Account Balance FAQ

Your available balance includes: 

• Some pending deposits, such as incoming wire transfers, electronic direct deposits, and cash deposited at a First Bank & Trust location are available for your use on the day we receive the deposit.  
• Pending withdrawals, including debit card transactions we authorize, and checks/authorized payments known to us, reduce your available balance.  
• A portion or all your check deposits made at a First Bank & Trust location or ATM may be immediately available for your use on the day we receive the deposit. Funds not available on the day of the deposit will be available for your use the next business day unless a hold is placed on the deposit. Refer to your deposit receipt or the Funds Availability Policy in the account agreement for detailed funds availability information. 

• Pending check deposits that have not yet been processed or posted to your account or those that did not receive availability at the time we received the deposit. These funds will be available on the next business day unless a hold is placed. If a hold is placed on the deposit, the remaining funds will be available when the hold is removed. 
• Outstanding checks and automatic payments you have authorized (such as car payments, a gym membership, or other recurring debit card transactions) that have not yet been received for payment. 
• Debit card transactions authorized but not submitted by the merchant for payment within three business days of authorization, or that were never submitted for authorization. 
  

It starts with your current posted balance and then is adjusted for holds on recent deposits and pending transactions. 

Current posted balance includes: 

• Deposits and withdrawals that have posted to your account by the end of the previous business day.

• Deposits you made after the previous business day (during the day or over a weekend, for example). Business days are Monday through Friday, except for federal holidays. Cut-off times are displayed in all locations. The cut-off time for First Bank & Trust ATM locations is 2 p.m. Central Time. The cut-off time for deposits using the First Bank & Trust Digital Banking app is 5 p.m. Central Time.  
• ATM withdrawals, online Bill Pay transactions, and pending debit card transactions that have been authorized, but not yet paid from your account. 
• Checks and automatic payments received by the bank during the day, which have not yet been fully processed (posted) for payment. Examples of automatic payments are bills you pay by authorizing a third-party to obtain the funds directly from your account. Please note: If there is not enough money to cover these transactions during the nightly processing, we may pay the item creating an overdraft or return the item unpaid. 

Debit card purchases 

If you make a purchase with your debit card, the merchant may request authorization for an initial amount and send us the actual transaction amount later for payment. This is often the case in places where you can add a tip to your bill (such as restaurants or salons), hotels and car rental agencies, where there can be a significant difference between the amount that's authorized initially (authorization hold amount) and the actual transaction amount. The initially authorized amount appears in your pending transactions, but the actual transaction amount is deducted from your account when the transaction is settled by the merchant. 

For most debit card purchases, we receive the payment request, including the actual transaction amount, within three (3) business days of the transaction. If we don't receive a final payment request from the merchant within three (3) business days, or up to thirty (30) business days for certain types of debit or ATM card transactions including but not limited to car rental transactions, cash transactions, and international transactions, we release the authorization hold on the transaction. We then remove the transaction from your list of pending transactions and add the funds back to your available balance. 

If we receive the payment request at a later date, the actual transaction amount will be deducted from your account at that time. Keep track of your transactions and ensure you have sufficient funds in your accounts to cover the final payment. 

Deposits 

Full Deposit Immediately Available for Use

• Depositing a check from a FBT account in-branch  
• Depositing cash in-branch 
• Direct deposit, once received by FBT 
• Bank-to-bank transfers, once received by FBT 
• Mobile/P2P Payments (e.g., Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay), once received by FBT 

• Debit Card credits (e.g., merchant credits, store returns), once received by FBT 

Up to $500 Immediately Available for Use* 

• Depositing a check in-branch from a non-FBT account 
• Any ATM deposit 
• Mobile Deposit

If you make your deposit on a business day before the cut-off times displayed at the First Bank & Trust location or ATM, or online, we will generally credit the deposit to your account the same business day. If you make your deposit after the cut-off time or on a non-business day, we will credit it to your account on the next business day. 

• Business days are generally Monday through Friday, except for federal holidays. 
• Cut-off times are displayed at all locations.
  • First Bank & Trust ATM locations: 2 p.m.
  • Mobile Deposits using the Digital Banking app: 5 p.m. 
  • One-time & Scheduled Transfers between FBT Accounts: 7 p.m.