The waiting time for a transfer from a buyer depends on several factors – the payment does not always appear on the seller's account immediately after a purchase is made. Find out how long a transfer from the same bank takes, when transfers from other banks arrive, learn about bank session hours, and discover how to receive funds just a few seconds after selling a product or service.

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Key information in a nutshell

  • The waiting time for a transfer depends, among other things, on which banks the seller and buyer have accounts with.
  • In the case of the same bank, funds land on the seller's account almost immediately after the transfer is made.
  • The time of day the transfer is executed also matters.
  • The intermediary for external transfers is the National Clearing House (KIR), which operates the interbank clearing system in the Elixir program.
  • Fast online transfers enable instant transfer of funds from the customer to the seller, bypassing interbank sessions.

How long does a bank-to-bank transfer take?

How long a transfer takes from a buyer's account to a seller's account mainly depends on whether it is a transfer to the same or a different bank. Transfers made within the same bank are usually processed instantly – the seller receives the payment right after it is initiated by the buyer.

So when does a bank-to-bank transfer take a little longer? If the customer has an account with a different bank than the seller, in this situation, the waiting time for the funds can be up to two business days. In the case of international transfers, this time may be extended further.

Also see other payment solutions from Przelewy24.

When will a transfer made in the morning arrive, and when will one made in the afternoon?

Regarding the arrival time of a payment for a purchase, not only the buyer's and seller's bank matters, but also the time the transfer is initiated. If the buyer makes the transfer in the morning, the money may reach the seller's account later that same afternoon. If, on the other hand, the transfer is sent in the afternoon, it usually arrives at the recipient's account on the next business day.

The intermediary for external transfers is the National Clearing House (KIR), which operates the interbank clearing system in the so-called Elixir program. According to information available on the KIR website, the Elixir system meets European standards for handling payments in the interbank space and enables the electronic exchange of clearing messages between banks. In this system, there are three sessions during which transfers are posted – at which time transactions completed up to one hour earlier are cleared:

  • Morning session: 09:30-11:00;
  • Midday session: 13:30-15:00;
  • Afternoon session: 16:00-17:30.

The hours of bank sessions – outbound and inbound – may differ depending on the bank. It is therefore worth checking them directly on the bank's website.

Outbound vs. inbound sessions – the difference

Outbound sessions are the moments when the bank sends a transfer to the Elixir system. Inbound transfer sessions, in turn, are the moments when the recipient's bank (the seller) posts the funds to the account. For money to reach the seller's account quickly, it's best to make the transfer before the last outbound session at your bank.

Will an instant transfer arrive on the weekend?

Many people wonder when a transfer made on the weekend will arrive. If it is an instant transfer made using systems like Express, it should reach the recipient even on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday. This is because it is processed in real-time, so it is usually visible on the account just a few seconds after it is initiated – regardless of the day of the week.

Instant transfers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, whether the funds from the buyer appear in the seller's account over the weekend depends on whether the seller's bank supports instant transfers on non-working days.

When will a transfer arrive on the same day? When you use fast online transfers

If you want payments from customers in your store to reach your account almost immediately after they are sent, the best solution is fast online transfers. They allow for the instant transfer of funds from the customer to the seller, bypassing interbank sessions.

What's more, the buyer logs into their electronic banking and makes the payment without needing to fill out the transfer details – the form is automatically pre-filled. Przelewy24 supports many banks, including:

  • mBank,
  • Millennium,
  • PKO BP,
  • Bank Pekao,
  • Alior Bank,
  • Bank ING,
  • Nest Bank,
  • Santander,
  • Credit Agricole,
  • BNP Paribas,
  • VELO Bank,
  • Bank Citi Handlowy,
  • BOŚ Bank,
  • Noble Bank,
  • Bank Nowy S.A.

This ensures that as a seller, you can be confident that your online store's customers will easily find their bank on the payment form and be able to pay for their purchases. Furthermore, fast bank transfers can be made available to buyers in various ways – not just through a payment form, but also, for example, directly on the store's website.

Discover other payment methods, such as BLIK or an electronic wallet.

Summary

Transfers now account for nearly half of online payments made in the Polish e-commerce market – it is one of the most popular payment methods. This is indicated by the results of the "E-commerce in Poland 2022" study conducted by the research firm Gemius. It is therefore worthwhile to make it easier for customers to pay for purchases by offering them fast online transfers. Thanks to them, you don't have to wait for funds for a purchase for several hours or until the next business day – and buyers don't have to fill out transfer details, saving valuable time. This form of payment offers benefits for both sides – so make sure to provide it for your online store customers!