Order of Posting

What is "posting order"?

Posting order is the order in which transactions (debits and credits) are applied to your account during processing at the end of a banking day (Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays).

What are credits and debits?

Credits are deposits or transfers of money into your account. Credits include cash or check deposits you make at the teller line, Automated Clearing House (ACH) credits such as automated payroll deposits, and online banking transfers you make from another account.

Debits are withdrawals or transfers of money out of your account. When you write a check, use your ATM or debit card to withdraw funds or make a purchase, or make online transfers out of your account, we debit your account for the amount of the transaction.

Both debits and credits officially post to your account during evening processing. As a result, they do not always post in the order in which the transactions they represent occurred.

I have a business account. Does this posting order also apply to me?

Yes, this posting order applies to both business and personal accounts.

In what order do transactions post?

Assuming that all example transactions below are made and received by the Bank within the same banking day, they will post to your account in the following order:

1. Deposits (subject to our Funds Availability Policy) and other credits to your account except for interest which is credited to your account after all transactions for the day are posted.
2. Debit card transactions and ATM withdrawals and transfers, all in time-stamp order.
   
   Example: You withdraw $100 at an ATM at 10:00 am. You make a debit card purchase at a retail merchant at 2:00 pm on the same day in the amount of $150 and enter your PIN to authorize the transaction. The $100 ATM withdrawal will post first, followed by the $150 debit card transaction.
   
   If you make an ATM withdrawal or use a debit card to make a purchase and the amount of the transaction is greater than your available balance, the transaction will be declined unless you have opted in to Overdraft Services or have other overdraft protection in place. If we cover the transaction this could create an overdraft which may result in an overdraft fee being assessed. The best way to ensure that you have sufficient funds to cover these transactions and avoid overdraft fees is to record all transactions in your check register as they occur and balance your account regularly.
   
   Please remember that your available balance is generally reduced immediately when you use your ATM or debit card.
3. Teller cash withdrawals, checks you write that are cashed at one of our branches, wire transfers, and items deposited to your account that are returned to us unpaid, in highest-to-lowest dollar amount order.
   
   Example: You write a $100 check to Uncle Joe and he cashes it at one of our branches at 10:00 am that day. At 2:00 pm the same day you cash a $300 check at one of our branches. Since cashed checks are posted in highest-to-lowest dollar amount order, the $300 check will post before the $100 check.
4. ACH debits (excluding those representing checks that have been converted to electronic transactions) and debits that you have authorized via the 24-Hour Convenience Line, Internet Banking, or Mobile banking (including, but not limited to, bill payment transactions, External Transfers, and Zelle^® transactions), all in time-stamp order.
   
   Example: You have an ACH (preauthorized) debit for insurance in the amount of $250 and a Bill Payment transaction for $50 which are both received by the Bank for payment on the same day. The transactions will post to your account based on the time the file containing the debit is actually received by the Bank.
5. All other checks presented against your account (including paper checks, substitute checks created from paper checks, remotely-created drafts, and checks that have been converted to electronic transactions), all in highest-to-lowest dollar amount order.
   
   Example: You write a $75 check to the electric company on 12/15; you write a $100 check to the phone company on 12/17; and you write a $300 check to a retail merchant on 12/20. All three of these checks are presented for payment on 12/21. The items will post to your account in highest-to-lowest dollar amount order. The $300 check will post first, followed by the $100 check and then the $75 check.
6. Automatic loan payments not authorized via Internet Banking or the 24-Hour Convenience Line, in the order authorized.
   
   Example: You have your CTB loan payment scheduled to be deducted from your checking account the 15^th of each month.
7. Internal scheduled transfers that were not authorized via Internet Banking or the 24-Hour Convenience Line, in the order authorized.
   
   Example: You have a $100 transfer scheduled to go from your checking account to your savings account on the 30^th of each month.
8. Fees are imposed against your account as they are assessed.
   
   Example: Monthly maintenance fee charged to your checking account.
9. Any interest due to be credited to your account that day.

If any item above is listed to post in time-stamp order and that item has the same time-stamp as an item in the same category, the items with the same time-stamp will post in highest-to-lowest dollar amount order in that same category. The items that are not of the same time-stamp will still post in that category in the order they were received.

How do I best avoid fees that result from overdrawing my account?

The order in which we receive, process, and post transactions can affect the total number of NSF checks on your account and related overdraft fees and returned-check fees. The best way to prevent overdrafts and avoid the resulting fees is to keep an accurate record of all your account activities and ensure that you always have enough funds available in your account to cover all of your debit transactions. We suggest that you record transactions in your check register as they occur. Balance your account regularly and do not assume that it will be several days before transactions will post to your account.

Community Trust Bank offers several tools to help you manage your account. You can check your balance at any of our ATMs or branch offices; by accessing our Internet Banking at www.ctbi.com; or by calling our 24-Hour Convenience Line at 1-888-443-8504. Additionally, you can call our Customer Service number at 1-800-282-7762.

Please click here to view our Order of Posting Disclosure. PDF

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