The time it takes to transfer money from one bank to another depends on the type of transfer, the countries involved, and the banks' processing times. Here is a summary:
- Domestic transfers typically take 1 to 3 business days. Some faster methods like the UK's Faster Payments or Australia's PayID can be almost instant or within a few hours
- ACH transfers (common in the US) usually take 1 to 3 business days , but same-day ACH options exist for faster transfers
- Wire transfers are faster domestically, often completed within the same business day , but international wire transfers can take 1 to 5 business days depending on intermediaries and countries involved
- International bank transfers generally take 1 to 5 business days , depending on the countries, currency, and whether the transfer uses the SWIFT network or other systems
- Immediate or instant transfers are available in some regions (e.g., SEPA Instant in Europe, PayID in Australia) and can clear within seconds to minutes, but these are not universally available
- Cut-off times at banks and weekends/holidays can delay processing, as transfers are usually only processed on business days
In summary, a typical bank-to-bank transfer takes 1 to 5 business days , with domestic transfers on the shorter end and international transfers on the longer end. Faster options exist but may incur fees or require specific services.
Typical Transfer Times by Method
Transfer Type| Typical Timeframe| Notes
---|---|---
Domestic ACH| 1–3 business days| Same-day ACH possible
Domestic Wire| Same business day| Faster but higher fees
International Wire| 1–5 business days| Depends on intermediaries and countries
Instant Transfers (e.g., SEPA Instant, PayID)| Seconds to minutes| Limited
availability
Peer-to-Peer Apps| Instant to same day| Usually small amounts, may have fees
This overview should help set expectations for how long bank transfers generally take
