How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take? A Full Guide | Mesh (2024)

A wire transfer is a broad term associated with sending money electronically. It can include bank-to-bank transfers or credit union transfers like Western Union. Wire transfers can take a few minutes to a few days based on how and where you are sending the money.

Let’s explore how long wire transfers take under different circ*mstances. Below are the timelines that generally apply to different modes of wire transfers:

Contents hide

Domestic Wire Transfer

International Wire Transfer

What Factors Impact the Processing Time of Wire Transfers?

Final Thoughts

Domestic Wire Transfer

The Expedited Funds Availability Act(EFAA) mandates every financial institution in the US to credit funds to a recipient within a business day. As a result, wire transfers within the country are generally cleared within 24 hours.

Wire transfers through credit unions may happen within a few minutes. The same is also applicable for some bank transfers, especially within the same institution.

Automated Clearing House (ACH) wire transfers within the USA generally take 2 to 3 days. However,ACH transfers have lower fees than wire transfers.

International Wire Transfer

An international wire transfer can take between 1 and 5 days to clear the funds. The actual duration depends on several factors like banking regulations, currency conversion, and differences in time zones.

Various non-banking services also exist to help you transfer money internationally. You can use online methods like Western Union to process international transfers within one business day. These apps or websites generally need your debit or credit card to initiate the process.

Some banks also provide same-day transfers to chosen countries for extra charges.

What Factors Impact the Processing Time of Wire Transfers?

As you may have noticed, some wire transfers happen faster than others. But what are the factors that decide how long a wire transfer takes?

The Location of Funds Transfer

Domestic transfers are way faster than cross-border transactions. You can send or receive money within one business day within the United States. It is also possible to process funds instantly using some methods.

Wire Transfer Method You Choose

You can choose various ways to transfer funds via wire. Even banks offer several methods to send money to your recipient’s bank, like:

Fedwire:a reliable way to send large amounts in less time within the country. The method usesreal-time gross settlement(RTGS) and credits your funds instantly. As a result, you can get your money within a few minutes.

Clearing House Interbank Payments System (CHIPS):a good option to process multiple payments in a single batch within the country. Banks process CHIPS wire transfers several times a day based on their cut-off times.

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT):a network of financial institutions to facilitate wire transfers. You can use SWIFT for transactions between banks without any direct relationship. SWIFT transfers can take 1 to 4 business days.

The Time of Wire Transfer

Banks process wire transfers on the same day from Monday to Friday. As a result, money sent on weekends will have to wait for the next business day to be processed.

Along with that, the wire transfer cut-off times also impact processing times. Let’s say the cut-off time of your bank is 5 pm for same-day transfers. So, if you initiate a transfer after 5 pm, your bank will process it on the following business day.

Here are the cut-off times of some popular banks for same-day transfers:

BankDomestic Wire TransfersInternational Wire Transfers
Bank of America8 pm ET5 pm ET
Goldman Sachs (Marcus)10 pm ET (Monday to Friday)
7 pm ET (Weekends)
NA
Citibank6 pm ET5:15 pm ET
Chase Bank4 pm ET (Personal accounts)
5 pm ET (Business accounts)
4 pm ET (Personal accounts)
5 pm ET (Business accounts)
Wells Fargo5 pm ET5 pm ET

Final Thoughts

A wire transfer takes less than 24 hours within the US. You may need 1 to 5 days for your international transfers to be credited to your recipient’s account. It is also possible to send money instantly using methods like Fedwire. However, factors like bank cut-off times and transfer methods can impact how long a wire transfer takes.

FAQs

What is a wire transfer?

A wire transfer is an electronic method of sending money that can take a few minutes to a few days, depending on the circ*mstances.

How long does a domestic wire transfer take?

Domestic wire transfers within the US are typically cleared within 24 hours, while some transfers within the same institution or through credit unions can happen within minutes.

How long does an international wire transfer take?

International wire transfers can take 1 to 5 days to clear, depending on factors like banking regulations, currency conversion, and time zone differences. Non-banking services like Western Union may process international transfers within one business day.

What factors affect wire transfer processing time?

The location of the transfer, chosen wire transfer method (such as Fedwire, CHIPS, or SWIFT), and the time of the transfer can influence processing time. Additionally, bank cut-off times and weekends can impact the duration.

Can wire transfers be processed on weekends?

Banks generally process wire transfers on business days (Monday to Friday). Transfers initiated on weekends will be processed on the next business day.

How quickly can money be sent using Fedwire?

Fedwire allows for instant funds transfer within the US, often taking just a few minutes.

How long does a wire transfer take using SWIFT?

SWIFT transfers, facilitating transactions between banks without a direct relationship, typically take 1 to 4 business days to complete.

What is the general timeframe for wire transfers?

