Wire Transfers

A wire transfer is a method of transmitting funds electronically from one financial institution to another. In most cases, the funds are received the same day they are sent. Once a wire transfer is sent, the funds leave the bank immediately and cannot be returned.

Wire transfers initiated in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking¹ are limited to domestic (U.S.) transactions, in U.S. dollars, to bank accounts at financial institutions in the United States. International wire transfers may only be completed by visiting a U.S. Bank branch.

When you need to quickly send secured funds in a large dollar amount, a wire transfer may be the right choice. Wire transfers are ideal for real estate closing costs, last-minute vendor payments, large interbank transfers and more.

To send a wire transfer, you must be a current U.S. Bank customer who has had a banking relationship with us for at least six months. You also must have an eligible U.S. Bank account, which you’ll use to make the wire transfer. Eligible accounts include those you deposit funds directly into, such as checking, savings and money market accounts. Additional eligibility criteria may apply.

U.S. Bank charges a fee for wire transfers, whether initiated in the app, online or by other means. You’ll see U.S. Bank’s fee amount before you confirm your submission. For consumers and business customers, fees are also listed in the Consumer Pricing Information and Business Pricing Information disclosures, respectively. The recipient’s bank may also charge additional fees for incoming wire transfers, which will be paid by the recipient.

Yes. Zelle^® in the U.S. Bank Mobile App and online banking is a fee-free way to send funds to people and businesses you know and trust, and Zelle^® payments typically occur in minutes.² See the “Send Money with Zelle^®” section in the Digital Services Agreement for further details. Also see the Zelle^® page at usbank.com, which includes an extensive FAQ.

You’ll need the name and address of the person who will receive the wire transfer (often called the beneficiary). You’ll also need their bank information, including account number and bank routing number.

A bank routing number (sometimes called the ABA or RTN – “routing transit number”) is a nine-digit number that identifies a specific domestic bank. Every bank in the U.S. has a different routing number. Please note that some larger banks may have multiple routing numbers for banks in different states or regions. Also, smaller banks may not accept wires directly, so they often work with a larger bank to receive wires. We recommend you have the beneficiary confirm the correct routing number with their bank and obtain any special wire instructions.

Should you need to give someone your U.S. Bank routing number to receive a wire transfer, check out our routing number page for information on how to find it. Or, better yet, just open the U.S. Bank Mobile App, tap the microphone icon for U.S. Bank Smart Assistant™, and simply say, “What’s my routing number?”

Some banks post their routing number on their website, or you can call the bank and ask for it. If you have a check issued by that bank, the nine-digit routing number is printed on the bottom left side of the check, before the account number.

Secondary authorization protects businesses with more than one business owner when initiating a wire transfer in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking. Secondary authorization requires that a second business owner approve or decline the wire transfer request before it can be processed.

We’ll send an email to all eligible business owners to approve the wire transfer and inform them of the approval deadline. They’ll also see a notification when they log in to the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking. If secondary approval is not provided by the deadline, the wire transfer will be automatically canceled. An email will be sent to all business owners informing them of the cancellation. A new digital wire transfer request will need to be created to complete a transaction.

No, currently, business customers cannot waive the secondary authorization requirement for wire transfers created in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking. If you need to send a wire transfer without secondary authorization, visit a U.S. Bank branch.

We’ll update you by email on the status of your wire transfer.

If your wire transfer is scheduled for a future date, you can cancel it in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking up until 11:59 p.m. CT the day before its send date. Same-day wire transfers can’t be canceled once you’ve submitted them. 

Yes. For same-day domestic wire transfers, funds can only be sent on business days between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT. If you scheduled a wire transfer to be sent on a future date, you can make changes until 11:59 p.m. CT the day before its send date. In either case, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete the necessary information before the cut-off time.