Banking Facts: Banking 101

Get started with a new account.

Opening and using your new account is easier than you think.

How to open a new checking or savings account

Choose the right account for you

Do you need a debit card and checks? A safe place to save money you’ve earned? Or both? Check out our checking and savings account options to find the best one for you.

Checking accounts are used for day-to-day transactions, like buying something online or at a store with a debit card, sending money digitally, writing a rent check, or depositing cash and checks.
Learn more about Truist One Checking
Savings accounts are more of a one-way street—a place to deposit money to save up for a goal or emergency fund. They can also be used as a safety net to help if you accidentally overdraft your account. Note that Truist CDs are not available for overdraft protection.
Learn about our savings accounts.

Open your account

You can open your new account any way you want. (Note that Truist CDs can only be opened at a branch.)

Online: Get started right away by opening your account online. You’ll have to wait a few days for your debit card and checks to arrive by mail.

Learn about Truist One Checking

See savings options
Branch: Visit a branch near you during business hours to open your new account.

Visit a branch
Phone: Call us at 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478). We’re available Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm, and Saturday, 8 am to 5 pm.

Call us

Digital banking at your fingertips

We’re with you—wherever you are. Learn how to register, get our mobile app, deposit checks, set customized alerts, and so much more. Learn more.

Activate your debit card

A debit card gives you the freedom to make digital purchases and in-person payments using the cash in your checking account—but you'll need to activate it first.

Activate your card online

Use your new account

Not sure how to get started? You’ve come to the right place. Learn how to:

Transfer money

You have a bank account. Nice. Here’s how to put money into it.

Internal transfers

Transfer money between your accounts to access cash instantly.

Online banking

Sign in to online banking.
Select Transfer & pay.
Select Transfer money & pay Truist accounts.
Choose the account you want to transfer money from in the first drop-down menu.
Choose the account you want to transfer money to in the second drop down menu.
Select One-time or Recurring
Enter the amount to transfer
Select when to transfer.
For One-time transfers, select or enter a transaction date.
For Recurring transfers, select or enter your start date, and then select your frequency from the drop-down menu.
Enter an optional memo.
Select Continue.

Review your transfer details. If they’re incorrect, select Edit to make corrections. If they’re correct, select Send transfer.

Mobile Banking

Sign in to online banking.
Select Transfer & pay.
Select Transfer money & pay Truist accounts.
Select the account you want to transfer money from in “From”.
Select the account you want to transfer money to in “To”.
Select One-time or Recurring.
Enter the amount to transfer
Select when to transfer.
For One-time transfers, select or enter a transaction date.
For Recurring transfers, select or enter your start date, and then select your frequency from the drop-down menu.
Enter an optional memo.
Select Continue.

Review your transfer details. If they’re incorrect, select Edit to make corrections. If they’re correct, select Send transfer.

External transfers

Online banking

Sign in to online banking.
Select Accounts.
Select Link external accounts.
Select a site.
Enter your credentials.
Confirm account has been added by selecting the Accounts tab.
Follow the same instructions for internal transfers, selecting your external accounts from the appropriate drop-down menus.

Mobile Banking

Sign in to online banking.
Select Accounts.
Select the Settings icon in the upper right of the screen.
Select Link external account in the menu.
Select a site.
Enter your credentials.
Confirm account has been added by selecting the Accounts tab.
Follow the same instructions for internal transfers, selecting your external accounts from the appropriate drop-down menus.

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Send and receive digital payments to people and businesses with Zelle^®. Use this step-by-step guide to learn how.

Set up direct deposit

What makes pay day even better? Waking up to cash already in your account (thank you, direct deposit).

To get started, ask your employer how to enroll. You’ll need to give them this form, your routing and account numbers for the checking account where you want your paycheck deposited. You can find this information on one of your own checks, or in digital banking.

On a check: In the string of numbers along the bottom of your check, your routing number is the first set of nine numbers. Your account number is the next set of numbers, and is between 1 and 13 digits (any leading zero’s are included in the 13-digit account number).
In digital banking: Select the account you want, and then select View account details to see your routing and account number.

Pay bills online

We can make your bills disappear—from your to-do list.

Learn how to pay your bills in digital banking, including how to set them for auto-pay.

Start mobile banking

You don’t need a branch—or even a computer—to do your banking. Learn more about banking on the go, or download Truist Mobile now to get started.

