How long do wire transfers take? Same day at home, days abroad

Short answer

How long do wire transfers take? A domestic wire requested before your bank’s cutoff time usually reaches the recipient’s bank the same business day. After the cutoff, or on a weekend or Federal Reserve holiday, it goes out the next business day. International wires take longer and vary by country: Capital One, for example, says they may take up to 10 business days to be deposited.

Domestic wires between US banks run over Fedwire, the Federal Reserve’s funds transfer service, or a private system. The waiting is mostly in your bank’s cutoff and its security checks.

At a glance

• Domestic, before cutoffSame business day
• Domestic, after cutoff or on a non-business dayNext business day
• InternationalVaries by country; Capital One says up to 10 business days
• Fedwire hours9:00 PM ET the day before to 7:00 PM ET, Monday to Friday
• Fedwire deadline for customer transfers6:45 PM ET
• Weekends and Fed holidaysFedwire closed

Sources: Federal Reserve Financial Services: Fedwire operating hours, Capital One wire transfer support · Checked on September 26, 2026

The cutoff time decides the day

The Fedwire Funds Service opens at 9:00 PM ET on the calendar day before each business day and closes at 7:00 PM ET. The last call for transfers sent on behalf of a bank’s customer is 6:45 PM ET. Your bank sets its own customer cutoff, often earlier.

Source: each bank’s own page as linked · Checked on September 26, 2026

Banks state some of these in their local time. U.S. Bank publishes 4:30 PM CT; Wells Fargo publishes 3:00 PM PT (domestic) and 2:20 PM PT (international). We converted them to Eastern Time.

Timeline

1. Before your bank’s cutoffyou request a domestic wire
2. Same business dayyour bank completes its checks and sends it
3. Same business daythe recipient’s bank receives it
4. When the receiving bank posts itthe money is in the recipient’s account

Why a wire can take longer

Security review. Wells Fargo says a wire may go through an internal review before it is sent, which can delay delivery. Other banks say wires are subject to security verification and compliance review.

Weekends and holidays. Fedwire is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Reserve holidays. A wire requested on Friday evening goes out on the next business day. The Fed plans to add Sunday and weekday-holiday operation in 2028 or 2029.

The receiving bank. Your bank controls when it sends. The recipient’s bank controls when it posts the money to the account.

International routing. A wire abroad may pass through intermediary banks, and the recipient’s country has its own holidays and cutoffs. First Citizens tells commercial clients the beneficiary’s bank generally receives funds 1 to 2 days after processing and credits them within 2 to 3 days, with delays possible for local holidays and intermediary banks.

Federal Reserve holidays left in 2026

Source: Federal Reserve Financial Services: Holiday schedules · Checked on September 26, 2026

Warning

A wire sent to the wrong account or to a scammer is very hard to get back. Confirm wire instructions by calling a number you already know, especially when instructions arrive or change by email.

Can you cancel a wire?

For an international transfer sent through a remittance transfer provider, federal law gives you 30 minutes after you pay to cancel for free, as long as the money has not been picked up or deposited. The CFPB’s cancellation right covers these international remittance transfers; for a domestic wire, ask your bank at once.

Read next: ACH vs wire transfer and How long does ACH take.