OVERDRAFT COVERAGE OPTIONS: 

OVERDRAFT PROTECTION AND OVERDRAFT PRIVILEGE 

First Financial 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 Financial Bank1  $10 fee per transfer
Overdraft Privilege Standard or Extended Coverage $32 Paid NSF OD Fee per item 

1Call us at (800) 562-6896, send us a secure message through online banking, or come by a branch to sign up for this service. 

Overdraft Protection applies to all transactions and may help prevent overdrafts by automatically transferring funds to your checking account from another account.

OVERDRAFT PRIVILEGE allows you to overdraw your account, up to the disclosed limit, to pay a transaction and any associated fee(s). Even if you have Overdraft Protection, Overdraft Privilege is still available as a form of secondary coverage if there are insufficient funds in your Overdraft Protection account to cover a transaction and the transfer fee. Please review What Else You Should Know for other important information.

Transactions Covered with Overdraft Privilege  Standard Coverage (No action required)  Extended Coverage (Your consent required on consumer accounts)* 

If you would like to select Extended Coverage for future transactions: 

  • call us at (800) 562-6896 
  • complete the online consent form found at www.ffb1.com
  • visit any branch 
  • complete a consent form and mail it to us at P.O. Box 1853, El Dorado, AR 71731 
  • send us a secure message through online banking 
Checks X X
ACH - Automatic Debits  X X
Recurring Debit Card Transactions  X X
Online Bill Pay Items X X
Internet Banking Transfers  X X
ATM Transactions    X*
Everyday Debit Card Transactions   X*

*If you choose Extended Coverage on your consumer 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. Business accounts automatically have Extended Coverage.  

You can discontinue Overdraft Privilege in its entirety by contacting us at (800) 562-6896 or sending 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 and online banking services to track your balance.  For financial education resources, please visit www.mymoney.gov.
  • The $32 Paid NSF OD 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 Paid NSF OD Fee or a Returned NSF OD Fee of $32.  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.
  • Recipients of federal or state benefits payments who do not wish us to deduct the amount overdrawn and the Paid NSF OD Fee from funds that you deposit or that are deposited into your account may call us at (800) 562-6896 to discontinue Overdraft Privilege. 
  • Overdraft Privilege is not a line of credit; it is a discretionary overdraft service that can be revoked at any time without prior notice. 
  • The depositor and each Authorized Signatory will continue to be liable, jointly and severally, for all overdraft and fee amounts, as described in the Terms and Conditions of Your Account.  The total (negative) balance, including all fees and charges, is due and payable upon demand.
  • 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 Financial Bank (“We”) will not charge a Returned NSF OD Fee.  When we charge a Returned NSF OD Fee on the first presentment, the charge reduces the Available Balance in your account and may put your account into (or further into) overdraft.  We may use the terms “item” and “transaction” interchangeably.
  • There is no limit on the total Paid NSF OD Fees per day we will charge.  We will not charge a Paid NSF OD Fee if an account is overdrawn by $5 or less. 
  • Our policy is to process POS and ATM transactions first, in the order they are received on the day they are processed.  We process telephone transfers second, in the order they are received on the day they are processed.  We process ACH transactions third, by dollar amount – smallest to largest on the day they are processed.  We process checks and similar items – with a check number fourth, in numerical order (by check number) on the day they are processed.  We process checks and similar items – without a check number fifth, by dollar amount – smallest to largest on the day they are processed.  Holds on funds (described herein) and the order in which transactions are posted may impact the total amount of Paid NSF OD Fees or Returned NSF OD Fees assessed. 
  • 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 Paid NSF OD Fees for transactions that we would otherwise be required to pay without assessing a Paid NSF OD 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 authorize and pay transactions using the Available Balance. 
  • Your Current Balance reflects the full amount of all deposits to your account as well as payment transactions that have been posted to your account.  It does not reflect checks you have written and are still outstanding or transactions that have been authorized but are still pending. 
  • Your Available Balance is the amount available to you to use for purchases, withdrawals, or to cover transactions.  The Available Balance is your Current Balance, less any holds due to pending debit card transactions, ACH debits or teller transactions, and holds on deposited funds. 
  • The balance used for authorizing checks, ACH items, and recurring debit card transactions is your Available 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 plus any available Overdraft Protection 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 plus 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 that 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 Terms and Conditions of Your Account, 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 Financial 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, a Paid NSF OD Fee may be assessed.
  • Except as described herein, we will not pay items if the Available 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 consumer checking accounts will receive a $100 Introductory Overdraft Privilege limit at account opening that will be increased to $500 after 30 days in good standing.
  • New business checking accounts will receive a $100 Introductory Overdraft Privilege limit at account opening that will be increased to $1000 after 60 days in good standing.
  • Overdraft Privilege may be reduced 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.  You must bring your account balance positive for at least one business day to have the full Overdraft Privilege limit reinstated.

If you have any questions about Overdraft Protection or Overdraft Privilege, please visit www.ffb1.com, call us at (800) 562-6896, or visit any branch.