Three clocks can exist
For a single payment, there may be a customer cutoff, an internal bank processing cutoff and a network transmission/settlement deadline. Businesses should plan to the earliest one they control.
Same Day ACH windows
FedACH currently publishes three same-day forward-item transmission deadlines—10:30 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. ET—with settlement at 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET. Banks may require customer files earlier.
Fedwire hours
Fedwire Funds Service opens at 9:00 p.m. ET on the preceding calendar day for a funds-transfer business day and currently has a 6:45 p.m. ET cutoff for customer transfers, with service closing at 7:00 p.m. ET. Customer-facing bank cutoffs are usually earlier.
Build a cutoff calendar
| Workflow | Track explicitly |
|---|---|
| Payroll | Submission and correction deadline |
| Vendor ACH | Standard vs same-day deadline |
| Domestic wire | Customer release cutoff |
| International wire | FX and compliance cutoff |
| Remote deposit | Deposit-credit/availability cutoff |
Holidays and weekends
Do not assume every payment rail operates on every calendar day. Check Federal Reserve holidays, bank processing calendars and destination-country holidays for international payments.
Primary sources and reference material
Match the payment rail to the operating need.
Cost, speed, finality, fraud controls, reconciliation and staff permissions all matter. The best treasury setup is the one that fits the business process—not the one with the most features.