If you received an email from Mercury about inactivity, your account has gone an extended period without qualifying activity. This article explains what counts as activity, what happens if your account remains inactive, and how to restore access if your account is restricted.
What counts as qualifying activity
Any one of the following counts as qualifying activity:
- Add funds to your account via ACH, wire, or check deposit
- Log in to Mercury at mercury.com or through the mobile app. For help logging in, visit our Security section
- Initiate or receive an incoming or outgoing transaction
- Contact Mercury Support
You only need to complete one of these activities at least once every 12 months to keep your account active.
If you no longer need your Mercury account, you can close it at any time by following the steps in Closing your Mercury account.
What happens if your account stays inactive
Your account is considered inactive after 12 consecutive months or more without qualifying activity.
Mercury regularly reviews accounts for qualifying activity to comply with state unclaimed property laws and banking partner requirements. This process applies to all Mercury accounts.
Taking any qualifying action reactivates your account. You don’t need to contact us to confirm—we’ll see the activity and update your account automatically.
What happens next depends on whether your account has a balance.
If your account has a $0 balance
An inactive account with a $0 balance will be closed if there’s no qualifying activity by the closure date in your email.
Before closure, we’ll email you with the subject “Your Mercury account will be closed due to inactivity” and include the date your account is scheduled to close.
Taking any qualifying action before that date keeps your account open.
If there’s no qualifying activity before the closure date, we’ll close the account and email you to confirm. Closed accounts can’t be reopened, but you can apply for a new account at mercury.com, subject to approval.
If your account holds a balance
An account with a balance remains fully functional when it first becomes inactive, and you may not receive a notification since no restrictions have been placed. If the inactivity continues, the account may later be restricted. At that time, we will notify you.
When your account becomes inactive
No restrictions have been applied at this point. Taking any qualifying action will reactivate your account.
When your account becomes restricted
If your account reaches 22 consecutive months without qualifying activity, we’ll restrict it and email you with the subject “Action Required: Your Mercury account is restricted due to inactivity.”
The email will include the date the restriction was applied and your current balance.
While your account is restricted:
- Your funds remain secure
- Your account data and history remain intact
- You can’t send or receive payments, or initiate transfers
To restore access, log in to Mercury and complete any required account and identity verification as possible. We’ll review your information and contact you if we need anything else.
If you don’t want to complete verification, you’ll also have the option to close your account when you log in. You don’t need to complete verification to receive your remaining funds.
Unclaimed property and escheatment
If an account with a balance remains inactive long enough to pass the applicable State dormancy period, State unclaimed property laws may require Mercury to transfer the remaining balance to the State. This process is called escheatment.
State dormancy periods are typically three to five years from the last qualifying activity, depending on the State associated with your account.
Before your funds are transferred
Before your funds are remitted to the State, you will receive a letter with the date they’re scheduled to be transferred. The letter will be sent to the legal address on file.
Until that transfer occurs, you may still be able to reclaim your funds from Mercury by logging in and completing the required verification.
After your funds are transferred
Once the funds have been transferred, your Mercury account is closed and the funds are held by the State.
Your funds aren’t lost, but you’ll need to claim them from the State:
- Visit the unclaimed property website for the State named in the notice we sent you
- Search for unclaimed property under your legal name or business name (if you have a Mercury business account)
- Follow the state’s instructions to file a claim
Claims typically take 30–90 days once filed, though timelines and documentation requirements vary by state.
If your account has a non-US address
The state that receives escheated funds generally depends on the address associated with the account.
For accounts without a US address, Mercury will remit the funds to Delaware, where Mercury is incorporated. If your funds have already been transferred, you can file a claim with Delaware’s unclaimed property office.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.