Accept payments

Online payments

Accept and manage online payments

In-person payments

Take payments with terminals and devices

Checkout

Offer a checkout optimised for conversion

Recurring payments

Collect recurring and subscription payments

Acceptance & Risk

Prevent fraud and optimise conversion

Embedded payments

Connect for platforms

Embed payments on your platform

Collect revenue

Payment links

Create, send and customise payment links

Invoicing

Crea

Grow your business

Capital

Get fast funding with flexible repayments

Partners

For Agencies

Learn about our Agency Partner Program

For SaaS and Ecommerce

Explore our SaaS and Ecommerce Partner Program

Technical resources

Developers portal

Discover developer resources and updates

Libraries

Integrate Mollie with ready-to-go libraries

Discord community

Join our developer community

Mollie API

Docs

Explore our API documentation and guides

Status

Check our current system status

Changelog

Read up on recent technical changes

About Mollie

Pricing

View our pricing

About us

Learn more about our story and values

News

Read the latest Mollie news

Careers

Come work for us - we're hiring!

Mollie content

Articles & guides

Discover content that can help your business

Success stories

See how we support our customers

Papers

Download our papers

Contact

For shoppers

Find out why Mollie is on your bank statement

For Mollie customers

Reach out to our customer support team

Contact sales

Discover how we can help your business

What is an instant transfer?

What is an instant transfer?

What is an instant transfer?

What is an instant transfer?

An instant transfer allows your customers to make quick payments into your account. Learn the benefits and risks

An instant transfer allows your customers to make quick payments into your account. Learn the benefits and risks

Payments-and-checkout

6 May 2022

Nick Knuppe

Head of Product Marketing

You may not have the luxury of waiting a few days for a payment to clear if your business needs cash.

This is where instant transfers can help. They provide a way to access your funds immediately when customers pay using payment services such as Mollie. This blog post will explain instant transfers and how you can use them to grow your business.

You may not have the luxury of waiting a few days for a payment to clear if your business needs cash.

This is where instant transfers can help. They provide a way to access your funds immediately when customers pay using payment services such as Mollie. This blog post will explain instant transfers and how you can use them to grow your business.

You may not have the luxury of waiting a few days for a payment to clear if your business needs cash.

This is where instant transfers can help. They provide a way to access your funds immediately when customers pay using payment services such as Mollie. This blog post will explain instant transfers and how you can use them to grow your business.

You may not have the luxury of waiting a few days for a payment to clear if your business needs cash.

This is where instant transfers can help. They provide a way to access your funds immediately when customers pay using payment services such as Mollie. This blog post will explain instant transfers and how you can use them to grow your business.

What is an instant transfer?

An instant transfer, also known as an instant payment, allows your customers to make payments into your account instantly. This is more convenient and provides a faster alternative to traditional transfer methods, which can take several days.

An instant transfer, also known as an instant payment, allows your customers to make payments into your account instantly. This is more convenient and provides a faster alternative to traditional transfer methods, which can take several days.

An instant transfer, also known as an instant payment, allows your customers to make payments into your account instantly. This is more convenient and provides a faster alternative to traditional transfer methods, which can take several days.

An instant transfer, also known as an instant payment, allows your customers to make payments into your account instantly. This is more convenient and provides a faster alternative to traditional transfer methods, which can take several days.

How does instant transfer work?

The instant transfer process is straightforward. All you need is a linked bank account or debit card (Mastercard or Visa) and a digital banking system to send money. The service is usually available 24/7, so you can receive money instantly at any time.

The instant transfer process is straightforward. All you need is a linked bank account or debit card (Mastercard or Visa) and a digital banking system to send money. The service is usually available 24/7, so you can receive money instantly at any time.

The instant transfer process is straightforward. All you need is a linked bank account or debit card (Mastercard or Visa) and a digital banking system to send money. The service is usually available 24/7, so you can receive money instantly at any time.

The instant transfer process is straightforward. All you need is a linked bank account or debit card (Mastercard or Visa) and a digital banking system to send money. The service is usually available 24/7, so you can receive money instantly at any time.

Instant transfer vs. traditional transfer

It helps to understand how instant transfers work by knowing the fundamental processes of traditional transfers. So, let’s quickly compare the two.

Traditional transfer

Traditional transfers are also known as wire transfers. They involve sending and receiving money electronically from one bank to another via a network. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Automatic Clearing House (ACH transfers), and Fedwire in the United States are traditional transfer networks. You can also use a nonbank method to transfer money, such as Western Union or TransferWise.

It’s possible to receive payment on the same day if you and the payee are based in the same country. However, international transfers can take between 2-10 days to complete, depending on the circumstances.