Ordering checks

Truist makes it easy to order checks. Before you get started, you’ll need to have your routing number and your account number handy.

As a reminder, the Truist Confidence Account doesn’t offer personal checks.

Personal check orders

For first-time check orders:

Sign in to Truist Online Banking
By phone: Call 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478).

For check reorders:

Sign in to Truist Online Banking
By phone: Call Deluxe at 877-838-5287.

Business check orders

For first-time check orders and check reorders:

Sign in to Truist Online Banking
By phone: Call Deluxe at 800-559-6134.

Deposit availability

When you’re on a deadline, it helps to know ours. Here’s when you can count on us to have your deposits ready to use in your account.

Exceptions to overdraft fees
Type of deposit	Cut-off time for deposit to post that day	When it's available to cover transactions presented during nightly processing	When it's available for withdrawal and debit card purchases
Cash deposit with a teller	Varies (check with your local branch)	Same banking day (based on cut-off time)	Immediately
Cash deposit at the ATM	9 pm ET (M – F)	Same banking day (based on cut-off time)	Immediately
Cash deposit through the night depository	7 am ET (M –F)	Same banking day (based on cut-off time)	Available once processed by the branch teller
Check deposit through the night depository	Varies (check with your local branch)	Same banking day (unless a hold is placed)	Next day after it has been processed (unless a hold is placed)
Direct Deposit	Post throughout the day	Same banking day	Immediately
Check deposit with a teller	Varies (check with your local branch)	Same banking day (unless a hold is placed)	Next day after it has been processed (unless a hold is placed)
Check deposit at the ATM	9 pm ET (M – F)	Same banking day (unless a hold is placed)	Next day after it has been processed (unless a hold is placed)
Mobile check deposit (Standard availability)	9 pm ET (M – F)	Same banking day (unless a hold is placed)	Next day after it has been processed (unless a hold is placed)
Mobile check deposit (Immediate availability, if offered and accepted) Fees may apply	9 pm ET (M – F)	Same banking day until 11:59 pm ET	Immediately

Transaction posting order

With so many ways to use your checking account—like checks, debit card purchases, ACH transactions—it can be a little tricky to keep track of your transactions. Some show up almost right away, like debit card purchases. Others, like personal checks, get processed overnight. Here’s what to expect for the typical posting order:

(+) Deposits and Credits will post to your account first. This includes cash and check deposits, and incoming transfers received before the cut-off time at the location the deposit or transfer was made.
(-) Bank-initiated transactions, like corrections and deposited item returned checks.
(-) Client-initiated withdrawals and debits like debit card purchases, ATM withdrawals, account transfers, and teller-cashed checks. If we get more than one of these transactions for payment from your account, we’ll generally sort and pay them based on the date and time you made the transactions.
(-) Client-initiated withdrawals and debits like automated payments for bills. If there’s more than one of these types of transactions, they’ll be sorted by the date and time that they’re received. Multiple transactions that have the same time will be sorted and paid from lowest to highest serial number.
(-) Client-initiated checks will be posted and sorted in sequential order.
(-) Some bank fees—like monthly maintenance fees—will post to your account last. Others will post to your account at the time they’re incurred.

Still have questions? Here’s more info.

Nightly processing occurs on regular banking days—that excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Cash and wire transfer deposits are processed throughout the day and are available for withdrawal the same day.
Funds from pending check deposits made after the cut-off won’t be included in your available balance to cover items that night. They’ll be processed in the next banking day's nightly processing.
Checks deposited with standard availability will be posted to your account and available for use after the nightly processing (unless a hold is placed). If there’s a hold on your deposit, those funds aren’t available to cover items during posting, or for withdrawals and purchases, until the hold expires.
Checks deposited with immediate availability will be processed each banking day (Monday through Friday except federal holidays) during nightly processing. If accepted, your available balance will be increased by the amount of the deposited check, minus the applicable fee, at the time the deposit is made. Currently available for Mobile Check Deposits only.
Overdraft and returned item fees are added after each item is presented against an insufficient available balance during nightly processing. Non-Truist ATM fees are applied at the time of each ATM transaction. Other applicable fees may post at the end of processing.
Fees may be assessed on checks, recurring debit card transactions, ACH, and other items if they’re paid by the bank (overdraft fee) or returned (returned item fee). Also, if you accepted overdraft coverage, ATM and one-time debit card transactions may be assessed an overdraft fee. Some fees are assessed at the time the transaction is performed, while others are assessed at the end of the banking day.
Even more information can be found in our Bank Services Agreement under Withdrawals and Debits.

