A business day is any weekday, Monday through Friday, that is not a public holiday. Saturdays, Sundays and official holidays are not business days. Business days are the days banks, government offices and most companies are open, so they are what deadlines and delivery times count.
Is today one? Yes. is a business day for United States (federal). To count business days between two dates, use the business days calculator.
What are considered business days?
Business days are the five weekdays, minus any public holiday that falls on one of them. In a normal week with no holiday, that means:
| Day | Business day? |
|---|---|
| Monday | Yes, unless it is a holiday |
| Tuesday | Yes, unless it is a holiday |
| Wednesday | Yes, unless it is a holiday |
| Thursday | Yes, unless it is a holiday |
| Friday | Yes, unless it is a holiday |
| Saturday | No |
| Sunday | No |
A week without a holiday has 5 business days. A week with one weekday holiday, such as Thanksgiving week, has 4. Over a whole year the weekends remove about 104 days and holidays remove about 10 more in the US, so a year has roughly 250 business days. This year has exactly 250 US federal business days. See how many business days are in a year for the month-by-month numbers.
Saturday is the day people ask about most. It is not a business day for most purposes, even though the post office delivers and some banks open their branches. We cover the exceptions in Is Saturday a business day?
How holidays and observed days change the count
A public holiday that falls on a weekday removes that day from the business-day count. Anything due that day, or counted through it, moves to the next business day.
When a holiday falls on a weekend, the day off usually moves to a weekday instead. For US federal holidays, a Saturday holiday is observed on the Friday before and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after, according to the US Office of Personnel Management. That observed day is the one that stops being a business day.
The next one coming up: The next United States (federal) holiday is Veterans Day on , 20 days from today. The full list with observed dates is on our holidays page and in the US federal holidays list.
Business day vs calendar day vs working day vs banking day
These four terms are close but not the same. The difference matters when a contract, a bank or a seller gives you a deadline.
| Term | What counts | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar day | Every day, including weekends and holidays | Return windows, notice periods, many contracts |
| Business day | Monday to Friday, minus public holidays | Shipping estimates, refunds, US contracts and forms |
| Working day | Usually the same as a business day; for an employee it can mean the days that person is scheduled to work | UK, Ireland, Australia and India; employment contracts |
| Banking day | Days the bank and the payment system are open: Monday to Friday, minus bank holidays | Deposits, transfers, ACH and wire payments |
Calendar days are the easy one: 10 calendar days is 10 days on the calendar, whatever they are. 10 business days is two full weeks or more. Our guide to calendar days vs business days converts one into the other.
What are working days? In everyday use, working days and business days mean the same thing: weekdays that are not public holidays. “Working days” is the usual phrase in the UK and much of the Commonwealth, “business days” in the US. In an employment setting, working days can also mean the days a particular person works, which for a shift worker may include Saturday or Sunday.
Banking days follow the Federal Reserve calendar in the US, not the federal government calendar. The Fed’s Fedwire Funds Service and National Settlement Service operate Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, as the Federal Reserve Board describes them. One difference catches people out: when a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal offices close on the Friday before, but the Federal Reserve Banks stay open that Friday. So a day can be a banking day without being a federal business day. Today for banks: Yes. is a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks). Bank closures are listed on our US bank holidays page.
ACH transfers and checks settle on banking days, which is why a payment sent on a Friday evening often shows up on Monday or Tuesday. Instant payment services, where your bank offers them, can move money on any day, but that does not turn the weekend into a business day for other deadlines.
Business hours and cut-off times
A business day is a whole date, but most organizations only act on it during business hours. Business hours are often described as about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time, though every company sets its own. For the hours, and how long 1, 3 or 5 business days take in calendar days, see how long is a business day.
Many also have a cut-off time. An order, payment or form that arrives after the cut-off is treated as received on the next business day. A request sent at 6 p.m. on Friday may therefore not be handled until Monday, and day 1 of a “3-5 business days” window may not be Monday but Tuesday. The seller, bank or office states its own cut-off; check it when timing matters. Our page on business days in shipping explains how carriers and stores apply it.
Business days in the UK, Canada and other countries
The weekend is the same in every country our calculator covers, including the UK, Canada, Australia, India and the United Arab Emirates: Saturday and Sunday. What changes from country to country is the list of holidays.
- United Kingdom: a working day is Monday to Friday, minus bank holidays. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own bank holidays (see how many UK bank holidays there are). Next in England and Wales: The next England and Wales holiday is Christmas Day on , 64 days from today.
- Canada: business days are Monday to Friday, minus statutory holidays. Some holidays are national and some apply only in certain provinces. Next federal statutory holiday: The next Canada (federal statutory) holiday is Remembrance Day on , 20 days from today.
- Australia and India: “working days” is the common phrase, and national, state and regional holidays all apply.
If you work with a country that is not in our calculator, check its weekend and its holiday list first, because not every country uses the same ones. For a deadline that crosses borders, the holidays where the work is done usually decide.
How to count business days
- Start on the day after the event (the order, the request, the day you were notified). The start day itself usually does not count.
- Count each Monday to Friday as one business day.
- Skip Saturdays, Sundays and any public holiday in the window, including observed days.
- The day you reach the number is the last day of the period.
Counted that way from today: 5 business days after is , excluding United States (federal) holidays. 10 business days after is , excluding United States (federal) holidays. For any other dates, the business days calculator does the counting and skips the holidays for you.
FAQ
What are business days?
Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. They are the days when banks, government offices and most businesses are open.
Is Saturday a business day?
No, not for most purposes. Saturday and Sunday are the weekend. USPS delivers on Saturdays and some bank branches open, but deadlines and bank settlements do not count Saturday. Details: Is Saturday a business day?
How many business days are in a week?
Five, Monday to Friday, in a week with no public holiday. Each weekday holiday removes one, so Thanksgiving week has four business days in the US.
Are business days and working days the same?
In most cases, yes. Both mean weekdays that are not public holidays. “Working days” is the usual term in the UK, Australia and India. In an employment contract it can mean the days you are scheduled to work, so read the contract’s definition.
Do business days include holidays?
No. A public holiday that falls on a weekday is not a business day, and when a holiday falls on a weekend the observed weekday off is not a business day either. Banks follow their own holiday calendar, which can differ from the government’s by a day.
What does “within 2 business days” mean?
It means by the end of the second business day after the day the clock starts, usually after the request or order. A request made on Thursday is due by Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday. Read more in what “within 5 business days” means.
