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.
While domestic wire transfers can be completed within one business day, international transfers typically take one to five business days, and they can take longer depending on a variety of factors. In rare cases, a perfectly executed transfer can reach the recipient within a single business day.
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.
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.
It's stressful to figure out what to do if a wire transfer is lost. But the good news is that wire transfers are usually not lost – just delayed or misdirected. Most "lost" transfers are eventually found and completed, but it's important to get in touch with your bank right away if you suspect there's an issue.
Domestic transfers can take less than 24 hours, but international transfers can take up to 5 days, depending on things like weekends, bank holidays, cut-off times, and the method you use.
If money is transferred but not received, the sender should contact the bank or service used to initiate the transfer to track the transaction. They can also contact the recipient's bank to inquire if the funds have been received.
You can contact your bank to track your wire transfer, and they'll use your Federal Reference number to trace it. They'll be able to see the transactional details between your bank, the corresponding bank into which funds are being deposited, as well as identify the wire transfer's current location.
Why is my bank transfer taking so long? Delays in bank transfers can be caused by factors such as the amount being transferred, bank security checks, or the bank's operational hours when transferring money internationally or during weekends and public holidays.
Online Banking: Log into your bank's online banking platform or mobile app. Most banks provide real-time updates on incoming wire transfers in your account transaction history. Look for a transaction labeled as a wire transfer or funds received.
Generally, it takes two to five business days to get all the funds from a check into your account. However, some factors might hold up the check-clearing process, like the status of your account or the place where you deposited the check.
The sender can initiate a wire transfer quickly and the recipient can access the funds immediately as there are usually no bank holds on the money. Wire transfers also allow people in different locations to safely transfer money to locales and financial institutions around the globe.
Speaking in terms of domestic wire transfers, most banks offer same-day funds transfer when initiated before the bank's designated cutoff time. This cutoff time varies bank-to-bank, and is usually listed in local time (EST, CST, PST).
Wire transfers
Typically, a bank-to-bank wire transfer between accounts in the U.S. is transmitted same day and funds are delivered to the recipient within 24 hours. Wire transfers work great for closing costs, vendor invoices, large interbank transfers and more.
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.
Utilise online banking: If you have online banking access, log in to your account and navigate to the section for wire transfers. Check for any tracking features or options available. Some banks provide real-time tracking updates for international wire transfers.
The receiving bank is still processing the money
But some banks are slower than others — they might take up to 1 working day for them to release the money. So your money's safely on its way, but the recipient bank is still processing it. Your recipient can ask their bank to speed this up.
If the bank initiated the transfer, notify the bank immediately so that it can investigate your claim. If you first contact the bank by phone, it is a good practice to follow up in writing. If you wired the funds through a third party (e.g., Western Union), contact that party to find out what their procedures are.
Is there a limit on wire transfers? Broadly speaking, you can send as much money as you want in either a domestic or international wire transfer. However, your bank may have its own wire transfer limits on how much you can transfer at once, daily or monthly.
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.
If submitted by 2 p.m. CST, wire transfers are processed the same day. If the transfer is submitted after 2 p.m., it will be processed on the next business day. Transfers before 7 p.m. CST on business days are processed when requested.
Bank transfers typically arrive in seconds, but they can take up to one working day if the sending bank need to run extra checks. If a payment is taking longer, check that the sender entered the correct account number and sort code. If they were entered incorrectly, the sender can ask their bank to recover the payment.
In summary, wire transfers over $10,000 are subject to reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. Financial institutions must file a Currency Transaction Report for any transaction over $10,000, and failure to comply with these requirements can result in significant penalties.