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Acceptable / Unacceptable Check Types

If you are unable to send a wire transfer, we will accept bank checks made payable to Interactive Brokers LLC (denominated in US dollars only) or personal checks made payable to Interactive Brokers LLC (denominated in US dollars and from a US bank account). Checks will not be accepted unless they include your account name and account number.

Please note, if you fund your account with a bank check, the check must state one of the following descriptions for us to properly identify the check as a bank check:

  • Treasurer's Check
  • Cashier's Check
  • Teller's Check
  • Banker's Check
  • Official Check

If your bank check does not have one of the above titles stated on the check, or if your check is issued by a credit union or bill payment service, IB will book the funds according to our personal check policy.

Note:

IB's policy is to apply a 6 business day credit hold period on funds from personal checks.


The credit hold policy does not apply for checks with the following titles: Cashier's Check, Teller's Check, Banker's Check, Official Check, and Treasurer's Check unless it is deposited via the "IBKR Mobile" check upload functionality.

If your bank check does not have one of the above titles stated on the check, or if your check is issued by a credit union or bill payment service, or if you deposit a foreign check payable through a US Bank, IB will book the funds according to our personal check policy, which will result in a 6 business day credit hold period.



Unacceptable Deposits


  • Cash (coin or currency)
  • Domestic drafts
  • Starter Checks
  • Checks from minors
  • Stale-dated checks over three months old
  • Post-dated checks
  • Third party checks defined as checks with a payee other than Interactive Brokers (including checks made payable to Interactive Brokers by special endorsement) or checks for a deposit to an IB account, where the check is from someone other than a named account holder. Exceptions to this policy are:
    • Checks from anyone with the same last name and address as the account holder (i.e. husbands, wives, children)
    • For organization accounts, checks from any named person affiliated with the account (i.e. officers, traders, owners, etc.)
  • Credit card checks
  • Money orders
  • Travelers checks
  • Foreign checks or other instruments
  • Home Equity Line of Credit Checks
  • Check referring to more than one IB account
    (IB does not split the proceeds from one check into multiple accounts)
  • Checks that appear altered in any way
  • Wire transfers referring to more than one IB account
    (IB does not split the proceeds from one wire into multiple accounts)