Many military friendly banks and credit unions offer early military pay direct deposit by as much as three days. Here are the banks and their early pay calendars for active duty and retired military pay.
Early Military Deposit Pay Calendars
Armed Forces Bank Early Pay Dates
Early Pay is a free, automatic direct deposit service offered to military service members. Whether active or retired, all service members can have access to their Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) direct deposits one business day before the set pay date.
Armed Forces Bank Early Pay Calendar
Navy Federal Credit Union Early Pay Dates
If you use Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) for your military pay deposit, when you see your pay depends on what type of checking account you use. NFCU has five kinds of checking accounts: Everyday Checking, Active Duty Checking, Campus Checking, e-Checking, and Flagship Checking. Only the Active Duty Checking account offers early crediting of military pay deposits.
Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) provides early direct deposit for only those members using an Active Duty Checking account, so there are two different pay deposit days for NFCU.
Navy Federal Credit Union Active & Retired Pay Calendar
FrontWave Credit Union Advanced Pay & Military Days
FrontWave Credit Union (formerly Pacific Marine Credit Union (PMCU)) credits military pay deposits two business days prior to the actual military payday.
FrontWave Advanced Pay Calendar
Security Service Federal Credit Union
With free expedited direct deposit service, all military service members, whether active or retired, will have access to their military Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) direct deposits as soon as Security Service Federal Credit Union receives notice from the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS), 1-3 days before their set posting date.
Service Credit Union
Service Credit Union credits military pay deposits two business days prior to the actual military payday. It has 14 branches on U.S. military bases in Germany and has many customers who enjoy having a local branch bank at their overseas location.
“Immediate credit of your direct deposit to your Service Credit Union checking account up to two (2) days early is based upon when we receive your payroll from your employer. Service Credit Union cannot assume any liability for not depositing these funds to your account early.”
USAA Early Pay Dates
USAA offers crediting of direct deposit pay one business day before the actual payday. USAA pay deposits may credit at any time during the day. While they often credit in the early morning, that is not always true. USAA credits military pay one business day prior to the actual payday, contingent upon the receipt of deposit information from the appropriate pay agency.
Additional Banks with Early Pay Deposits
- AmericCU
- Andrews FCU
- Broadway Bank
- First Citizens Banks
- Fort Hood National Bank
- Kinetic Credit Union
- Langley FCU
- Point Breeze Credit Union
This is a partial list. Many more banks and credit unions offer early pay so if you don’t see your bank on this list be sure to inquire. Access to these banks is typically applicable to all branches of the military, including the Air Force, Air Force Reserves, Air National Guard, Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserves, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserves, Navy, Navy Reserves, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserves, Space Force, and the Public Health Service.
Another Big Reason to Bank at Military Friendly Banks
Government shutdowns can impact payments to active duty, Guard, Reserve and military retirees. Military friendly banks will often offer a no-interest, 0% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) payroll advance to military personnel with existing direct deposits. Banks can provide a onetime payroll advance loan to cover pay or benefits to the following groups, as long as those payments are direct deposited at the bank. This is at the discretion of each bank but historically many of the banks on this list have provided this benefit during a shutdown.
Finding the Best Bank for You
Many service members choose USAA, Navy Federal or PenFed (no early pay deposit offer) as the best choice for military banking. However, which bank to choose will often depend on your individual situation. Many service members end up opening accounts at one or more bank in order to take advantage of different benefits. For example, you might find that you prefer to keep your checking account at USAA for the early pay benefit, but apply for a car loan at PenFed or a home loan at Navy FCU.
Additional Advantages of Military Banks
- Low interest rates
- Reduced or waived fees
- No fee for counter checks, money orders, wire transfers, gift cards, foreign transactions or cashier’s checks
- Free safety deposit boxes
- No ATM Fees
- Special VA home loan and SBA loan options
- Savings on closing costs
- No monthly fees are charged on checking accounts
- Considerably higher percentage yields on savings accounts
- Free financial training programs
- Dedicated military customer service
When Will I Receive My Military Paycheck?
Military paychecks will normally be available on your payday. However, deposits may be available a day to three days earlier, depending on the financial institution. Since early pay varies by bank this most likely explains why it appears some people are getting paid earlier than others.
Plan Ahead
While getting paid early can be great, it can also result in a long period of time until the next payday.
