In summary, the delay in money transfers is a result of a combination of interbank processing, regulatory compliance, the nature of the transfer method, and the need for human oversight.
The duration of a bank transfer to be successfully made often depends on a number of factors, due to which your transaction can be delayed. This includes the timing of the transfer, where the transfer is being made, the currencies involved, security checks, bank holidays, and the reasons for the transaction.
Domestic wires can take as long as a few hours, or overnight if a cutoff is missed. ACH transfers can be as fast as approximately 2.5 hours if the file is sent right before a same-day transfer window shuts.
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.
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.
Why does an ACH transfer take 3 days? The payment system takes up to three days due to the electronic funds' transfer and formal filing system. The financial institutions process bank account information in batches, leading to a delay in funds transfer.
Payments to customers at other banks
When you make a one-off payment, automatic payment, direct credit, or bill payment to a customer of another bank between 9am-11:55pm, we'll take the money from your account as soon as you make the payment. Then we'll send the payment to the other bank, normally within an hour.
A balance transfer typically takes between two days and six weeks to complete but depends on the credit card issuer and their process.
Because ACH transfers are processed in batches, direct ACH payments typically take one to three business days to appear in the recipient's account—longer than it generally takes to process wire transfers, credit card transactions, and ATM transactions.
Your specific bank transfer time will vary depending on a range of factors, including fraud prevention, different currencies, different time zones, and bank holidays/weekends. In general, the bank transfer time will be around one to five working days.
When you make a transfer, it can take extra time to be sent to your recipient in some situations. This is known as a pending transfer, and it may occur for several reasons: Being sent on a weekend or bank holiday when there's no processing. Additional processing checks.
Standard bank transfers typically take 1 to 3 business days to complete. Some factors can cause delays in when your transfer reaches your bank, due to how the ACH processes transfers.
There can be many reasons why international money transfers take time to be processed such as bank holidays, weekend delays, currency conversion delays, fraud detection & prevention measures, slow international bank networks, global events, and natural disasters among many other reasons.
Delayed bank transfers can be caused by a number of factors, including global events, natural disasters, different currencies, missing paperwork, time differences, and many more. Bank holidays, weekends, and different banking regulations may also contribute to delays.
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.
Be aware that some credit cards may show a balance transfer as “pending” before the process is complete. In that case, your balance transfer is in progress but it's not yet finalized.
When the transfer is complete, we'll send an email update on its status. Funds typically take one to three business days* before they're available in the account receiving the transfer.
A balance transfer fee will likely apply
Depending on the terms of the card you're considering and its current promotion, you may have to pay a balance transfer fee. This fee is usually 3 percent to 5 percent of the total transfer amount and may be subject to minimum fees.
Most domestic transfers are processed on the same day, and international transfers are typically completed within a few days (depends on country). You need to move large amounts of money. Though limits vary based on the money transfer provider, they tend to be high.
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.
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.
The best days to transfer money are early in the week, such as Monday or Tuesday, and mid-month. These periods tend to have more stable currency exchange rates because they avoid the busy times at the end of the month and on Fridays, when many individuals and businesses make their transfers.
Check your bank account balance: Log in to your online banking platform or check your account statement to see if the funds have been deposited. The balance should reflect the transferred amount. 2. Look for transaction details: Review your transaction history or statement to find the incoming transfer.
Banks can take longer depending on your currency. For example, it might take 2 working days to process your transfer, and longer if it falls on a holiday. If you make a Swift transfer, which is a global payment that uses multiple banks, we'll need to wait until we get your money.