Why cheques not cleared today?

In the UK it depends who you bank with, traditionally cheques have always taken 3 days to clear through the UK banking system, this allowed the banks time to check that the money was available to pay the cheque, however technology has improved so much that it no longer takes 3 days in many cases the cheque can be cleared almost instantly, some UK banks now offer to credit your account at the time you deposit the cheque, although others still insist on waiting up to 3 days. Check with your bank for clearance terms.