The primary cause for delayed payments in traditional transfers is the batch payment processing system. Banks have designated times for processing payments, and they do it in batches.

This means it doesn’t matter when the sender makes a transaction. Their bank will process it at their designated time, which may not be in your (the receiver) favour.

Factors that influence the time it takes for a write transfer to clear:

Global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic
Local and international bank holidays
Transactions made on a weekend
Time zone differences
Incomplete information

The required paperwork changes depending on the bank used when carrying out a wire transfer. However, the standard information that the sender must submit to the bank is the bank name, account number, and routing number.

Making large transfers may require extra steps. For example, banks often need the sender to visit their branch, which can be inconvenient. Transfer fees can add up, making it more expensive for the sender.

Instant transfer

While traditional transfers take a day or more, instant transfers happen immediately, usually within seconds. The difference in transfer timelines is due to batch and real-time payment processing.

Traditional transfers rely on batch payment processing, meaning the banks process and complete transactions according to their schedule. However, real-time payment processing is instant. That means you don’t have to wait for more than a day to have your money.

It helps to understand how instant transfers work by knowing the fundamental processes of traditional transfers. So, let’s quickly compare the two.

Traditional transfer

Traditional transfers are also known as wire transfers. They involve sending and receiving money electronically from one bank to another via a network. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Automatic Clearing House (ACH transfers), and Fedwire in the United States are traditional transfer networks. You can also use a nonbank method to transfer money, such as Western Union or TransferWise.

It’s possible to receive payment on the same day if you and the payee are based in the same country. However, international transfers can take between 2-10 days to complete, depending on the circumstances.

The primary cause for delayed payments in traditional transfers is the batch payment processing system. Banks have designated times for processing payments, and they do it in batches.

This means it doesn’t matter when the sender makes a transaction. Their bank will process it at their designated time, which may not be in your (the receiver) favour.

Factors that influence the time it takes for a write transfer to clear:

Global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic
Local and international bank holidays
Transactions made on a weekend
Time zone differences
Incomplete information

The required paperwork changes depending on the bank used when carrying out a wire transfer. However, the standard information that the sender must submit to the bank is the bank name, account number, and routing number.

Making large transfers may require extra steps. For example, banks often need the sender to visit their branch, which can be inconvenient. Transfer fees can add up, making it more expensive for the sender.

Instant transfer

While traditional transfers take a day or more, instant transfers happen immediately, usually within seconds. The difference in transfer timelines is due to batch and real-time payment processing.

Traditional transfers rely on batch payment processing, meaning the banks process and complete transactions according to their schedule. However, real-time payment processing is instant. That means you don’t have to wait for more than a day to have your money.

It helps to understand how instant transfers work by knowing the fundamental processes of traditional transfers. So, let’s quickly compare the two.

Traditional transfer

Traditional transfers are also known as wire transfers. They involve sending and receiving money electronically from one bank to another via a network. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Automatic Clearing House (ACH transfers), and Fedwire in the United States are traditional transfer networks. You can also use a nonbank method to transfer money, such as Western Union or TransferWise.

It’s possible to receive payment on the same day if you and the payee are based in the same country. However, international transfers can take between 2-10 days to complete, depending on the circumstances.

The primary cause for delayed payments in traditional transfers is the batch payment processing system. Banks have designated times for processing payments, and they do it in batches.

This means it doesn’t matter when the sender makes a transaction. Their bank will process it at their designated time, which may not be in your (the receiver) favour.

Factors that influence the time it takes for a write transfer to clear:

Global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic
Local and international bank holidays
Transactions made on a weekend
Time zone differences
Incomplete information

The required paperwork changes depending on the bank used when carrying out a wire transfer. However, the standard information that the sender must submit to the bank is the bank name, account number, and routing number.

Making large transfers may require extra steps. For example, banks often need the sender to visit their branch, which can be inconvenient. Transfer fees can add up, making it more expensive for the sender.

Instant transfer

While traditional transfers take a day or more, instant transfers happen immediately, usually within seconds. The difference in transfer timelines is due to batch and real-time payment processing.

Traditional transfers rely on batch payment processing, meaning the banks process and complete transactions according to their schedule. However, real-time payment processing is instant. That means you don’t have to wait for more than a day to have your money.

It helps to understand how instant transfers work by knowing the fundamental processes of traditional transfers. So, let’s quickly compare the two.

Traditional transfer

Traditional transfers are also known as wire transfers. They involve sending and receiving money electronically from one bank to another via a network. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Automatic Clearing House (ACH transfers), and Fedwire in the United States are traditional transfer networks. You can also use a nonbank method to transfer money, such as Western Union or TransferWise.

It’s possible to receive payment on the same day if you and the payee are based in the same country. However, international transfers can take between 2-10 days to complete, depending on the circumstances.

