What are NSF fees and how can I avoid them?

NSF stands for non-sufficient funds. NSF fees apply when payments or transactions, like preauthorized debits or cheques you’ve issued, are returned because there’s not enough available funds in your account to cover it at the time the payment was processed. Common examples of such transactions include:

• Mortgage payments
• Car insurance premiums
• Cheques

To view our up-to-date fees and charges, including NSF fees, please refer to our Service Charge Bulletins:

• Personal Service Charge Bulletin
• Business Service Charge Bulletin

If you’re charged an NSF fee, it will appear in your account statement. You will also see a record of the payment attempt being returned or unsuccessful alongside the fee.

For personal accounts only:

To help keep NSF fees more predictable, there are two situations where we won’t charge an NSF fee:

• First, we’ll only charge one NSF fee per account within a two-business-day period.
• Second, no NSF fee will be charged if your account is overdrawn by less than $10. 

You may also notice an overdraft charge on your statement that was then reimbursed. This fee is charged when a transaction (cheque/PAD) puts your account into an overdraft situation. However, if the transaction is returned to you unpaid, we will reimburse the overdraft fee and charge the NSF fee instead.

You can also find the overdraft charge listed in our Service Charge Bulletins.

While occasional timing issues can happen, there are steps you can take to help reduce the likelihood of being charged an NSF fee:

• Keep a small buffer in your account when possible. Even a small cushion can help if a payment is processed earlier than expected, or if a few withdrawals happen close together.
• Keep track of when recurring payments (like insurance or mortgage payments) usually get charged. Knowing the usual timing or adjusting payment schedules can help you plan ahead and make sure funds are available before the payment is . You can easily set up recurring transfers between your accounts in Digital Banking.
• If you’re juggling multiple payments, prioritize essentials first. Cover the payments you can’t easily delay (like housing and insurance), then plan the rest around your paydays and upcoming withdrawals.