How long does a transfer take?

Simply put, it depends – who you’re sending to, where they’re based, and the time you send the payment.

Here’s a breakdown of the different payment methods our clients can use through their 3S Money account:

Global payments

SWIFT: Up to 5 working days.

SWIFT is a global payment network that 3S Money uses to facilitate high-value international money transfers. 
 

SEPA: Up to 1 working day.

A payment network that caters in EUR to the Eurozone and a few countries outside of it (UK, Switzerland, Norway). 

UK payments

Faster Payments Service (FPS): transfers will settle instantly. This is a UK-only payment method that supports GBP only.

CHAPS: transfers will settle the same day if instructed before 5pm. This payment system for domestic UK payments.

BACS:  transfers can take 2/3 days to settle. This is a standard UK payment method and is typically used for direct debits.

Why is my transfer taking so long? 

You’ve sent a payment through your 3S Money account, but it’s yet to arrive with the recipient?

Having checked all the details you entered were correct, there are still different reasons why your payment may be taking a bit longer to arrive than usual.

The payment method used

The country you’re sending a payment to can affect the time it takes to arrive in your recipient’s account – particularly with cross-border payments.

This is because certain countries are only accessible through global payment networks such as SWIFT, whose transfer times can take longer to complete than usual.

In some cases, SWIFT payments can take 2-3 working days.

Weekends/bank holidays

As with any banking service, weekends and bank holidays can create delays when sending and receiving payments. This is because corresponding banking networks may be closed, impacting the movement of funds throughout.

If you can, try to schedule any payments during weekdays or bank opening hours to ensure the fastest possible service.

Recipient banks

The bank your recipient uses may also impact any payment times.

Some banks may take longer than others to process and clear any funds they receive, which will ultimately impact the time it takes to appear in your recipient’s account.

Need to find out more?

Last updated: 22/08/23