The primary cause for delayed payments in traditional transfers is the batch payment processing system. Banks have designated times for processing payments, and they do it in batches.

This means it doesn’t matter when the sender makes a transaction. Their bank will process it at their designated time, which may not be in your (the receiver) favour.

Factors that influence the time it takes for a write transfer to clear:

Global disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic
Local and international bank holidays
Transactions made on a weekend
Time zone differences
Incomplete information

The required paperwork changes depending on the bank used when carrying out a wire transfer. However, the standard information that the sender must submit to the bank is the bank name, account number, and routing number.

Making large transfers may require extra steps. For example, banks often need the sender to visit their branch, which can be inconvenient. Transfer fees can add up, making it more expensive for the sender.

Instant transfer

While traditional transfers take a day or more, instant transfers happen immediately, usually within seconds. The difference in transfer timelines is due to batch and real-time payment processing.

Traditional transfers rely on batch payment processing, meaning the banks process and complete transactions according to their schedule. However, real-time payment processing is instant. That means you don’t have to wait for more than a day to have your money.

Benefits of instant transfer

Instant transfers are becoming more popular globally because of their convenience. Consumers have access to instant transfer services to make payments anytime.

Using instant transfers means you’ll receive your payments on time as a business owner. This allows you to take care of your business needs, including purchasing new inventory and settling bills. However, waiting for a payment to complete can be a headache when you have limited cash flow because of delayed local and international wire transfers.

Instant transfers are also more affordable than traditional wire transfers. It can cost between €9 and €44 to complete a traditional transfer. Alternatively, you only pay a €0.20 minimum fee (or some small percentage of the balance) for an instant transfer. Because Germany, for example, is part of SEPA, you can transfer money between German banks and other SEPA countries for the same fee as local transfers.

So, are instant transfers right for your business? The benefits are clear, and many entrepreneurs prefer receiving payments instantly rather than waiting days for them to complete. But, there are some drawbacks to instant transfers. We will address these in the next section.

Instant transfers are becoming more popular globally because of their convenience. Consumers have access to instant transfer services to make payments anytime.

Using instant transfers means you’ll receive your payments on time as a business owner. This allows you to take care of your business needs, including purchasing new inventory and settling bills. However, waiting for a payment to complete can be a headache when you have limited cash flow because of delayed local and international wire transfers.

Instant transfers are also more affordable than traditional wire transfers. It can cost between €9 and €44 to complete a traditional transfer. Alternatively, you only pay a €0.20 minimum fee (or some small percentage of the balance) for an instant transfer. Because Germany, for example, is part of SEPA, you can transfer money between German banks and other SEPA countries for the same fee as local transfers.

So, are instant transfers right for your business? The benefits are clear, and many entrepreneurs prefer receiving payments instantly rather than waiting days for them to complete. But, there are some drawbacks to instant transfers. We will address these in the next section.

Instant transfers are becoming more popular globally because of their convenience. Consumers have access to instant transfer services to make payments anytime.

Using instant transfers means you’ll receive your payments on time as a business owner. This allows you to take care of your business needs, including purchasing new inventory and settling bills. However, waiting for a payment to complete can be a headache when you have limited cash flow because of delayed local and international wire transfers.

Instant transfers are also more affordable than traditional wire transfers. It can cost between €9 and €44 to complete a traditional transfer. Alternatively, you only pay a €0.20 minimum fee (or some small percentage of the balance) for an instant transfer. Because Germany, for example, is part of SEPA, you can transfer money between German banks and other SEPA countries for the same fee as local transfers.

So, are instant transfers right for your business? The benefits are clear, and many entrepreneurs prefer receiving payments instantly rather than waiting days for them to complete. But, there are some drawbacks to instant transfers. We will address these in the next section.

Instant transfers are becoming more popular globally because of their convenience. Consumers have access to instant transfer services to make payments anytime.

Using instant transfers means you’ll receive your payments on time as a business owner. This allows you to take care of your business needs, including purchasing new inventory and settling bills. However, waiting for a payment to complete can be a headache when you have limited cash flow because of delayed local and international wire transfers.

Instant transfers are also more affordable than traditional wire transfers. It can cost between €9 and €44 to complete a traditional transfer. Alternatively, you only pay a €0.20 minimum fee (or some small percentage of the balance) for an instant transfer. Because Germany, for example, is part of SEPA, you can transfer money between German banks and other SEPA countries for the same fee as local transfers.

So, are instant transfers right for your business? The benefits are clear, and many entrepreneurs prefer receiving payments instantly rather than waiting days for them to complete. But, there are some drawbacks to instant transfers. We will address these in the next section.

