To send a wire transfer, you need the recipient’s full legal name and physical address, their bank’s wire routing number, their account number, and the exact amount you want to send. International wires require more: the receiving bank’s SWIFT/BIC code, an IBAN if the destination country uses them, possibly intermediary bank details, and a decision about which currency the recipient should receive. Business transfers add a Taxpayer Identification Number or Employer Identification Number. Because wires settle immediately and are nearly impossible to reverse, every one of these details has to be right before you authorize the transfer.
Domestic Wire Transfer Checklist
A domestic wire moves money between two U.S. bank accounts through the Federal Reserve’s Fedwire system. Before you start the request, gather the following about the person or company you’re paying:
- Recipient’s full legal name. It must match the name on the receiving account exactly. A mismatch between “Robert” and “Bob,” or a missing middle initial, can cause the wire to be rejected.
- Recipient’s physical address. Banks require a street address for the beneficiary as part of federal recordkeeping rules.
- Receiving bank’s wire routing number. A nine-digit ABA number that identifies the bank. Many banks use a different routing number for wires than the one printed on checks or used for ACH, so ask the recipient to confirm the correct wire routing number with their bank.
- Recipient’s account number. The full account number at the receiving institution.
- Transfer amount. The exact dollar figure you want to send.
The nine-digit ABA routing number was created by the American Bankers Association and is the backbone of identifying banks in domestic transactions.1American Bankers Association. Routing Number Policy and Procedures The wire routing number for a given bank can differ from its ACH or check routing number, which trips people up frequently. Using the ACH number instead of the wire number can stop the payment from going through. Verify directly with the recipient’s bank.
International Wire Transfer Checklist
Cross-border wires travel through the SWIFT messaging network, which connects banks in over 200 countries. That global reach comes with more required details:
- Everything listed for domestic wires. Recipient’s full name, address, account number, and the exact amount.
- Receiving bank’s SWIFT/BIC code. An eight- or eleven-character code that uniquely identifies the foreign bank. The eight-character version identifies the institution itself; the eleven-character version pinpoints a specific branch.
- IBAN, if the country uses one. An international account number standard used widely in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Africa and Asia. Not every country uses IBANs, but if the recipient’s country does, providing one is usually required.
- Intermediary bank details, if needed. When the sending and receiving banks don’t have a direct relationship, the payment routes through one or more intermediary banks. You may need the intermediary bank’s SWIFT code and account number. Your bank can usually help identify the correct intermediary.
- Currency. Whether you want the recipient to receive the funds in their local currency or in U.S. dollars.
The SWIFT code (formally called a Business Identifier Code, or BIC) follows the international ISO 9362 standard and is assigned by SWIFT itself.2Swift. Business Identifier Code (BIC) A wrong SWIFT code sends your wire to the wrong bank entirely. Incomplete intermediary information is one of the most common reasons international wires get delayed or returned, and each correction attempt usually costs an extra fee.
Extra Information for Business Wires
When a business sends or receives a wire, banks collect additional identifying information beyond what’s required for individuals. Federal anti-money-laundering rules require banks to record the business’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN) for transfers of $3,000 or more.3FFIEC. BSA/AML Manual – Funds Transfers Recordkeeping If the business doesn’t have an existing account at the bank processing the wire, documentation requirements are stricter. For in-person requests, the person authorizing the wire may need to present government-issued identification and provide the business’s TIN or EIN separately.
A business should have its EIN, the authorized signer’s government ID, and complete beneficiary details ready before walking into a bank or logging into an online portal. Delays at the business level almost always come from missing one of these identifiers.
What the Bank Will Ask You For
You can send a wire in person at a branch, over the phone, or through your bank’s online platform. Branch visits tend to offer the highest daily transfer limits and the fewest restrictions. Online platforms are more convenient but often impose lower per-transaction or daily caps.
Whatever the channel, the bank will verify your identity before processing anything. In person, that means a government-issued photo ID. Online, expect multi-factor authentication. Federal rules require it, and it’s your first line of defense if someone tries to send a fraudulent wire from your account.
After verification, you’ll provide all the beneficiary details and the transfer amount. The bank will show you the total cost, including its origination fee, and you’ll authorize the transfer. Pay attention to the cutoff time. Fedwire operates from 9:00 p.m. ET the prior evening through 7:00 p.m. ET, but most banks set their own customer-facing deadlines earlier, often between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. local time.4Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wholesale Services Operating Hours Miss the cutoff and your wire won’t be processed until the next business day.
For international wires, the bank will also quote you a foreign exchange rate at the time you authorize the transfer. That rate determines how much the recipient gets in their local currency, and it locks in when you confirm. Before you pay, the bank must provide a written disclosure showing the exchange rate, all fees (including estimated third-party fees), and the total amount the recipient will receive.
Verify Every Detail Before You Send
Wire transfers are designed to be immediate, final, and irrevocable once processed. Regulation E, the federal rule that protects consumers for most electronic payments like debit cards, ACH, and ATM transactions, specifically excludes wire transfers sent through Fedwire.5eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.3 – Coverage Send a domestic wire to the wrong account and you have no federal right to a refund. Your only recourse is to ask your bank to attempt a recall, which requires the receiving bank and the recipient to cooperate voluntarily.
International wires get somewhat better treatment because they qualify as remittance transfers. You have 30 minutes after making payment to cancel for a full refund, as long as the funds haven’t been picked up or deposited on the other end.6eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.34 – Procedures for Cancellation and Refund of Remittance Transfers Miss that window and you’re relying on the error-resolution process, not an automatic refund.
Before you enter any of the account details you’ve collected, verify them. Read the routing number, account number, and (for international wires) the SWIFT code and IBAN back to the recipient over the phone. Every digit. If the wiring instructions arrived by email, call the sender at a number you already have on file, not a number pulled from the email. That single step prevents most business email compromise and real estate wire fraud, both of which work by feeding the sender fake account details that look legitimate.
Be skeptical of any last-minute changes to wiring instructions, especially for real estate closings. Legitimate title companies and attorneys rarely change their bank details between transactions. Any message saying “we’ve updated our wiring instructions” should be treated as suspicious until confirmed by voice. And banks will never text or email you asking you to wire money to resolve a security issue.
If you realize after sending that a detail was wrong, contact your bank immediately and ask for a recall. Speed matters. Once the recipient withdraws the funds, recovery becomes nearly impossible, and the bank can only request cooperation, not compel it. Getting every field right before you authorize the transfer is the only reliable protection you have.