31 CFR § 363.141 - How do I purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t31/s363.141"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "31 CFR § 363.141 - How do I purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness?"
title_number: 31
title_name: "Money and Finance: Treasury"
section_number: "363.141"
section_name: "How do I purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness?"
chapter_name: "FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "BUREAU OF THE FISCAL SERVICE"
part_number: "363"
part_name: "REGULATIONS GOVERNING SECURITIES HELD IN TREASURYDIRECT"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301; 12 U.S.C. 391; 31 U.S.C. 3102,  31 U.S.C. 3121,"
regulatory_source: "67 FR 64286, Oct. 17, 2002, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "363"
---


# 363.141 How do I purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness?

(a) *Primary and linked accounts.* You may purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness through one or more of the following four methods:

(1) Payroll deduction, in which your employer sends funds through the ACH method to your TreasuryDirect® account;

(2) Deposit by your financial institution, in which your financial institution sends funds by the ACH method to your TreasuryDirect® account on a recurring or one-time basis;

(3) Through the Buy Direct function of your TreasuryDirect® account, in which you direct us to debit funds from your financial institution account to purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness. This method is limited to an amount no greater than $1000 per transaction. When you use the Buy Direct function to debit funds to purchase all or a portion of a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness, you will not be permitted to schedule a redemption to your financial institution from the zero-percent certificate of indebtedness within five business days after the settlement date of the debit entry; and

(4) By using the proceeds from the redemption of a savings bond, the proceeds of a maturing security, or an interest payment from a security to purchase a zero-percent certificate of indebtedness.

(b) *Payroll savings plan.* You may purchase a payroll zero-percent certificate of indebtedness for your payroll savings plan through payroll deduction, in which your employer sends funds through the ACH method to your TreasuryDirect® payroll savings plan, or through a credit using the ACH method by your financial institution, in which your financial institution sends funds by the ACH method to your TreasuryDirect® payroll savings plan.

[75 FR 70816, Nov. 19, 2010]