Wire Transfer Fee Calculator
A bank wire costs far more than its flat fee. See the true all-in cost (fee, exchange-rate markup and intermediary fees) and how a specialist prices the same transfer.
International wire
Chase · $40.00 wire fee
Same-currency wires (e.g. USD to a USD account abroad) skip the exchange-rate markup, but the wire fee and intermediary fees still apply.
What the wire costs
Wire fees are each bank’s published fee for a standard personal account, online where the bank offers it (Chase’s checked October 2026); a banker-assisted wire can cost more. The intermediary fee is our estimate of a typical correspondent deduction ($20.00): banks don’t publish it and it varies with the route. Check live quotes before sending.
Last Updated: June to October 2026 (bank fees checked against each bank’s own schedule)
Why a wire costs more than the fee
The flat wire fee is the cost banks advertise, but on an international wire it’s usually the smallest of three:
- • The wire fee: $30 to $75 (nothing at Fidelity) outgoing international, $25 to $30 (nothing at Fidelity) domestic at the 11 banks in our table (more with a banker).
- • The exchange-rate markup: banks convert at a worse rate than the real mid-market rate, baked into the rate so you never see it as a line item. Measured on October 7, 2026, the rates at Chase and Wells Fargo ran 2.9% to 4% below the real mid-market rate across the 10 currencies we could check, as Wise’s public comparison of bank rates showed it; other banks don’t publish theirs. This is usually the biggest cost.
- • Intermediary bank fees: what each correspondent bank the money passes through deducts in transit, typically about $20 (banks don’t publish it).
Worked example: a $5,000 international wire (Chase)
Same currency, e.g. US dollars to a USD account abroad (no conversion):
- • Outgoing wire fee: $40 + intermediary fee (est.): $20
- • True cost: $60, a 1.2% effective rate
Converted to euros, at Chase’s 2.9% markup on euros (its rate on October 7, 2026, as Wise’s public comparison of bank rates showed it):
- • Outgoing wire fee: $0 (Chase charges nothing for a foreign-currency wire from $5,000)
- • Exchange-rate markup (2.9% of $5,000): $146.02
- • Intermediary bank fee (est.): $20
- • True cost: $166.02, a 3.3% effective rate, though the fee line says $0
- With a specialist instead: On a $5,000 transfer from the US to a euro bank account in Germany, paid from a bank account, Wise's own quote came to $21.36 all-in and OFX's to $99.34, in quotes collected October 20, 2026.
The markup scales with the amount; the fee doesn’t. On a $50,000 wire to euros, Chase’s measured 2.9% markup is $1,460; its $40 US-dollar wire fee is a rounding error next to it. The bigger the transfer, the more the rate matters.
US bank wire fees compared
| Bank | Intl outgoing | Domestic outgoing | Incoming intl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | $40 | $25 | $15 |
| Bank of America | $45 | $30 | $15 |
| Wells Fargo | $30 | $30 | $0 |
| Citibank | $40 | $30 | $15 |
| U.S. Bank | $50 | $30 | $25 |
| PNC | $40 | $25 | $15 |
| TD Bank | $50 | $30 | $15 |
| Truist | $65 | $30 | $20 |
| Huntington | $75 | $25 | — |
| Alliant Credit Union | $50 | $25 | $0 |
| Fidelity | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Each bank’s published fee for a standard personal account (online where the bank offers it), checked June to October 2026; a banker-assisted wire costs $5 to $10 more at the banks that publish one. “—”: incoming fee not in our table. None of them include the exchange-rate markup or intermediary fees above, which is exactly why the flat fee understates the real cost. For a full breakdown by bank, see Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, or compare them all on the wire transfer fees hub. Sending wires from a business account? The Bluevine fee calculator prices them on each of Bluevine's plans.
Wire vs ACH vs a transfer service
A wire is the fastest, most certain way to move money, and usually the most expensive. Here’s how it stacks up against the alternatives, so you only pay for speed when you actually need it:
| Method | Typical cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic wire | $25 to $30 (nothing at Fidelity) | Same day (hours) | Urgent, guaranteed US payments |
| International wire | $30 to $75 (nothing at Fidelity) + intermediary + FX | 1–5 business days | When the recipient bank requires it |
| ACH transfer | Free–$5 | 1–3 business days | Routine, non-urgent US transfers |
| Wise / OFX | A stated fee, a margin in the rate, or both (live quotes below) | Hours–2 days | International transfers that need a conversion |
The rule of thumb: pay for a wire when you need same-day, guaranteed settlement; otherwise use ACH for domestic payments, and price a specialist like Wise for international ones before you choose a wire. A wire is also effectively irreversible once sent, while ACH can be disputed, another reason to reserve wires for payments you’re certain about.
