What Are Micro-Deposits? Timing and Scams

Short answer: micro-deposits are tiny ACH payments, under $1, that a company sends to prove your bank account is real and that you can see it. They usually arrive in one to three business days. You confirm them by entering the amounts, or a short code from the transaction description, on the company's site. Never verify micro-deposits you did not request.

Dated note: this guide reflects Nacha's Micro-Entry rules and Plaid's and Stripe's documentation as checked on October 29, 2026. We will update it if those rules or timings change.

Micro-deposits are the oldest way to link a bank account online, and still the fallback when a bank login is not possible. This guide answers the questions people search for when they are waiting on two mystery cents, then turns to the business side: the Nacha rule that governs micro-deposits, how they compare with instant verification, and what a WordPress store should offer.

What is a micro deposit?#

A micro-deposit is a very small ACH credit, usually a few cents, sent to a bank account to confirm the account number is valid and that the person linking it has access to it. Brokerages, payment apps, payroll services and online stores use them before they move real money.

Since 2022 there is a formal definition. Nacha's Micro-Entries rule, effective September 16, 2022, defines Micro-Entries as "ACH credits of less than $1 and any offsetting ACH debits, used for the purpose of verifying a Receiver's account." The rule sets out how they must be sent:

Not every payment under $1 is a micro-deposit. Nacha's July 6, 2022 article quotes its rules team: "Not every payment under $1 is a Micro-Entry. The answer hinges on two very important words in the new Rule: account validation." A 22-cent refund is just a refund.

How long do micro deposits take?#

One to three business days for standard and same-day micro-deposits, and seconds for the newest instant kind. Here is what each provider publishes:

Business days are the catch. ACH does not run on weekends or bank holidays, so we worked out what the published ranges mean on a real calendar.

How we computed this: we took each provider's published range in business days, started the clock on the business day the request is sent, and skipped Saturdays and Sundays. A request made on a weekend starts on Monday. We assumed no bank holiday in the week. Banks also differ in how fast they show pending credits, so treat the dates as a guide, not a promise.

The Friday rows show why stores lose customers to micro-deposits: a buyer who links an account on Friday afternoon may not be able to pay until the middle of the next week.

How do I verify a micro deposit?#

1. Wait for the deposit. Check your bank app's pending and posted transactions. The description often includes the sender's name and "ACCTVERIFY."
2. Note what the company asks for. Some ask for the two amounts. Others, including Plaid's Same-Day Micro-deposits and Stripe's single-deposit option, put a short code in the description.
3. Go back to the company's site or app, usually through the link in its email or text, not a link from an unexpected message.
4. Enter the amounts or the code exactly. For Plaid's same-day flow the description reads like #XXX <company name> ACCTVERIFY, and the three letters after the # are the code. Plaid says the code is not case sensitive.
5. Do not guess. Plaid gives three attempts, "after which the Item will be permanently locked for security reasons." Stripe's docs list "10 failed verification attempts" and failing to verify "within 10 days" among the reasons verification fails.

Some providers send a text message instead. Plaid's Text Message Verification sends a one-time SMS that leads to a Plaid-hosted page where the code is entered.

Why are my micro deposits not showing up?#

Work through these causes in order:

If nothing arrives after three business days, contact the business that sent them. It can see whether the deposit was sent or returned.

Micro-deposit scams: what to watch for#

Micro-deposits themselves are legitimate. The scam uses them in reverse. St. Paul Federal Credit Union describes it: "crooks link brokerage accounts with strings of random numbers, hoping to hit a valid account. When a deposit is verified from an account, they use additional information about the account holder to withdraw funds from this account as they please."

The credit union's advice if you receive micro-deposits you did not expect:

1. Don't verify it, "this way, the scammer won't know they've hit an authentic account."
2. Don't click links in any verification message or open attachments.
3. Tell your bank or credit union so it can watch the account.

For businesses, the same pattern explains why Nacha added fraud rules. Phase 2 of the Micro-Entry rule, effective March 17, 2023, requires originators of Micro-Entries to "use commercially reasonable fraud detection, including the monitoring of Micro-Entry forward and return volumes." Nacha adds that "velocity monitoring, recognizing the number of times an account number is used (in various formats)" can be an important tool. If your site sends micro-deposits, someone has to watch for bursts of sign-ups with sequential or random account numbers.

