Bank Draft (2024)

What is a Bank Draft?

A bank draft is a convenient and secure instrument for making large payments without having to withdraw cash from one’s account. Bank drafts are guaranteed by financial institutions and can be used by individuals to make payments to third parties.

Bank Draft (1)

In most cases, bank drafts can be used to make payments in most currencies. The person receiving the bank draft can deposit it at any bank, just like cash. Bank drafts by most financial institutions do not expire.

However, certain financial institutions may not accept bank drafts that are more than a few months old. Bank drafts are also commonly known as bankers’ drafts and bank checks.

How Does It Work?

First, the individual making the payment submits a request for a bank draft with their financial institution. Once the request is submitted, the bank reviews the individual’s account to see if he or she has sufficient funds to transfer.

If the individual has sufficient funds, the bank approves the request, withdraws funds from the individual’s account, and issues a bank draft for an equivalent amount. The funds withdrawn from the individual’s account are generally transferred to the bank’s reserve account until the draft is presented for payment by the beneficiary.

Bank drafts usually come with a small fee. However, most banking accounts offer a certain number of free bank drafts per year.

The bank draft is issued in the form of a document and is drafted in the name of the individual who will be depositing it and receiving the money. The individual purchasing the bank draft is responsible for ensuring that the bank draft is delivered to the payee.

Once the payee presents the bank draft for payment, his or her identity is verified with the name on the bank draft. After the identity verification process, the funds are deposited into the payee’s account. The funds can take anywhere between 1-4 business days to process.

Can a Bank Draft be Canceled?

A bank draft is difficult to cancel since the funds have already been withdrawn from the buyer’s account and transferred into the bank’s reserve account. However, if the bank can confirm that the bank draft has not been cashed out by the payee, it might agree to cancel the bank draft and refund the buyer’s account.

If the bank draft gets destroyed or stolen before being delivered to the payee, the buyer can go to their bank to get a new draft and cancel the existing one. Similarly, if the transaction gets canceled for any reason, the buyer can request the bank to cancel the draft unless it has already been cashed out by the payee.

What are the Advantages of a Bank Draft?

1. Guaranteed availability of funds

Unlike a personal check, a bank draft is guaranteed by the bank. It means that the payee is guaranteed the availability of funds. In such a way, bank drafts are safer than personal checks, which might bounce if there are no sufficient funds in the payer’s account.

2. More convenient

Another advantage of a bank draft is that it is a much easier and more convenient method for transferring a large sum of money than withdrawing a large sum of cash. Unlike an e-transfer, a bank draft does not have a maximum amount limit and does not require the banking information of the payee. Thus, bank drafts are commonly used when making large purchases, such as buying a house or car.

3. Can be used for cross-border purchases and investments

Bank drafts can also provide funds in most currencies and are commonly used for cross-border purchases and investments in foreign countries.

What are the Disadvantages of a Bank Draft?

1. Cannot be canceled after delivery

Since bank drafts represent a transaction that has already taken place, it cannot be canceled once it is delivered to the payee.

2. Subject to fraud

Another major disadvantage of a bank draft is that if it is lost, stolen, or altered with, and the funds are cashed out by the wrong person, the bank is not responsible for replacing the lost money. In such cases, the buyer can lose a lot of money, especially since bank drafts are generally used for larger purchases.

Additional Resources

Thank you for reading CFI’s guide to Bank Draft. To keep learning and advancing your career, the additional CFI resources below will be useful:

Bank Draft (2024)

FAQs

Bank Draft? ›

A bank draft is a payment that is like a check, but its amount is guaranteed by the issuing bank. The funds are drawn from the requesting payer's account and are then placed in the bank's reserve account until the draft is cashed by the payee.

How does a bank draft work? ›

It's a paper document that looks a lot like a regular cheque. The main difference is that someone who receives a bank draft has a guarantee that the funds are available, as opposed to a regular cheque, which could bounce. Bank drafts are made out to the person receiving the money.

Is a bank draft the same as a cashier's check? ›

Bank drafts are often confused with cashier's checks since they're both guaranteed by the issuing bank and are often involved in large payments. But while a bank draft is issued to the customer, a cashier's check is issued directly from the bank to the final recipient.

How long does it take for a bank draft to clear? ›

Bank drafts go through the clearing process as a cheque would and generally takes 5 working days to clear.

Can I cash a bank draft immediately? ›

You can cash a bank draft immediately after it's been processed. That said, the funds won't be deposited into your bank account immediately. Due to the fact your bank secures the funds, it will take some time to verify that the funds will be deposited into the correct account.

Does a bank draft clear straight away? ›

The funds can take anywhere between 1-4 business days to process.

What is the maximum amount for a bank draft? ›

Amount. There is no limit on a bank draft or certified cheque as long as you have the funds available.

What is safer, a bank draft or a cashier's check? ›

But a cashier's check is generally regarded as the safer payment method because the funds are drawn against the bank's account, not an individual or business account. You should be familiar with the signs of a check fraud scam any time you're accepting one of these checks from someone you don't know.

What is safer, a bank draft or a cashier check? ›

Cashier's checks offer an extra layer of security, as they can only be issued by a bank or credit union. This means that you can trust that the funds are legitimate and guaranteed. However, they may come with higher fees than bank drafts.

How much is a bank draft fee? ›

Bank draft fees may cost anywhere from $0 to $12.50 based on your financial institution and the type of account you hold. Additionally, bank drafts bought in a foreign currency will be subject to currency conversion fees.

What happens if you don't deposit a bank draft? ›

As long as the bank can verify that the draft has not been cashed, it can cancel it and issue a new, replacement draft. Before you obtain a bank draft from your bank, be sure to verify its bank draft cancellation and replacement policies.

Can I deposit a bank draft into someone else's account? ›

A draft is a negotiable instrument. However, if it is marked Account Payee only, then it can only be deposited into the account of person in whose favor draft has been issued. Otherwise, it can be endorsed by the payee of the draft and can be deposited into the account of person in whose favor draft has been endorsed.

How to verify a bank draft? ›

Look for security features, such as watermarks, holograms, and micro-printing. You can also call the issuing bank to confirm that the bank draft is genuine. 3. Check the expiration date: Bank drafts usually have an expiration date, after which they are no longer valid.

What is required for a bank draft? ›

When you request a bank draft, the bank ensures you have enough money in your account to cover the amount requested. It then withdraws the money from your account and moves it to the bank's reserve account. The bank then prepares the draft with your name and the amount you are paying the third party, the payee.

Can a bank draft be cashed anywhere? ›

A Cashier's Check is drawn on the issuing bank, while a Banker's Draft is drawn on funds the issuing bank has on deposit in another bank. They are not common in the United States, where they are often called Teller's Checks. In any case, most banks will cash any Bankers Draft and they should be as good as cash.

What happens to bank draft if not cashed? ›

As long as the bank can verify that the draft has not been cashed, it can cancel it and issue a new, replacement draft. Before you obtain a bank draft from your bank, be sure to verify its bank draft cancellation and replacement policies.

How much does it cost to get a bankers draft? ›

A banker's draft is like asking a bank to write a cheque for you. Some organisations may request it as a more secure way of receiving money than a personal cheque from an individual account. There is a £15 fee for each banker's draft, which you can get in any branch.

How much does a bank draft cost? ›

Bank draft fees may cost anywhere from $0 to $12.50 based on your financial institution and the type of account you hold. Additionally, bank drafts bought in a foreign currency will be subject to currency conversion fees.

References

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