Your Money Matters
Sascu wire transfers give you a fast, traceable method for sending large sums when timing and certainty matter more than cost. Unlike ACH transfers that batch-process overnight, a domestic wire initiated before the cutoff time posts the same business day — often within hours. The receiving bank sees the funds as settled and available, not pending, so real estate closings, vehicle purchases, and time-sensitive business payments proceed without waiting for clearance holds. International wires route through the SWIFT network with end-to-end tracking so both sender and recipient can confirm exactly where the funds are at any point in the transfer chain.
Wire transfers are available to all Sascu personal and business checking account holders who have an active online banking profile. Before initiating your first wire, you will need to sign a wire transfer agreement — a one-time step that takes about a day to process — after which the wire transfer module appears in your online banking dashboard and mobile app. For guidance on the regulatory framework governing wire transfers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes consumer-facing resources on electronic fund transfers and remittance rules.
Transfer Type Comparison
| Transfer Type | Speed | Cost | Limits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Wire (Outgoing) | Same business day if sent before 3:00 PM ET | $25 per transfer | $250,000 per transfer; higher with prior approval | Recipient name, bank name, routing number, account number |
| Domestic Wire (Incoming) | Same business day upon receipt | $15 per transfer | No limit on incoming wires | Provide sender with Sascu routing number and your account number |
| International Wire (Outgoing USD) | 1-2 business days | $45 per transfer | $100,000 per transfer; higher with prior approval | SWIFT/BIC code, recipient IBAN or account number, recipient address |
| International Wire (Outgoing Foreign Currency) | 2-3 business days | $45 per transfer plus exchange margin | $100,000 equivalent per transfer | Same as USD international plus currency selection |
| International Wire (Incoming) | 1-2 business days upon receipt | $15 per transfer | No limit on incoming wires | Provide sender with Sascu SWIFT code and your account number |
How to Initiate a Wire Transfer
Sign in to Sascu online banking and select "Wire Transfers" from the main navigation. If this is your first wire, the system will prompt you to review and electronically sign the wire transfer agreement. Once that agreement is on file — typically activated within one business day — the wire initiation form becomes available. For a domestic wire, you will enter the recipient's name, their bank's routing number (ABA number), and the recipient's account number. The form validates the routing number in real time against the Federal Reserve directory, so a typo in the routing digits produces an immediate error rather than a failed transfer discovered hours later.
International wires require the recipient's bank SWIFT/BIC code — an eight- or eleven-character identifier that uniquely identifies a financial institution in the SWIFT network — along with the recipient's IBAN (common for European and many international banks) or account number, the recipient's full name as it appears on their account, and the recipient's physical address. When sending in a foreign currency, the exchange rate locks in at the moment you submit the transfer, and the final amount the recipient will receive is displayed on the confirmation screen before you authorize the transaction.
Cutoff Times and Processing
Domestic wire transfer requests submitted before 3:00 PM Eastern Time on a business day are processed the same day. Requests received after the cutoff, or on weekends and federal holidays, process on the next business day. International wire requests submitted before 2:00 PM Eastern Time begin processing the same day; those submitted after the cutoff begin processing the next business day. Both domestic and international wires generate a federal reference number (also called an IMAD or OMAD number) that serves as the tracking identifier — you can share this number with the recipient to help their bank locate the incoming funds.