The more you know—the less you pay.

Fees happen. But they don’t always have to. Like with the Truist One Checking or Truist Confidence Account—where there’s no overdraft or overdraft related fees.

Overdraft fees

Overdraft fees happen when you spend more than you have in your checking account—but you won’t get any with a Truist One Checking or Truist Confidence Account

Overdraft fee

A $36 fee that’s charged when a transaction amount is more than your available balance and is paid with negative funds. If the original transaction amount is less than $5, we will not charge an overdraft fee.

Truist pays overdrafts at its discretion, which means that we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction. If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined or returned.

Unless you have overdraft protection, overdraft fees can be issued up to three times per day until you make a deposit to cover all outstanding transactions.

Overdraft fees may be assessed on checks, recurring debit card transactions, and ACH items. Also, if you have accepted overdraft coverage, ATM and one-time debit card transactions may generate overdraft fees. To review the Truist Overdraft Decision Notice, please refer to the last page of the Personal Deposit Accounts Fee Schedule (PDF).

Overdraft fee exceptions

Everyone makes mistakes—we get that. So, there are a few exceptions to overdraft fees, such as:

You have a Truist One Checking or Truist Confidence Account
When you catch the overdraft before the daily deposit cut-off time and deposit or transfer enough to cover the overdraft
If the transaction that caused the overdraft is a one-time debit card transaction or an ATM transaction and you declined Overdraft Coverage at the time the transaction was authorized
Truist will waive Overdraft Fees on transactions that are less than $5. Here are some examples of how that works:

Transactions	Transaction amount	Available balance	Overdraft fee
Available balance	—	$2.00	—
Coffee purchase, debit card	$3.00	-$1.00	No
Lunch purchase, debit card	$4.00	-$5.00	No
Check 102	$87.00	-$92.00	Yes
Check 104	$4.00	-$96.00	No

Tips and tools for avoiding fees

You don’t want to pay fees. We get that. Here are a few tools to help you keep an eye on your balance and quickly fix any accidental overdrafts.

Manage your account and set alerts with digital banking.
Make quick deposits at ATMs or with our mobile app.
Set up direct deposit.
Make phone transfers by calling 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478).

Other fees

The best way to avoid account fees—like monthly maintenance fees—is to start with the right checking account or savings account for you. If you’ve done that, there are still a few others fees you should know about.

Paper statement fee

There is no charge for paper statements or paperless online statements. Sign into Truist online banking to enroll in paperless statements.

ATM fees

You can use more than 3k Truist ATMs for free. And some checking accounts will waive fees a few times a month if you use a non-Truist ATM.

Stop payment fee

If you need to stop a transaction before it's complete, like a check you've written or an ACH transaction, a $35 fee will be issued.

Truist One Checking

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Podcast: Money and Mindset with Bright and Brian

Welcome to Banking 101.

Get started with a new account.

How to open a new checking or savings account

Use your new account

Internal transfers

Online banking

Mobile Banking

External transfers

Online banking

Mobile Banking

Move money—fast—with Zelle^®.

Deposit availability

Transaction posting order

The more you know—the less you pay.

Overdraft fees

Overdraft fee

Overdraft fee exceptions

Tips and tools for avoiding fees

Other fees

Paper statement fee

ATM fees

Stop payment fee

Investment and Insurance Products:

Limited English Proficiency Support:

New York City residents:

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

Truist One Checking

Take advantage of our special HELOC offer.

Make your mortgage digital. Our care will stay personal.

Find an advisor.

Welcome to Banking 101.

Get started with a new account.

How to open a new checking or savings account

Use your new account

Internal transfers

Online banking

Mobile Banking

External transfers

Online banking

Mobile Banking

Move money—fast—with Zelle®.

Overdraft fees

Overdraft fee

Other fees

Paper statement fee

ATM fees

Stop payment fee

Disclosures

Investment and Insurance Products:

Limited English Proficiency Support:

New York City residents:

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

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Move money—fast—with Zelle^®.