Overdraft Coverage
Overdraft coverage options for consumer accounts:
Overdraft protection and overdraft privilege
First Fidelity Bank understands that unexpected overdrafts occur from time to time. Overdraft Coverage can help.
Overdraft Coverage Options
The choice is yours. Consider these ways to cover overdrafts:
Service | Cost |
---|---|
Overdraft Protection linked to another deposit account you have at First Fidelity Bank1 | No fee per transfer |
Overdraft Privilege Standard or Extended Coverage | $25 Overdraft Paid Fee per item presented* |
1Call us at (256) 845-1077, send us a secure message through online banking, or come by one of our locations to sign up for this service.
*Per item presented means each time an item is presented, including re-presentment.
Overdraft Protection applies to all transactions and may help prevent overdrafts by automatically transferring funds to your checking account from another account you may have at First Fidelity Bank.
Overdraft Privilege allows you to overdraw your account up to the disclosed limit for a fee to pay a transaction. Even if you have Overdraft Protection, Overdraft Privilege is still available as secondary coverage if the other protection source is exhausted. Please review What Else You Should Know for other important information. Please note that Overdraft Privilege is not available for business accounts.
Transactions covered with Overdraft Privilege | Standard Coverage (No action required) |
Extended Coverage (Your consent is required)** |
---|---|---|
Checks | ||
ACH - Automatic Debits | ||
Recurring Debit Card Transactions | ||
Teller Window Transactions | ||
ATM Transactions | ** | |
Everyday Debit Card Transactions | ** |
**If you choose Extended Coverage on your account, ATM transactions and everyday debit card transactions will be included with the transactions listed under Standard Coverage. If you already have Overdraft Privilege Extended Coverage, it is not necessary to request it again.
If you would like to select Extended Coverage for future transactions:
- Call us at (256) 845-1077
- Complete the online consent form found here
- Visit any location
- Complete a consent form and mail it to us at 1400 Gault Avenue N, Fort Payne, AL 35967
- Send us a secure message through online banking
If you want to discontinue Overdraft Privilege in its entirety, contact us at (256) 845-1077 or send us a secure message through online banking.
What else you should know
- A link to another account may be less expensive than an overdraft. A single larger overdraft will result in one fee, instead of multiple smaller overdrafts. Use our mobile, online, and telephone banking services to track your balance. For financial education resources, please visit www.mymoney.gov.
- The $25 Overdraft Paid Fee that is charged if you overdraw your account is the same fee that is charged if an item is returned as unpaid. If multiple items overdraw your account on the same day, each item will be assessed an appropriate Overdraft Paid Fee or an Overdraft Return Fee of $25. All fees and charges will be included as part of the Overdraft Privilege limit amount. Your account may become overdrawn more than the Overdraft Privilege limit amount because of a fee.
- There is a limit of 5 Overdraft Paid Fees and/or Overdraft Return Fees ($125) per day we will charge you for overdrawing your account. We will not charge an Overdraft Paid Fee if an account is overdrawn by $10 or less or if the amount of the item is $10 or less.
- Recipients of federal or state benefits payments who do not wish us to deduct the amount overdrawn and the Overdraft Paid Fee from funds that you deposit or that are deposited into your account may call us at (256) 845-1077 to discontinue Overdraft Privilege.
- If an item is returned because the Available Balance (as defined below) in your account is not sufficient to cover the item and the item is presented for payment again, First Fidelity Bank (“We”) may charge an Overdraft Return Fee each time we return the item because it exceeds the Available Balance in your account. Because we may charge an Overdraft Return Fee each time an item is presented, we may charge you more than one fee for any given item as a result of a returned item and re-presentment of the item. When we charge an Overdraft Return Fee, the charge reduces the Available Balance in your account and may put your account into (or further into) overdraft. If, on re-presentment of the item, the Available Balance in your account is sufficient to cover the item we may pay the item, and, if payment causes an overdraft, charge an Overdraft Paid Fee. We may use the terms “item” and “transaction” interchangeably.
- This describes the posting order for purposes of determining overdrafts. Our general policy is to post items throughout the day and to post all credits before debits. ATM and debit card transactions are posted first from lowest to highest dollar amount, and all other transactions, including ACH and paper checks, are posted next in lowest to highest dollar amount; however, because of the many ways we allow you to access your account, the posting order of individual items may differ from these general policies. Holds on funds (described herein) and the order in which transactions are posted may impact the total amount of Overdraft Paid Fees or Overdraft Return Fees assessed.
