How Long Does e-Transfer Take? (2025)

If you’re in Canada and need to send or receive money, Interac e-Transfer provides a swift, secure, and convenient solution. With Interac, you can easily send or receive money within Canada using your online or mobile banking service.

However, you may wonder: How long does e-Transfer take to go through? From the moment you hit the send button, how much time passes before the recipient receives the money in their bank account?

Join us as we explore the waiting time frames associated with Interac e-Transfer for different scenarios and uncover reasons why your transfer might be delayed. Additionally, we’ll provide estimated wait times for transactions with the top 5 Canadian banks.

How Long Does e-Transfer Take?

Interac e-Transfers are usually quite fast, often taking just a couple of minutes. According to Interac.ca, most e-Transfers are nearly instant but may take up to 30 minutes for some individuals.

Once you hit “send,” your recipient receives a notification via email or text message, informing them that funds are on the way and providing instructions on how to claim them.

While Interac provides the technology for e-Transfers, the actual transaction is processed through your personal bank account or credit union. As a result, your wait time to send or receive an e-Transfer may vary depending on your financial institution.

Here’s how long e-Transfers take for the big banks in Canada:

Bank	Time frame
RBC	Instant to 30 minutes
CIBC	Instant to 30 minutes
TD	Within 1 to 30 minutes
BMO	Within 1 to 30 minutes
Scotiabank	Instant with Autodeposit or as soon as the recipient answers security questions correctly

How Long Does e-Transfer Take CIBC?

Funds transferred through CIBC e-Transfer are typically available immediately from the sender’s account to the receiver’s. However, CIBC e-Transfer time may take up to 30 minutes for the recipient to receive the e-transfer notification.

How Long Does e-Transfer Take RBC?

RBC e-Transfer time occurs in real-time. Funds are immediately deposited if the recipient has auto-deposit set up; otherwise, they are deposited once they accept the deposit.

How Long Does an e-Transfer Take TD?

TD e-Transfer funds are also available upon receiving a message indicating the transfer. TD e-Transfer time usually completes within a minute, with the recipient receiving a message confirming the e-transfer.

How Long Does e-Transfer Take Scotiabank?

Scotiabank e-Transfer funds become available immediately upon receiving the notification of transfer. Typically, Scotiabank e-Transfer time occurs within a few minutes, usually under 30 minutes.

How Long Does e-Transfer Take BMO?

BMO e-Transfer time can take up to 30 minutes to reach the recipient. However, in most cases, the recipient will receive the funds immediately after the transaction.

Why Is My e-Transfer Taking So Long?

Interac e-Transfer is known for its quick and convenient money transfers within Canada, but occasionally, delays can occur, causing your e-Transfers to take longer than expected.

Here are a few reasons why your e-Transfer might be delayed:

1. Incorrect recipient details

If you’ve confirmed a stable connection but still encounter issues, double-check the accuracy of the recipient’s email address or contact number.

Even a minor error in the recipient’s details can prevent the transfer from completing. If the correct details were provided and it’s been over 30 minutes, consider reaching out to the sender to verify the information.

2. Larger transfers

Larger transactions may undergo security reviews by Interac, leading to delays. Each financial institution sets its e-Transfer maximum limits, and transfers exceeding these limits may trigger additional scrutiny, prolonging the processing time.

3. Different financial institutions:

Delays may occur when transferring between different participating financial institutions. For instance, if you use TD and the recipient uses RBC, additional steps are involved in the transfer process. Transfers within the same bank are typically faster due to fewer steps involved in processing.

4. Poor internet connection

A common culprit for delays is a weak internet connection. Since Interac e-Transfers rely on internet connectivity, either the sender or recipient experiencing a weak Wi-Fi signal can lead to delays. If your transfer hasn’t gone through after a few minutes, check your internet connection. If on Wi-Fi, try switching to cellular data, or vice versa.

5. Bank Processing Speed

The speed of an e-Transfer can vary depending on your bank. If the bank is closed for the day or experiencing slower server speeds than usual, it may take longer for the e-Transfer to be processed.

It’s important to note that banks typically send notifications when an e-Transfer is received and processed. However, until your recipient responds to that alert, the transfer should be considered pending.

Why Does e-Transfer Take So Long for Major Canadian Banks?

While most transfers are sent instantly, sometimes, e-Transfers can take a while. They may get delayed depending on your financial institution.

Let’s take a look at each of the big banks in Canada and why you might be waiting a little longer for your funds to be deposited into your bank account.

Why is my e-Transfer Taking So Long Scotiabank?

Normally, Scotiabank e-Transfers should be processed within a few minutes. However, if you are experiencing delays, it could be attributed to either a larger transaction or a weak internet connection.

If you haven’t received any notification after 30 minutes, take a moment to double-check that all transfer details are accurate. If the issue persists, it’s advisable to ask the sender to reach out to their bank for assistance.

Why is my e-Transfer Taking So Long TD?

TD e-Transfer recipients are typically notified by email or text within one minute. However, if you’re sending or receiving a TD Global Transfer, it can take much longer.

TD’s Global Transfer options can take a few hours to a few days:

“Send to Account” takes from 24 hours to 10 business days to transfer.
“Send for Cash Pick-up” takes 2-4 hours.
“Send to Card” takes 24-48 hours (if the recipient is in the U.S., it takes 2-4 hours).

Why is my e-Transfer Taking So Long BMO?

Most e-Transfers done through BMO are done within a few minutes. However, if you’ve sent over $500, it could take about 30 minutes.

