Wire Transfers
A wire transfer is one method individuals and businesses use to move money. It involves a direct electronic transfer of funds from an account at one financial institution, like a bank or credit union, to an account at another financial institution.
For significant transactions – like buying a home – a wire transfer or a cashier's check might be your only option. Why? The short answer: The funds become available to the individual or organization receiving the wire transfer – the recipient – as soon as the money arrives in their account.
Requirements for Wire Transfers | Sending Wires Through Business Online Banking | Wire Transfer Instructions | Wire Transfer Fees | FAQ
Wire Transfer Requirements
BECU requires funds that are not from a confirmed source to be in the account at least 10 business days prior to sending a wire. Confirmed sources include an incoming wire, direct deposit, ACH transfer, or a cash deposit. This is to protect members from wire transfer scams or fraud.
Sending Wires Through Business Online Banking
BECU businesses that operate using an EIN for tax reporting are eligible to send domestic wires online through Business Online Banking. Learn about sending online wire transfers.
Wire Transfer Scams
Before wiring any money for a large transaction such as buying a home or car, always confirm the recipient's information and identity. You want to triple-check that your money will be sent to a legitimate person or organization, and not a scammer impersonating them. If you can't confirm the recipient's identity in person, call them using a number you verified independently. Learn more about wire transfer scams here.
Wire Transfer Instructions
To request a domestic or international wire transfer, call 800-233-2328 or visit a BECU location during wire transfer hours. Refer to the FAQ below for more information about when wires can be requested and sent.
In order to send a domestic or international wire transfer from your BECU account, you will need the following:
- Your BECU account number.
- BECU's routing number: 325081403.
- The recipient's name and street address.
- The name and address of the receiving bank.
- For wire transfers within the U.S., the receiving bank's ABA wire routing number (American Bankers Association number).
- For wire transfers outside of the U.S., the receiving bank's SWIFT code (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) or BIC (Bank Identifier Code).
- For wire transfers outside of the U.S., additional bank identifiers may be needed depending on the country.
Incoming Wire Instructions PDF | Outgoing Wire Instructions PDF
Wire Transfer Costs
- Domestic wire transfer fee - $25
- International wire transfer fee - $35
BECU charges $25 to send a domestic wire transfer, and $35 to send an international wire transfer. Every wire sent will post as a separate transaction. Wires will be debited from the account selected by the member.
The financial institution that processes the incoming wire may charge a fee. BECU does not charge a fee for incoming wires or returned wires.
Wire Transfer Frequently Asked Questions
Wire transfers requests can be made by visiting any BECU location between:
- Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. for domestic and international wires with a same-day send.
- Monday - Friday, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. for domestic wires only and will send on the next business day.
You can also request a wire transfer by calling 800-233-2328 between:
- Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. for domestic and international wires with a same-day send.
- Monday - Friday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. for domestic wires only and will send the following business day.
Domestic wires sent by BECU are often processed by the receiving financial institution the same day. However, it can take up to three business days for domestic wires transfers to be received and processed.
International wires can take up to 14 calendar days to be received and processed by the receiving financial institution.
You can send a wire transfer to any individual or business with a banking account that offers the ability to receive wires. BECU is able to accept both domestic and international wires.
To confirm that your recipient can receive wires, have them obtain incoming wire instructions from their financial institution.
No, a wire is processed individually by bank employees and are often faster than an ACH transfer. Automatic Clearing House (ACH) transactions are batch-processed automatically and can take up to three business days to complete.
Zelle® is a person-to-person payment service with set transition limits and no transaction or processing fees. Wire transfers allow an individual or business to securely send large dollar amounts directly to a recipient's financial institution.
Wire transfers are a secure method of currency transfer. However, like any transaction, the sender of the funds should do their due diligence prior to requesting the transfer.
A few tips to complete prior to requesting a wire transfer:
- Confirm that you have the correct wire instructions for your recipient
- Ensure that you've received the wire instructions from a trusted source
- Ensure that you know the individual or company for whom you're requesting the transfer
- Escrow: Wires for escrow should always come directly from the title company either in-person or verbally. If you receive the escrow instructions via email, always contact the title company directly, using a known phone number, to verify the details. Do not use the information provided in the email until it has been verified.
Important note: Sending a wire is like sending cash. After the transfer is submitted, the funds are guaranteed to the recipient, and financial institutions are rarely successful at recovering wire transfers that the sender made in error or as the victim of a scam. Because of this, you should only send wires to trusted, verified individuals or organizations.