Answer
What is needed to receive a wire transfer?
Quick answer
To receive a wire transfer, give the sender your full name as it appears on the account, your account number, and your bank's wire routing number — plus the bank's SWIFT/BIC code for international wires. Incoming domestic wires typically post the same business day and may carry a $0–$15 fee in 2026.
Updated August 2026. Evergreen page — refreshed in place as facts change.
What details does the sender need from you?
For a domestic wire, the sender's bank will ask for:
- Your full legal name, exactly as it appears on your account — receiving banks screen name mismatches, and a nickname can hold up the payment.
- Your account number.
- Your bank's wire routing number — which at many banks differs from the ACH routing number used for direct deposit. Confirm you are giving the wire one.
- Often your address, and sometimes the receiving bank's name and address.
Where do you find your wire routing number?
The authoritative source is your own bank: the account-details screen in its app or online banking, which is also where Anytime Capital members find the account and routing numbers that come with every cash account. Paper checks carry an ACH routing number bottom-left, but remember wires may use a different one — check the bank's published wire instructions rather than assuming.
For a quick lookup across institutions, our routing numbers directory lists ABA routing numbers, wire routing numbers, and SWIFT codes for major US banks and fintechs in one place.
What do you need to receive an international wire?
Give the overseas sender your bank's SWIFT/BIC code in place of (or alongside) the routing number, plus your account number and your name as the account holds it. Some US banks publish specific international receiving instructions — occasionally routing the payment through a correspondent bank — so check for an 'incoming international wire' page or ask support before handing over details.
US accounts do not have IBANs; if a sender's form demands one, the SWIFT code plus account number is the US equivalent, and their bank's international payment form will have a path for exactly that.
How long does an incoming wire take to post?
Domestic wires typically post the same business day they are sent, often within hours; wired funds are final on arrival, with no check-style hold period. International wires usually reach a US account in 1–5 business days depending on the corridor and correspondent chain.
If a wire has been sent but has not appeared, the delay is usually the sending bank's cutoff, a detail mismatch under review, or the receiving bank's posting queue. The sender can ask their bank for a trace — domestic wires carry an IMAD reference and international ones a UETR, either of which locates the payment definitively.
Does it cost anything to receive a wire?
Often, yes: incoming domestic wires typically cost $0–$15 in 2026, and incoming international wires $0–$16. Large banks commonly charge around $15; many online banks and credit unions charge nothing. The fee is your own bank's, separate from anything the sender paid, and it is usually deducted before the funds post.
How do you share your details safely?
Routing numbers are public information; the routing-and-account-number pair is what deserves care, because together they also enable ACH debit attempts. Share the pair deliberately — with a payer you trust, over a channel you chose — and keep an eye on your transactions afterward.
One rule from our fraud desk that settles most scam attempts: receiving money never requires your online banking password, your card PIN, or a code texted to you. Anyone who claims they need those to 'send you a wire' is not sending you anything.
And if you are expecting an unusually large wire — a home sale, a settlement, an inheritance — give your bank a heads-up before it arrives. Large incoming payments can prompt a routine compliance review, and a bank that already knows the source and purpose posts the funds without pausing to ask. The preparation that speeds outgoing wires works just as well in reverse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive a wire using my ACH routing number?
Sometimes it works, but at banks that use a separate wire routing number it can bounce or stall the payment. Use the number your bank publishes specifically for incoming wires — the account-details screen or the bank's wire instructions page will say.
Do I have to do anything to accept an incoming wire?
No. Once the sender submits correct details, the wire posts to your account automatically — there is no acceptance step. Your job is beforehand: supply accurate details, and afterward: confirm the amount posted matches what was sent.
Why does my name have to match the account exactly?
Receiving banks compare the beneficiary name on the wire against the account records as a fraud and error control. Mismatches trigger manual review, delay posting, and can get a wire returned — so give the sender your name precisely as the account holds it.
Can a wire I received be taken back?
Wires are final by design. A sending bank can ask for a return — for a duplicate or an error — but debiting your account generally requires your consent. The exception worth respecting: money that plainly is not yours should go back; spending a misdirected credit creates legal exposure.
What is needed to receive a wire transfer at Anytime Capital?
Every Anytime Capital cash account comes with its own account and routing numbers, shown in the app's account details. Give the sender those plus your name as it appears on the account; timing by method is on our processing times page.
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Important Disclosures
- Third-party fees, timings, and product details cited on this page are industry-typical figures as of the date shown and may have changed. Verify current details with the relevant institution.
- Additional identity verification may be required depending on transaction type and amount.
- Anytime Capital is a licensed money services business. Information on this page is educational and is not financial, legal, or tax advice.