- Overdraft Privilege is not a line of credit; it is a discretionary overdraft service that can be withdrawn at any time without prior notice.
- Depositor and each Authorized Signatory will continue to be liable, jointly and severally, for all overdraft and fee amounts, as described in the Deposit Account Agreement and Disclosure. The total (negative) balance, including all fees and charges, is due and payable upon demand.
- We may be obligated to pay some debit card transactions that are not authorized through the payment system but which we are required to pay due to the payment system rules, and as a result you may incur fees if such transactions overdraw your account. However, we will not authorize debit card or ATM transactions unless your account’s Available Balance (including Overdraft Coverage Options) is sufficient to cover the transactions and any fee(s).
- Giving us your consent to pay everyday debit card and ATM overdrafts on your consumer account (Extended Coverage) may result in you incurring Overdraft Paid Fees for transactions that we would otherwise be required to pay without assessing an Overdraft Paid Fee. However, this would allow us to authorize transactions up to the amount of your Overdraft Privilege limit. If you consent to Extended Coverage on your consumer account, it will remain on your account until it is otherwise withdrawn.
Understanding your Available Balance: Your account has two kinds of balances: the Current Balance and the Available Balance.
- We use the Current Balance method to determine whether your account is overdrawn, that is, whether there is enough money in your account to pay for a transaction. Your account's Current Balance only includes transactions that have settled up to that point in time, that is, transactions (deposits and payments) that have posted to your account. The Current Balance does not include outstanding transactions, such as checks that have not yet cleared and electronic transactions that have been authorized but which are still pending.
- Your Available Balance is the amount available to you to use for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions. The Available Balance is your Current Balance, less any holds due to pending debit card transactions and holds on deposited funds.
- The balance used for authorizing checks, ACH items, and recurring debit card transactions is your Current Balance plus the amount of the Overdraft Privilege limit and any available Overdraft Protection.
- The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Standard Coverage is your Available Balance but does NOT include the Overdraft Privilege limit.
- The balance used for authorizing ATM and everyday debit card transactions on accounts with Extended Coverage is your Available Balance and includes the Overdraft Privilege limit.
- Because your Available Balance reflects pending transactions and debit holds, your balance may appear to cover a transaction but later upon settlement it may not be sufficient to cover such transaction. In such cases, the transaction may further overdraw your account and be subject to additional overdraft fees. You should assume that any item which would overdraw your account based on your Available Balance may create an overdraft. Note that we may place a hold on deposited funds in accordance with our Deposit Account Agreement and Disclosure, which will reduce the amount in your Available Balance.
- Please be aware that the Overdraft Privilege amount is not included in your Available Balance provided through online banking, mobile banking, or First Fidelity Bank’s ATMs.
- We will place a hold on your account for any authorized debit card transaction until the transaction settles (usually within two business days) or as permitted by payment system rules. In some cases, the hold may exceed the amount of the transaction. When the hold ends, the funds will be added to the Available Balance in your account. If your account is overdrawn after the held funds are added to the Available Balance and the transaction is posted to the Available Balance, an Overdraft Paid Fee may be assessed.
- Except as described herein, we will not pay items if the Current Balance in your account (including the Overdraft Privilege limit, if applicable) is not sufficient to cover the item(s) and the amount of any fee(s).
Understanding Overdraft Privilege Limits
- New eligible consumer checking accounts will receive a $100 Introductory Overdraft Privilege limit at account opening that will be increased to $500 after 30 business days in good standing.
- Overdraft Privilege may be reduced or revoked if you default on any loan or other obligation to us, your account becomes subject to any legal or administrative order or levy, or if you fail to maintain your account in good standing by not bringing your account to a positive balance within 32 days for a minimum of one business day. If you correct the issue that caused your account to become ineligible for the full Overdraft Privilege limit, and/or you bring your account balance positive for at least one business day, you may have the Overdraft Privilege full limit reinstated subject to the discretion of First Fidelity Bank.
If you have any questions about Overdraft Protection or Overdraft Privilege, please call us at (256) 845-1077 or come by one of our locations.