If you’re sending a Western Union Money Transfer to someone in Canada who doesn’t have a Canadian bank account, it usually takes 30 minutes at a minimum.

Why is my e-Transfer Taking So Long RBC?

RBC e-Transfers usually take up to a minute to complete. If it’s taking longer, you may want to check your internet connection and double-check sending details.

If the recipient doesn’t use RBC, it could take longer. And, if they don’t have mobile banking set up, it could take 3-5 business days.

Why is my e-Transfer Taking So Long CIBC?

One common reason why a CIBC e-Transfer takes so long is due to the transfer size limits. With CIBC, you can send as little as you want. However, there are maximum limits to how much you can send.

If you transfer over $500, it will take about 30 minutes. There are a few other limitations on transfer amounts:

$3,000 is the maximum amount you can send in a 24-hour period.
$10,000 is the maximum amount you can send in a 7-day period.
$30,000 is the maximum amount you can send in a 30-day period.

If you’ve sent an amount exceeding these limits, then you may experience a delay. However, if you’re under the $500 limit, it usually will take less than 30 minutes.

How Long Does it Take to Send an e-Transfer?

The process of sending an e-Transfer typically takes just a couple of minutes from start to finish. While the process varies among banks, there are common steps most financial institutions require for sending an e-Transfer.

Here’s what’s typically involved in sending an e-Transfer to a new recipient:

Log into your online bank account.
Navigate to the “e-Transfer” page.
Add a new e-transfer recipient.
Enter the recipient’s name and contact information (phone number or email address).
Initiate the e-Transfer.
Specify the amount you wish to send.
Choose the account from which to send the money.
Decide whether to notify the recipient via email or text message.
Establish a security question and answer for the recipient.
Confirm and complete the e-Transfer.

Once you’ve gone through these steps, the recipient usually receives the transfer notification promptly, though it may take up to 30 minutes in some cases.

Upon acceptance, they’ll need to answer your security question, log into their online bank account, and select the account to deposit the funds into, unless they have Autodeposit enabled, in which case the funds will be deposited directly into their account.

How Long Does International e-Transfer Take?

While local transfers typically process swiftly, sending money across borders requires more time. You can expect international e-Transfers to take approximately 1 to 2 business days to arrive securely. The confirmation email should provide you with an estimate of the expected delivery timeframes.

How Long Does an e-Transfer Autodeposit Take?

Autodeposit is a convenient feature that allows users to receive incoming Interac e-Transfers directly into their bank accounts. Once set up, e-Transfers can arrive almost instantly.

With Autodeposit, an Interac e-Transfer transaction is faster compared to a standard e-Transfer. Typically, a standard e-Transfer involves a security question and answer to verify the transaction.

However, when you opt for Autodeposit, you can designate a specific account to receive any e-Transfer without the need for a security question. As soon as someone sends you an e-Transfer, the funds are deposited directly into your bank account.

What Happens If My e-Transfer Isn’t Accepted?

If you send an e-Transfer and the recipient doesn’t accept it, the transfer will expire, and the funds will be returned.

Typically, the recipient has up to 30 days to accept the transfer before it expires, and they’ll usually receive reminder emails within these 30 days.

If they choose not to accept the transfer, the money will be returned to you after 30 days. It’s important to note that your bank may charge you a return fee for an unaccepted e-Transfer, typically around $5.

How To Cancel e-Transfer

If you’ve sent an e-Transfer and find the need to cancel it for any reason, you can do so. However, cancellation is only possible if the recipient hasn’t accepted the transfer. If they have, the only recourse is for them to send the funds back to you.

To cancel, simply access your online banking and locate the e-Transfer you wish to cancel. Once you’ve found it, select the option to cancel, and the funds will be deposited back into your account.

Cancelled e-Transfers are typically reversed instantly, as long as the recipient hasn’t already accepted them. They return to you just as quickly as they were sent out, with the funds being returned to your account instantly.

Why is My e-Transfer Pending?

If your sent e-Transfer is showing as ‘pending’, it likely encountered an issue. Fortunately, you can check the status of your e-Transfer to identify the cause of the delay. Here are some popular statuses that you may encounter:

Invalid email address or mobile number: Your email address or mobile number might not be valid, or the notification of the transfer wasn’t delivered to you.
Security question failed: You may have failed to answer the security question correctly.
Auto deposit failed: The e-Transfer set up for auto-deposit failed, possibly due to an invalid or closed bank account.
Declined: You declined the e-Transfer.
Expired: You didn’t collect the funds before the expiry date.
Deposited: You successfully answered the security question and deposited the funds into your account.
Auto deposited: Your email address or mobile number is set up for auto-deposit, and the funds have been deposited into your bank account.

If your e-Transfer is not working and you cannot understand why, reach out to your financial institution if your e-Transfer has taken longer than 30 minutes.

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Final Thoughts on How Long Does e-Transfer Take

Interac e-Transfers have gained immense popularity, especially among consumers with mobile or online banking setups. Whether you’re the sender or recipient of electronic funds, utilizing the e-Transfer method ensures a straightforward and secure process.

While e-Transfers typically complete within minutes, it’s important to note that factors like the sender’s bank, the recipient’s institution, and potential security measures can influence the transfer duration.

To enhance your e-Transfer experience, familiarize yourself with these variables and adhere to the best practices outlined by your financial institution. This approach guarantees a smoother and more punctual e-Transfer process. Remember, prioritizing both speed and security is key in navigating the realm of electronic transfers.