The cheque clearing process

All cheques written and received by you go through the clearing cycle, a system used by the main UK Banks to transfer money between accounts.

Information relating to sterling cheques issued in the UK

Banks in the UK use the Next Business Day cheque clearing cycle for sterling cheques issued in the UK. The UK cheque clearing system exchanges scanned digital images of cheques. You should anticipate money from cheques you write leaving your account on the next Business Day. You should always ensure you have sufficient funds in your account prior to issuing a cheque.

This is how the cheque clearing cycle works for a Sterling Cheque paid into a Sterling account.

Infographic showing examples of the six business day and next business day clearing cycles.

More information about how the cheque clearing cycle works across UK banks can be found on the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company website.

These timescales are industry guidelines. Interest calculations and the availability of funds may be earlier in certain circumstances.

Cheques paid in at a branch after 17:00 on a Business Day or any day which is not a Business Day may not begin to be processed until the next Business Day. Some branches have an earlier cut-off than 17:00. A notice will be displayed in such branches which will specify the earlier cut-off time. Cheques paid in via alternate methods than a branch will have different cut-off times. Please refer to the specific Terms & Conditions for that method of deposit for more details.

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Lloyds Bank is a trading name of Lloyds Bank plc, Bank of Scotland plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Lloyds Bank plc. Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales no.2065. Bank of Scotland plc. Registered Office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Registered in Scotland no. SC327000. Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Registered office 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales no. 10399850. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 119278, 169628 and 763256 respectively

The products and services outlined on this site may be offered by legal entities from across Lloyds Banking Group, including Lloyds Bank plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc. Lloyds Bank plc and Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc are separate legal entities within the Lloyds Banking Group.

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Eligible deposits with us are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). We are covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Please note that due to FSCS and FOS eligibility criteria not all business customers will be covered.