Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

The Federal Reserve Banks provide the Fedwire Funds Service, a real-time gross settlement system that enables participants to initiate funds transfer that are immediate, final, and irrevocable once processed. Depository institutions and certain other financial institutions that hold an account with a Federal Reserve Bank are eligible to participate in the Fedwire Funds Services. In 2008, approximately 7,300 participants made Fedwire funds transfers. The Fedwire Funds Service is generally used to make large-value, time-critical payments.

The Fedwire Funds Service is a credit transfer service. Participants originate funds transfers by instructing a Federal Reserve Bank to debit funds from its own account and credit funds to the account of another participant. Participants may originate funds transfers online, by initiating a secure electronic message, or off line, via telephone procedures.

The Fedwire Funds Service business day begins at 9:00 p.m. eastern time (ET) on the preceding calendar day and ends at 7:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding designated holidays. For example, the Fedwire Funds Service opens for Monday at 9:00 p.m. on the preceding Sunday. The deadline for initiating transfers for the benefit of a third party (such as a bank's customer) is 6:45 p.m. ET each business day. Under certain circumstances, Fedwire Funds Service operating hours may be extended by the Federal Reserve Banks.

For further information about Fedwire Funds Service, please see the Fedwire Funds Service page on the Federal Reserve Financial Services website.

Last Update: June 25, 2024
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Tools and Information
Stay Connected

Federal Reserve Facebook Page Federal Reserve Instagram Page Federal Reserve YouTube Page Federal Reserve Flickr Page Federal Reserve LinkedIn Page Federal Reserve Threads Page Link to Federal Reserve Twitter Page Subscribe to RSS Subscribe to Email

Link to USA.gov Link to Open.gov

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

20th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20551