How to Buy Treasury Bills Through TreasuryDirect

Step-by-step guide to opening a TreasuryDirect account and purchasing U.S. Treasury bills directly from the government.

  1. Create a TreasuryDirect account. Go to treasurydirect.gov and register with your Social Security number, email, and a login password. You'll need to verify your identity and link a bank account for deposits and withdrawals. The whole process takes about 15 minutes online. You'll get immediate access to your account.
  2. Fund your account with a bank transfer. Log in and initiate an electronic transfer from your linked checking or savings account. Transfers typically arrive within 2 business days. You need a minimum of $100 to bid on Treasury bills, though most people fund more to have flexibility for multiple purchases.
  3. Choose your bill's maturity date. Treasury bills come in 4-week, 8-week, 13-week, 26-week, and 52-week terms. Shorter bills mature faster (you get your money back sooner) but often pay slightly lower rates. Longer bills typically pay more but lock your money away for a full year.
  4. Place a bid before the auction deadline. Go to 'ManageDirectBids' and select the bill term you want. Auctions happen on a set schedule (usually Monday for 4-week and 8-week bills, Thursday for others). You can bid competitively (whatever rate the auction sets) or non-competitively (you accept whatever rate wins). Non-competitive bids almost always fill and are simpler for beginners.
  5. Confirm your purchase and hold until maturity. After the auction closes, you'll see your confirmed holdings in your TreasuryDirect account. The bill will sit there earning the announced rate until its maturity date. At maturity, the full face value (your original investment plus the interest earned) is automatically deposited into your linked bank account. You can then reinvest or withdraw.
  6. Understand the discount-rate math (optional deeper dive). Treasury bills are sold at a discount—you pay less than face value upfront, and get the full amount back at maturity. For example, a $10,000 face-value 13-week bill might cost $9,900 to buy; your $100 gain is the interest. The rate quoted (around 3.5–4.5% as of 2026) reflects this discount annualized. You don't need to do the math yourself; TreasuryDirect shows your exact investment and return.