Alternatives to an international bank wire
For cross-border transfers, most of a bank wire's cost hides in the exchange rate. Specialists price it differently: Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges a visible fee, while OFX builds its margin into the exchange rate, and neither has intermediary bank fees deducted on the way. Here is what each one quotes now:
| Service | $1,000 | $5,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Wisepaying from a bank account, delivered to a bank account | $9.86rate ref differs | $21.36rate ref differs |
| OFX | $24.69 | $99.34 |
All-in cost (fee plus the margin in the exchange rate) from each provider's own quote for a transfer from the US to a euro bank account in Germany, in quotes collected October 20, 2026. Where a provider prices by payment or delivery method, the method its quote is for is named under it; a provider without one prices the same however you pay or receive. Green marks the cheapest standing price where two or more providers answer the same question.
See exactly how much you’d keep with the Wise and OFX calculators, measure the hidden FX cost with the exchange-rate markup calculator, or compare every service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a wire transfer cost?
Across the 11 US banks in our table, an outgoing domestic wire costs $25 to $30 (nothing at Fidelity) and an international one $30 to $75 (nothing at Fidelity). Those are each bank’s published fees, checked June to October 2026, and a banker-assisted wire can cost more. But the fee is only part of the story for international wires: the bank also converts at a marked-up rate, and a correspondent bank typically takes about $20. At Chase and Wells Fargo, the banks whose euro rate we could check, a $5,000 wire converted to euros comes to $166.02 to $171.79 all-in.
Why is a wire transfer more than the bank’s flat fee?
Three costs stack on an international wire: the flat wire fee, the exchange-rate markup, and intermediary/correspondent bank fees deducted in transit. Measured on October 7, 2026, the rates at Chase and Wells Fargo ran 2.9% to 4% below the real mid-market rate across the 10 currencies we could check, as Wise’s public comparison of bank rates showed it; other banks don’t publish theirs. The markup is usually the largest cost and the most hidden, because it’s baked into the rate rather than shown as a fee.
What are intermediary or correspondent bank fees?
On an international wire, the money often passes through one or two intermediary (correspondent) banks, each of which can deduct a fee. Banks don’t publish it and it varies with the route; the calculator counts a typical $20. Your recipient receives less than you sent, and these fees usually aren’t shown to you upfront.
Are wire transfers cheaper than Wise or OFX?
Compare the all-in cost, not the fee, because the two price differently from a bank and from each other. Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges a visible fee; OFX builds its margin into the exchange rate. On a $5,000 transfer from the US to a euro bank account in Germany, paid from a bank account, Wise's own quote came to $21.36 all-in (a $21.43 fee, the mid-market rate) and OFX's to $99.34 (no fee, 1.99% above the mid-market rate), in quotes collected October 20, 2026. At Chase and Wells Fargo, the banks whose euro rate we could check, a $5,000 wire converted to euros comes to $166.02 to $171.79 all-in.
How can I avoid wire transfer fees?
For international transfers, price a specialist like Wise or OFX against your bank wire: both show the exchange rate before you send, with no intermediary bank fees deducted on the way. For domestic transfers, use free ACH, Zelle or real-time payments unless you specifically need same-day, guaranteed funds. Sending online rather than in-branch also lowers the flat fee.
Does an international wire always convert currency?
No. If you send in a currency the recipient’s account already holds (for example, US dollars to a USD account abroad), there is no conversion, so no exchange-rate markup; you pay only the wire fee plus any intermediary fees. The markup applies only when the bank converts your money into a foreign currency, which is the more common case. Use the “currency conversion required” toggle in the calculator to switch between the two.
How long does a wire transfer take?
A domestic US wire usually settles the same day, often within a few hours, because it moves over the Fedwire network. An international wire typically takes one to five business days, since it hops through one or more correspondent banks and crosses time zones. That speed is the main thing you are paying for; if you do not need same-day delivery, ACH or a transfer service is far cheaper.
Wire transfer vs ACH: which should I use?
Use ACH for routine, non-urgent US transfers: it is free or under $5 but takes one to three business days and can be reversed if something goes wrong. Use a wire when you need same-day, guaranteed settlement or you are sending internationally. It costs $25 to $30 (nothing at Fidelity) domestically at the banks in our table (more abroad) and is effectively irreversible once sent. For international transfers, also price the same amount with a specialist like Wise, which converts at the mid-market rate and shows its fee before you send.