Domestic wire transfers in the US usually take less than 24 hours, while international transfers can take 1 to 5 days. However, various factors such as transfer methods, bank cut-off times, and weekends can impact the overall duration.

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How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take? A Full Guide | Mesh (1)

Jonah Balfour

Jonah Balfour is a Content Manager at Mesh Payments. He has experience creating content for multiple tech companies, and previous experience managing PR campaigns for emerging startups. Originally from Los Angeles, Jonah chose to leave the ample sunshine of Southern California to study at the University of Wisconsin. He is an avid fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, and spends most of his time chasing after his two young daughters.

How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take? A Full Guide | Mesh (2024)

FAQs

How Long Does a Wire Transfer Take? A Full Guide | Mesh? ›

A wire transfer takes less than 24 hours within the US. You may need 1 to 5 days for your international transfers to be credited to your recipient's account. It is also possible to send money instantly using methods like Fedwire

Fedwire
Fedwire (formerly known as the Federal Reserve Wire Network) is a real-time gross settlement funds transfer system operated by the United States Federal Reserve Banks that allows financial institutions to electronically transfer funds between its more than 9,289 participants (as of March 19, 2009).
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Fedwire
.

How long does it take for a wire transfer to complete? ›

If transfers occur between accounts at the same financial institution, they can take less than 24 hours. Wire transfers via a non-bank money transfer service may happen within minutes. If you're sending money to another country, however, it may take as many as five days for the recipient to receive their funds.

How long does it take for a wire transfer to be confirmed? ›

They are a fast way to send or receive money electronically. Within the US, these transfers take less than 24 hours to clear. International wire transfers usually take two business days, but depending on the destination and when you send the transfer, they can take up to five days.

How do I know if my wire transfer is successful? ›

When you send a wire transfer, you'll receive a Federal Reference number, or fed number, that confirms the transaction¹. If you're worried about your payment, you can contact the sending bank and request a trace on the wire transfer using the reference number¹.

Can you expedite a wire transfer? ›

In some instances, banks will charge more for same-day wire transfers. This “expedited processing fee” is common and usually trivial. In other situations, banks will charge a premium on same-day wire transfers over certain amounts. It depends on the situation, the institution and your status as an accountholder.

Will a wire transfer be instant? ›

The difference between a wire transfer and a real time payment is that real-time payments take place and settle instantly, but wire transfers can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 or more hours, depending on the financial institutions involved in the transactions.

Why would a wire transfer not go through? ›

Knowing how wire transfers work, now it's time to look into the reasons your bank may reject a wire transfer. If the account is opened in another currency. If the bank account is unavailable/closed or cannot receive payments. Because of the bank's internal policies.

Can money get lost in a wire transfer? ›

Wire transfers don't physically move money. They're electronic instructions to move funds between accounts. But they can get delayed or misdirected. This might make it seem like your wire transfer is lost.

Why is my wire transfer taking so long? ›

Sometimes, wire transfers can take longer. This can be down to human error (for example, a mistake when filling in the form), public holidays or location. However, when you consider large checks or deposits can take as long as 10 days, it's clear why domestic wire transfers are so widely used.

Can a wire transfer take more than 5 days? ›

Domestic wire transfers in the US usually take less than 24 hours, while international transfers can take 1 to 5 days. However, various factors such as transfer methods, bank cut-off times, and weekends can impact the overall duration.

What is the shortest time for a wire transfer? ›

If you are doing it online, the process will take only a few minutes. The offline process takes longer. Banks process wire transfers only on business days within the cut-off time. The normal time to complete the transfer is 24 working hours, however, we recommend you check with your bank about it.

What is the cut-off time for a wire transfer? ›

5:00 p.m. ET for same-business-day (wire) transfer. Funds will be received by the recipient's bank on the same business day. 5:00 p.m. ET for international wire transfer. Sending customer will be informed when the funds will be available to the recipient at the time the transfer is scheduled.

Are wire transfers reported to the IRS? ›

Under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) of 1970, financial institutions are required to report certain transactions to the IRS. This includes wire transfers over $10,000, which are subject to reporting under the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act (31 U.S.C.

Why do bank transfers take 3 days? ›

This is because the funds are staying within the same financial organization. Bank transfers between banks will take longer, up to three business days for some transactions, because they have to go through intermediary banks that help facilitate the transfer.

How fast is a wire transfer after closing? ›

Wire transfers can take between 24 to 48 hours to process, but the money is usually available in your account as soon as the bank processes it — often the same day that it's received. Again, there could be a delay based on when the bank receives the transfer.

How long does it take for a bank transfer to clear? ›

As a result, most bank transfers are instantaneous, although in some cases, payment can take up to two hours. It's important to remember that while Faster Payments aims to provide you with these types of bank transfer times, there's no guarantee that your payment will be cleared on the same day.

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