Pentagon Federal Credit Union, charge just a bit more to stop payment on a consecutive series of checks than they do for just one check. So if you lost or made errors on several checks recently, you can cancel them all at once at a lower cost than you could if you paid a separate fee for each one.

SoFi Checking and Savings

SoFi members with Direct Deposit or $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/27/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

EverBank Performance℠ Savings

Barclays Tiered Savings Account

These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.

These cash accounts combine services and features similar to checking, savings and/or investment accounts in one product. Cash management accounts are typically offered by non-bank financial institutions.

on Wealthfront's website

Wealthfront Cash Account

on Betterment's website

Betterment Cash Reserve – Paid non-client promotion

*Current promotional rate; annual percentage yield (variable) is 5.50% as of 4/2/24, plus a .50% boost available as a special offer with qualifying deposit. Terms apply; if the base APY increases or decreases, you’ll get the .75% boost on the updated rate. Cash Reserve is only available to clients of Betterment LLC, which is not a bank; cash transfers to program banks conducted through clients’ brokerage accounts at Betterment Securities.

CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.

CDs (certificates of deposit) are a type of savings account with a fixed rate and term, and usually have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs High-Yield CD

4.70% APY (annual percentage yield) as of 08/30/2024

Federally insured by NCUA

Alliant Credit Union Certificate

Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 08/20/2024

Discover® Cashback Debit

Chase Total Checking®

Deposits are FDIC Insured

Chime Checking Account

Discover® Money Market Account

Renewing a stop payment costs money, too

When a check’s date is more than six months old, most banks will consider it “stale,” but some may still honor it. A stop payment on a check usually lasts six months, so if you’re afraid a check might still be cashed at a later date, you’ll need to pay a fee to renew the stop payment.

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Spencer Tierney is a writer and NerdWallet's authority on certificates of deposit. His work has been featured by USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. See full bio.

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