Insufficient Funds
Banking
When a depositor's checking account balance is inadequate to pay a check presented for payment.
- — Dictionary of Banking Terms and Phrases
- — Dictionary of Banking Terms and Phrases retrieved 2014-05-16
Personal Finance
When a member's checking or share draft account balance is inadequate to pay a check or ACH presented for payment.
- — Pocket Cents Glossary retrieved 2014-05-16
If you don't have enough money available in your checking account to cover the checks you've written or electronic debits you've authorized, you have insufficient funds (ISF) or nonsufficient funds (NSF).
A check written against insufficient funds is informally called a returned check, a bounced check, or a bad check. If you write one, your account is considered overdrawn.
Unless you have overdraft protection, which is a line of credit linked to your checking account, your bank will charge you an NSF fee, usually $20 to $35 per check.
The check or an electronic copy is returned unpaid to the person who deposited it. The payee's bank may also charge a fee for depositing a check written against insufficient funds.