Instant transfer risks

There are risks with all forms of moving money, not just instant transfers. For example, real-time payment processing takes place online, increasing the chance of fraud. The risk is high because fraudsters can instantly transfer funds to their accounts without detection.

Instant transfers are susceptible to various scam tactics. Below are some which fraudsters use:

CEO fraud
Mandate fraud
Fake invoice fraud
Money mules
Account takeover (ATO) fraud
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud

There are risks with all forms of moving money, not just instant transfers. For example, real-time payment processing takes place online, increasing the chance of fraud. The risk is high because fraudsters can instantly transfer funds to their accounts without detection.

Instant transfers are susceptible to various scam tactics. Below are some which fraudsters use:

CEO fraud
Mandate fraud
Fake invoice fraud
Money mules
Account takeover (ATO) fraud
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud

There are risks with all forms of moving money, not just instant transfers. For example, real-time payment processing takes place online, increasing the chance of fraud. The risk is high because fraudsters can instantly transfer funds to their accounts without detection.

Instant transfers are susceptible to various scam tactics. Below are some which fraudsters use:

CEO fraud
Mandate fraud
Fake invoice fraud
Money mules
Account takeover (ATO) fraud
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud

There are risks with all forms of moving money, not just instant transfers. For example, real-time payment processing takes place online, increasing the chance of fraud. The risk is high because fraudsters can instantly transfer funds to their accounts without detection.

Instant transfers are susceptible to various scam tactics. Below are some which fraudsters use:

CEO fraud
Mandate fraud
Fake invoice fraud
Money mules
Account takeover (ATO) fraud
Authorised push payment (APP) fraud

What is SEPA Instant?

SEPA Instant is an initiative of the European Payments Council (EPC) that can be used to speed up payments in the eurozone area. SEPA Instant is an instant payment service used by businesses and consumers in Europe. Below are the key features of SEPA Instant.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Recipients should receive payments in under 10 seconds
€100,000 maximum transfer amount per transaction

SEPA Instant is an initiative of the European Payments Council (EPC) that can be used to speed up payments in the eurozone area. SEPA Instant is an instant payment service used by businesses and consumers in Europe. Below are the key features of SEPA Instant.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Recipients should receive payments in under 10 seconds
€100,000 maximum transfer amount per transaction

SEPA Instant is an initiative of the European Payments Council (EPC) that can be used to speed up payments in the eurozone area. SEPA Instant is an instant payment service used by businesses and consumers in Europe. Below are the key features of SEPA Instant.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Recipients should receive payments in under 10 seconds
€100,000 maximum transfer amount per transaction

SEPA Instant is an initiative of the European Payments Council (EPC) that can be used to speed up payments in the eurozone area. SEPA Instant is an instant payment service used by businesses and consumers in Europe. Below are the key features of SEPA Instant.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Recipients should receive payments in under 10 seconds
€100,000 maximum transfer amount per transaction

Make instant transfers easy with Mollie

Cash flow is the bloodline of every thriving ecommerce business. It’s frustrating to wait for days to receive payments from your customers. Luckily, you can avoid the hassle of delayed payments by switching to instant transfer payments. Learn more about using payments with Mollie to grow your business, or get in touch via our contact page.

Stay up to date

Never miss an update. Receive product updates, news and customer stories right into your inbox.

Stay up to date

Never miss an update. Receive product updates, news and customer stories right into your inbox.

Connect every payment. Upgrade every part of your business.

Never miss an update. Receive product updates, news and customer stories right into your inbox.

Stay up to date

Never miss an update. Receive product updates, news and customer stories right into your inbox.

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

What is an instant transfer?

How does instant transfer work?

Instant transfer vs. traditional transfer

Benefits of instant transfer

Instant transfer risks

What is SEPA Instant?

Make instant transfers easy with Mollie

More updates

View all

Product in the spotlight: Cards

From attracting new customers to advanced security and in-depth insights, discover how card payments can boost your business.

28 Aug 2024

Giropay is gone: three payment alternatives

Giropay is no longer available. Discover some of the best European payment methods you can use instead.

5 Aug 2024

5 reasons to embed payments into your SaaS platform

Discover if your SaaS platform needs embedded payments and explore some key benefits they offer.

8 Jul 2024

Product in the spotlight: Cards

From attracting new customers to advanced security and in-depth insights, discover how card payments can boost your business.

28 Aug 2024

Giropay is gone: three payment alternatives

Giropay is no longer available. Discover some of the best European payment methods you can use instead.

5 Aug 2024

5 reasons to embed payments into your SaaS platform

Discover if your SaaS platform needs embedded payments and explore some key benefits they offer.

8 Jul 2024

Mollie GrowthWhat is an instant transfer?

Mollie GrowthWhat is an instant transfer?