How to Dispute an ATM Deposit Error: 60-Day Rule and Bank Timeline

To dispute an ATM deposit error, notify your own bank no later than 60 days after it sends the statement showing the missing deposit, give the specifics of the transaction, and put your report in writing if the bank asks. Federal law then requires the bank to investigate within 10 business days and, if it needs more time, to temporarily credit your account while the investigation continues.¹ Miss the 60-day window and the bank has no legal obligation to investigate at all.²

The 60-Day Clock That Decides Everything

The single most important deadline: you must notify your bank of the error no later than 60 days after the institution sends the periodic statement on which the missing deposit first appears.³ The count starts when the bank sends the statement, not when you open it. If you miss this window, the bank can legally refuse to investigate, and every federal protection described below goes away.

There is one narrow safety valve. If your delay was caused by extenuating circumstances, the bank must extend the deadline to a reasonable period.⁴ Hospitalization or extended travel might qualify. Simple forgetfulness will not. Check statements as soon as they arrive and report anything wrong immediately.

Evidence to Gather Right Away

Save your ATM receipt if the machine printed one. It carries the transaction sequence number and the terminal ID, both of which the bank needs to pull internal records. If the machine jammed before printing anything, write down the exact location, the time you tried to deposit, and the specific dollar amount or check details before you leave. Take a photo of the ATM itself, including any posted phone numbers or identification labels.

One point that surprises people: ATM surveillance footage is not stored indefinitely. There is no federal requirement for how long banks keep camera recordings, and internal retention policies vary. Some institutions overwrite footage in as little as 90 days. The faster you file, the better the odds the video still exists when the investigator needs it.

Keep a log of every interaction with bank staff from the moment you report the problem: representative’s name, date, and a summary of what was said. Federal law gives you the right to request copies of the documents the bank relied on to reach its decision, and your own notes help you cross-check those records later.¹

How to File the Dispute

Contact your own bank first, even if the problem happened at a machine operated by another company. Your bank holds the account and carries the legal obligations under the federal electronic fund transfer rules. Most banks let you start by calling customer service or through a secure online portal.

Your notice needs enough information for the bank to identify you and understand what went wrong. At minimum: your name, account number, the type of error, the date it happened, and the dollar amount involved.² Be specific. “I deposited $400 in cash at the ATM on Fifth and Main at 2:15 p.m. on March 3 and the funds never appeared” is far more useful than “money is missing from my account.” Include the machine’s location and terminal ID, the date and time, and the exact amount.

The Written Follow-Up Requirement

If you report by phone, the bank may require written confirmation within 10 business days. The bank must tell you about this requirement during the phone call and give you the address where the confirmation should be sent.¹ Do not treat this as optional. If the bank requests written confirmation and you fail to send it within 10 business days, the bank does not have to provisionally credit your account while it investigates.³

Send it by certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of delivery. Include the same details you gave by phone: name, account number, what happened, where, and when. Keep a copy.

When the ATM Belongs to Another Company

If the error happened at a machine that isn’t your bank’s, the dispute still runs through your own institution. Your bank will coordinate with the ATM operator’s network to investigate. Calling any phone number posted on the machine to report a jam can help create a second record of the incident, but the legal dispute process and every federal deadline apply to your bank, not the ATM operator.

The Bank’s Investigation Timeline

Once you report the error, federal law puts the bank on a structured clock.

The 10-Business-Day Initial Period

The bank must complete its investigation and determine whether an error occurred within 10 business days of receiving your notice.¹ If it finds in your favor, it must correct the error within one business day, including any applicable interest, and report the results to you within three business days after finishing.²

If your account is less than 30 days old, this initial window is 20 business days instead of 10.¹

Provisional Credit and the 45-Day Extension

When the bank cannot finish within the initial 10-business-day period, it can extend the investigation to 45 days total, measured from the date it received your error notice. To buy that extra time, the bank must provisionally credit your account for the disputed amount, with interest where applicable, within those first 10 business days. You can use those funds normally while the investigation continues. A domestic ATM deposit on an established account falls under this 45-day standard; the rules stretch the limit to 90 days for international transfers, point-of-sale debit card purchases, and transfers on new accounts within 30 days of the first deposit.¹

If the Investigation Rules Against You

If the bank concludes no error occurred, it can revoke the provisional credit. It must first notify you of the date and amount it will debit and send a written explanation of its findings, including why it believes no error happened or that a different error occurred. That explanation must inform you of your right to request the underlying documents the bank used to reach its conclusion.¹ If the error is confirmed, the provisional credit becomes permanent.

If the Bank Denies Your Claim

A denial is not the end. Start by requesting the documents the bank relied on during its investigation; the bank must provide them promptly.¹ Review the ATM’s electronic logs, the vault count records, and any referenced camera footage carefully. Errors in the bank’s own paperwork are more common than you might expect and give you concrete grounds to push back.

Filing a Federal Complaint

If you believe the bank violated its legal obligations, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB forwards your complaint directly to the bank, which generally responds within 15 days. More complex cases can take up to 60 days for a final response. After receiving the bank’s response, you have 60 days to provide feedback on whether the issue was resolved.⁵ A CFPB complaint does not guarantee a reversal, but it creates a regulatory record and often prompts a more thorough second look.

Suing Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act

The Electronic Fund Transfer Act provides a private right of action when a bank fails to follow the error resolution rules. In an individual lawsuit, you can recover your actual financial losses plus statutory damages between $100 and $1,000, along with attorney’s fees and court costs if you win.⁶ The statutory damages mean you can recover something even if you cannot prove the exact dollar amount the machine swallowed.

For smaller amounts, small claims court is often the most practical route. Filing fees vary by jurisdiction but are generally modest, you typically do not need a lawyer, and the bank must send someone to defend the case or risk a default judgment. For larger amounts, or situations where the bank’s conduct was particularly egregious, consulting a consumer protection attorney makes sense, especially since the EFTA’s fee-shifting provision means the bank pays your legal costs if you prevail.

1
eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693f – Error Resolution
3
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 1005.11 Procedures for Resolving Errors
4
eCFR. Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E)
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Learn How the Complaint Process Works
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693m – Civil Liability