How do ACH transfers work

Objective: This article explains what ACH transfers are and how long they typically take to process.

What is an ACH transfer?

An ACH bank transfer is an electronic payment made between banks or financial institutions through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. These transfers are commonly used for direct deposits, recurring payments, and general money transfers. As you may already know, our virtual USD accounts only accept ACH payments, so if you are a user, this article is especially relevant to you.

How long do ACH transfers take?

Direct ACH payments normally take one to three business days to show up in the recipient's account since ACH transfers are processed in batches. This is longer than the average processing time for wire transfers, credit card transactions, and ATM withdrawals.
 

ACH transfers typically take a few hours to a few business days, depending on the initiation time and whether same-day processing is selected.