Routing numbers for wire transfers
Wire transfers move money between US banks in minutes, but they are also the least forgiving way to send money. Get the routing number wrong and you may never see the funds again.
What makes a wire transfer different
A wire transfer is settled through the Federal Reserve's Fedwire network — a real-time, same-day, gross-settlement system used primarily by banks for high-value payments. Once a wire has been released by the originating bank, it generally cannot be reversed. The receiving bank credits the beneficiary's account immediately, and the funds become available for withdrawal within hours. This finality is what makes wires the preferred mechanism for closing on a house, sending a tax payment to a foreign government, or paying a major vendor when the deal needs to clear today.
That same finality is what makes wires so risky. Unlike an ACH transfer or a paper check, a Fedwire payment cannot simply be "stopped" or "clawed back." If the routing number on the wire instruction is wrong — even off by a single digit — the money will land at a different bank, and recovering it requires the cooperation of every party in the chain.
Wire-routing numbers vs ACH-routing numbers
Most US banks use the same nine-digit ABA routing number for both ACH and wire transactions. The number that appears on your check, in your online banking dashboard, and on the routing-number lookup pages here at RoutingRadar is almost always the right number for both purposes. However, large multi-state banks sometimes publish a single "wire routing number" that consolidates incoming wires for the entire institution, regardless of which state your account is in. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, and Citibank all maintain national wire-routing numbers that differ from the per-state ACH numbers most customers see.
The safest approach is always the same: call your bank, ask for "the wire-routing number for incoming domestic wires to my account," and read it back to the banker before passing it on. A two-minute confirmation phone call is the cheapest insurance available against a six-figure mistake.
Information the sender needs
To send a domestic wire to your US bank account, the sender needs all of the following:
- Your bank's name and the city/state of its main office
- The bank's wire-routing number (a nine-digit ABA number)
- Your full account number
- The exact name on the account, matching what your bank has on file
- The full physical address tied to your account (not just a P.O. box, in many cases)
For international incoming wires, the sender also needs your bank's SWIFT/BIC code. Some banks additionally require a correspondent or intermediary bank — your bank can supply that information on request.
Cost and timing
Outgoing domestic wires typically cost $20–$35 from a US bank; incoming wires often cost $0–$15. International outgoing wires range from $35 to $50 plus a currency-conversion spread. Once initiated, a domestic wire usually arrives the same business day if sent before the bank's wire cutoff (commonly 3:00–5:00 p.m. local time). International wires take 1–5 business days depending on the destination country and any correspondent banks in the path.
Common mistakes
The single most common wire-related mistake is fraudulent wire instructions delivered by email — typically during a real-estate closing. A scammer will compromise the email account of a title agent, paralegal, or law firm, then send the buyer "updated" wire instructions hours before closing. The instructions look official, the timing matches the buyer's expectations, and the money disappears the moment the bank releases the wire. The FBI tracks this pattern under the heading "business email compromise" and reports billions of dollars in annual losses. Always confirm wire instructions by phone, using a phone number you obtained yourself, before initiating any large wire.