Find out how we handle overdrafts
Learn about the settings you can use on your account.
Our Standard Overdraft setting
This setting is automatic for eligible See note 1 checking accounts, but you can change it at anytime. Changes may take up to two business days to process.
With Standard Overdraft, we may choose to cover transactions even when your available balance is too low. This could save you from merchant fees for things like late payments and returned checks, but may cause an overdraft fee.
For more info, read our Depository Agreement and Disclosures.
Our Auto-Decline setting
With this setting, we generally return or decline transactions if your available balance is too low. You won't get an overdraft fee, but the merchant or biller might still charge you fees.
You can change your overdraft setting to Auto-Decline anytime. It may take up to 2 business days to process.
Accounts automatically set to Auto-Decline
These accounts aren't eligible for Standard Overdraft.
- USAA Youth Spending accounts
- Savings accounts
- Fiduciary accounts, like accounts opened for an estate, formal trusts, guardianships and conservatorships
- Accounts enrolled in our overdraft protection service that use a credit card for protection
Set up a protecting account with Overdraft Protection.
This optional service moves money from another account to help cover overdrafts in a checking or savings account. Both accounts must be eligible for the service to work.
You can make the protecting account a USAA Bank checking, savings or credit card account.
There are no fees unless you use a credit card as the protecting account. See note 2
Learn how our overdraft settings work.
How overdraft fees work
Video Duration: 2 minutes 16 seconds
The standard overdraft setting: Elapsed time 0 minutes 0 seconds [00:00]
Have you ever forgotten about a scheduled bill or a check that you wrote? It happens.
Our standard overdraft setting can allow transactions like your bills, checks and certain electronic payments like your mortgage payments to be paid even when you don't have enough available balance to cover them. This could save you from fees from merchants related to things like late payments and returned checks.
A $29 overdraft fee could apply for each item that causes an overdraft. And you could be charged this fee one time per day, per account.
But we have tools and settings to help you avoid those fees or get them refunded.
USAA Overdraft Fee Cushion: Elapsed time 0 minutes 37 seconds [00:37]
We won't charge an overdraft fee if your available balance is overdrawn by $100 or less after all transactions have processed at the end of the business day. We also won't charge you an overdraft fee for transactions that are $5 or less. We call this our Overdraft Fee Cushion.
USAA Overdraft Fee Refund Window: Elapsed time 0 minutes 54 seconds [00:54]
If you do happen to have a covered transaction more than $5 post to your account, causing your account's available balance to be overdrawn by more than $50, you enter our Overdraft Fee Refund Window. This feature gives you time to increase your available balance and get a refund of the overdraft fee.
Description of visual information: [The following types of transactions may be eligible for coverage under our standard overdraft setting: checks, ACH transactions, payments using the USAA Pay Bills service, and recurring debit card transactions.] End of description.
Here's an example of how it works.
A $300 utility bill comes in for payment on a Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, you check your balance on the mobile app and notice your account is overdrawn by $200. If you make a qualifying deposit to bring your available balance to at least negative $100 before the deposit cutoff time on Wednesday, we'll refund any applicable overdraft fee.
Description of visual information: [We'll provide a refund of an overdraft fee charged to your account if we receive a qualifying deposit to your account before the applicable deposit cutoff time on the business day following the posting of the item causing the overdraft. The deposit cutoff time is generally 9 p.m. Central Time, but earlier cutoff times may apply: 5 p.m. Central Time for USAA Federal Savings Bank teller deposits and 7 p.m. Central Time for USAA ATMs that accept deposits (unless a different time is posted on the ATM). See the Depository Agreement & Disclosures for details.] End of description.
And, if you get text or email messages from USAA, you'll receive an alert letting you know your account is overdrawn and that you can take action to get a refund if an overdraft fee applies.
Auto-decline setting: Elapsed time 1 minute 50 seconds [01:50]
If you don't want to risk getting an overdraft fee, you may want to consider our auto-decline setting.
With this setting, we will decline or return most payments if you don't have enough available balance to cover them, so you'll never receive an overdraft fee. You can switch to the auto-decline setting from your Account Summary page anytime.
We know life is full of surprises and that you might spend more than you have in your account. USAA has the tools and settings to help.
Description of visual information: [Bank products provided by USAA Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC.] End of description.
End: Elapsed time 2 minutes 16 seconds [02:16]
Overdraft options and fees FAQ
With a linked checking or savings account:
If money is available in your linked USAA Bank checking or savings account at the end of the business day, we'll make a transfer to cover the transactions.
If there isn't enough money, you'll have until the end of the next business day to bring your account balance to at least negative $100, not counting overdraft fees. Then, we'll refund the fees.
With a linked credit card:
If you link a USAA Bank credit card as your protecting account, we'll set your checking account to Auto-Decline.
So if you don't have enough available credit on your credit card, we may return or decline transactions.
For details, review the Depository Agreement and Disclosures Opens in a New Window.
We'll refund overdraft fees if you make a deposit to your account that meets these requirements:
Timing: We need to receive the deposit before the cutoff time on the business day after the overdraft transaction posts.
For example, if an overdraft item posts on Monday, make a deposit by these cutoff times on Tuesday:
- 5 p.m. CT for USAA Bank teller deposits. The lobby and drive-thru may have different cut-off times.
- 7 p.m. CT for USAA Bank ATMs that accept deposits, unless a different time is posted on the ATM
- 9 p.m. CT for most other deposits
Amount: The deposit needs to bring your account's available balance to at least negative $100, not counting overdraft fees.
Keep in mind, transactions might not show on your account until after processing at the end of the business day. Make sure to keep track of checks you write or payments you authorize.
Availability: The money needs to be available to use. It can't be on hold. This includes holds on deposits or other types of holds.
Example: You deposit a $500 check to your account but there's a $400 hold on the deposit. This means only $100 is available to try to get an overdraft fee refund through the USAA Overdraft Fee Refund Window.
For more information, review the USAA Overdraft Fee Refund Window section of the Depository Agreement and Disclosures.
Your available balance is the amount of money in your account that you can use right away to make payments or withdrawals.
This might not include:
- Funds that are on hold.
- Checks you wrote that haven't processed.
- Pending deposits, transfers or refunds.
- Pending withdrawals or payments.
You can find your available balance in your account summary on usaa.com and the USAA Mobile App.
For more information on available balance, read the Depository Agreement and Disclosures.
- Tellers at the branch in San Antonio, TX: 5 p.m. CT, unless USAA Bank closes before 5 p.m.
- USAA Bank ATM: 7 p.m. CT, unless a different time is posted on the ATM or displayed on the ATM screen
- Zelle®: Transfers received by 9 p.m. CT See note 3
- Mail: The business day USAA Bank receives a deposit in its San Antonio, Texas office
- USAA Bank deposit box: The business day USAA Bank receives a deposit in its San Antonio office, unless a different time is posted at the deposit box
- Online and mobile transfers from USAA Bank accounts: 9 p.m. CT
- Telephone transfers from USAA Bank accounts: 9 p.m. CT
- USAA Deposit@Mobile® and other USAA remote check deposit services: 9 p.m. CT See note 4