The short answer
Interac says e-Transfers are almost instant, but can take up to 30 minutes depending on the bank or credit union.
With Autodeposit, the money is usually in the recipient's account within minutes. Without it, the recipient gets a notification and the money moves when they answer the security question. If they never do, the transfer expires after 30 days and goes back to the sender.
e-Transfers work 24/7, including weekends and holidays. A transfer that takes hours has usually been held for a fraud check, or is waiting on the recipient.
How long it takes, by situation
| Situation | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Recipient has Autodeposit | Minutes |
| Recipient answers a security question | Notification within about 30 minutes; the money moves when they deposit it |
| Held for a fraud check | Longer than 30 minutes; call your bank if it has been a few hours |
| Never deposited | Expires after 30 days and returns to the sender |
With Autodeposit: minutes
Autodeposit lets the recipient skip the security question. The money goes straight into the account they registered, so the whole transfer is usually done within minutes. Interac notes that deposit times can still vary because of routine fraud checks between the sending and receiving banks.
Without Autodeposit: it waits for the recipient
If the recipient hasn't set up Autodeposit, they get an email or text saying money is waiting. Nothing lands in their account until they open it, pick their bank and answer your security question. So the real answer is "however long they take to deposit it." Your bank will show the transfer as pending in the meantime.
If they never deposit it, the transfer expires 30 days after you sent it. You get the money back, but how depends on your bank. Some banks return it automatically, while others ask you to reclaim it. RBC, for example, charges $5.00 if you don't reclaim an expired transfer within 15 days.
What makes an e-Transfer slower
A fraud check
Banks review some transfers before releasing them, especially a large amount, a first send to a new recipient, or activity that doesn't look like your usual pattern. ATB, for example, says a standard transfer can carry a fraud delay of up to 30 minutes. Neo reviews some first sends to a new recipient. There is no published maximum for a review. If it has been more than a few hours, call your bank.
A wrong email address or phone number
A typo means the notification never arrives, so the transfer sits in pending on your side. Cancel it and send it again to the right address.
The receiving bank
Even with Autodeposit, the recipient's bank still has to post the money. Most do this within minutes. Some smaller institutions can take a little longer.
A service outage
Rarely, Interac or one of the banks has a problem that slows everything down. See how to tell whether Interac is down or it's just your bank.
Weekends and holidays
e-Transfers don't wait for business days. You can send and receive them any time, day or night, including weekends and statutory holidays. That's one of the main differences from an EFT or a wire transfer, which settle on banking days.
Does it depend on the bank?
A little. The steps are the same everywhere, but each bank handles expiry, reclaim fees and fraud reviews in its own way. The details for your bank are on its page: RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, National Bank, Desjardins, Tangerine, Simplii, EQ Bank, Wealthsimple, ATB, Neo and ICICI.
When to do something about it
- Under 30 minutes: wait. That's within Interac's normal range.
- Over 30 minutes, no Autodeposit: ask the recipient whether they got the notification (check spam) and have deposited it.
- Wrong address: cancel the transfer and resend it.
- A few hours with no explanation: call your bank. Interac doesn't hold the money and can't trace a transfer, so your bank is the one to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Interac e-Transfer take?
Interac says transfers are almost instant but can take up to 30 minutes, depending on the bank or credit union. With Autodeposit, the money is usually in the recipient's account within minutes. Without it, the recipient gets a notification and the money moves when they deposit it by answering the security question.
Do e-Transfers work on weekends and holidays?
Yes. Interac e-Transfers can be sent and received any time, day or night, including weekends and holidays. They are not held for the next business day the way cheques and EFTs are.
How long does an e-Transfer take to expire?
An e-Transfer the recipient doesn't deposit expires 30 days after it was sent. The money goes back to the sender, though at some banks you have to reclaim it yourself and fees vary.
Why is my e-Transfer taking longer than 30 minutes?
The most common reasons are that the recipient hasn't deposited it yet (no Autodeposit), the email or phone number is wrong, or the sending or receiving bank is holding it for a routine fraud check. Check with the recipient first, then call your bank.
Related guides
- Why is my e-Transfer pending?
- How to cancel an e-Transfer
- Is Interac e-Transfer down?
- Why was my e-Transfer declined?
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