Micro-deposits vs instant verification: which is better?#

For most online payments, a bank login is faster and confirms more. Micro-deposits remain the right fallback. We compared the methods a WordPress site can use, from Plaid's and Stripe's documentation.

How we built this table: timing and coverage come from the providers' docs (checked October 29, 2026). "Where people drop off" is our reading of how many separate actions each method asks of the user and whether they must leave and come back, not measured conversion data, which neither provider publishes per method.

Plaid says Instant Auth "covers approximately 95% of users' eligible bank accounts," and the other methods exist for the rest. It also warns that accounts verified with Database Auth, Instant Micro-deposits or Same-Day Micro-deposits "do not have active data connections" and "may be more vulnerable to fraud or return risk," because they cannot be used with Balance or Transactions. Plaid says approximately 30% of same-day micro-deposit Items can also be checked with Identity Match or Signal.

The practical rule for a store: lead with bank login, offer micro-deposits as the fallback, and treat micro-deposit accounts as higher risk (lower limits, hold shipping until the first debit clears). Our bank account verification guide goes deeper on the trade-offs, including identity checks.

When are micro-deposits the right choice?#

Micro-deposits earn their place in three situations, all described in Plaid's own docs.

1. The bank does not support a login connection. Plaid says Same-Day Micro-deposits are "especially useful for the ~700 institutions that don't support Instant Auth, Instant Match, or Automated Micro-deposit verification." Automated Micro-deposits cover "an additional ~1,750 financial institutions in the US where Instant Auth is not available," which Plaid says hold "approximately <1% of US depository accounts."
2. The person linking the account does not use its online banking. Plaid names "business account verification use cases where the user linking the account may not be the person who manages it via online banking." A bookkeeper paying a supplier invoice is a common example.
3. The customer does not want to log in to their bank on your site. Some people will not, and a typed account number plus a micro-deposit lets them still pay by bank.

In each case, set expectations on screen: say how many business days the deposit takes, what the description will look like, and that you will email a reminder.

Do businesses have to verify bank accounts?#

Yes, for online consumer debits. Nacha's WEB debit rule requires originators to use a commercially reasonable fraud detection system that includes account validation the first time an account is used for a WEB debit. Nacha accepts several methods, including micro-transactions, prenotifications, validation services and API-based tools. A micro-deposit is one compliant way; a Plaid bank login is another.

Validation is only one part of the picture. An online debit also needs a recorded authorization (see our ACH authorization form guide) and, since 2026, risk-based fraud monitoring under Nacha's newest rules. Our ACH fraud prevention guide shows how the pieces fit.

Micro-deposits on a WordPress or WooCommerce site#

Plaid turns its micro-deposit methods on in its Account Verification Dashboard, or with options when your site creates the Link token. Plaid's docs say Same-Day Micro-deposits need a "pending verification" state in your app and a way to bring the user back, and recommend "sending your user a notification (e.g. email, SMS, push notification)" to return and enter the code.

For a store, that means three things:

1. A pending state on the order or account, so a customer who chose micro-deposits is not charged before verification.
2. A reminder email or text when the deposit should have arrived.
3. A webhook listener so the site knows when Plaid has verified the account.

How BankBridge handles bank verification#

BankBridge connects WordPress, WooCommerce, MemberPress and Elementor to Plaid. Customers link accounts through Plaid Link, which uses Instant Auth or Instant Match by default and whatever extra methods you enable in your Plaid Dashboard. BankBridge stores each linked account's verification status, refreshes accounts when Plaid sends an Auth webhook, and its Sandbox tools include Plaid's test banks for automated and instant micro-deposits and can fire the SMS micro-deposit webhook, so you can test the full fallback before going live.

Try a bank link on the live demo, read how Plaid works or Plaid alternatives, or buy BankBridge. If you are deciding whether bank payments are worth it at all, the free card vs ACH fee calculator shows the saving per order. Plaid bills its own fees on your Plaid account.

Related: Same Day ACH cutoff times and what is an ACH payment?

This guide is general information, not legal or banking advice. Plaid is a trademark of Plaid Inc. BankBridge is an independent plugin and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Plaid. Nacha and Stripe are trademarks of their owners; BankBridge is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.