What buying power is and why you might move it
Buying power on Robinhood is the cash you have available to invest or trade. It comes from deposits you've made, dividends paid to your account, or proceeds from selling stocks or crypto. Moving buying power to your bank account means withdrawing that cash out of Robinhood entirely—it leaves your investment account and lands in the checking or savings account you link to Robinhood.
You might do this because you need the money for everyday expenses, you want to move funds to a different bank, or you've decided to stop trading and want your cash back. Robinhood doesn't charge a fee to withdraw, but the transfer itself takes time, and there are rules about how much you can move and when.
The process is straightforward: you initiate a withdrawal from Robinhood, choose your linked bank account as the destination, and wait for the money to arrive. The timing depends on your bank and the transfer method Robinhood uses.
Key Takeaways
- Withdrawals from Robinhood go to a bank account you've already linked and verified, not to a new account you name during the withdrawal.
- Standard ACH transfers take three to five business days; Robinhood does not offer instant withdrawals to external bank accounts.
- You can only withdraw cash that is fully settled—unsettled funds from recent stock or crypto sales may not be available immediately.
- Robinhood charges no withdrawal fee, but your bank may charge a fee if you receive frequent incoming transfers.
How to link a bank account to Robinhood before you withdraw
You cannot withdraw to a bank account unless you've already linked it to your Robinhood account and verified it. Verification usually happens automatically through micro-deposits: Robinhood sends two small deposits (typically under $1 each) to your bank account, and you confirm the amounts in the Robinhood app. This process takes one to two business days.
To link an account, open Robinhood, go to Account or Settings, find the Banking or Transfer section, and select "Link a Bank Account." Enter your bank's name, your account number, and your routing number. Your bank will appear in a list if Robinhood has a direct connection to it; if not, you'll enter the details manually. After you submit, watch for the micro-deposits in your bank account and confirm them in Robinhood within 30 days.
Once verified, that account stays linked. You can link multiple accounts and choose which one to withdraw to each time you initiate a transfer.
The difference between settled and unsettled cash
Settled cash is money that is fully yours and available to withdraw immediately. This includes deposits you made more than one business day ago, dividends, and proceeds from sales that completed more than two business days ago. Unsettled cash is money that is still in transit or locked by trading rules—for example, if you sold a stock today, the proceeds won't be settled until two business days later.
Robinhood shows both amounts in your account: your total buying power and your settled cash. You can only withdraw settled cash. If you try to withdraw unsettled funds, Robinhood will either reject the request or allow you to withdraw only the settled portion. Check your account before you initiate a withdrawal to see exactly how much is available to move.
Steps to withdraw buying power to your bank account
Open the Robinhood app and tap Account (or the profile icon). Scroll to find Banking, Transfers, or Withdraw Cash—the exact label varies by app version. Tap that option.
Select the bank account you want to withdraw to from the list of linked accounts. Enter the amount you want to transfer. Robinhood will show you the maximum available (your settled cash) and warn you if you're trying to withdraw more than that. Confirm the amount and tap Withdraw or Transfer.
Robinhood will display a confirmation screen showing the amount, the destination account, and the expected arrival date. Review it carefully—once you confirm, the withdrawal is submitted. You'll receive an email confirmation from Robinhood.
How long the transfer takes
Most withdrawals from Robinhood use ACH (Automated Clearing House), the standard method for moving money between banks. ACH transfers take three to five business days. This means if you withdraw on a Monday, the money typically arrives by Friday; if you withdraw on a Friday, it may not arrive until the following Wednesday.
Weekends and bank holidays don't count as business days. Some banks process incoming transfers faster than others, so your specific bank's speed matters too. Check your bank's transfer policy if you need the money by a certain date.
Robinhood does not offer instant or same-day withdrawals to external bank accounts. If you need cash immediately, you cannot use a withdrawal to your bank account—you would need to keep the money in Robinhood or use it to trade.
What to do if a withdrawal is delayed or doesn't arrive
If your withdrawal hasn't arrived within five business days, log into Robinhood and check the status. Go to Account, then Transfers or History, and look for your withdrawal. Robinhood will show whether it's pending, processing, or completed. If it shows completed but the money hasn't hit your bank account, contact your bank—the delay is on their end.
If Robinhood shows the withdrawal as pending or processing, wait until the five-business-day window closes before contacting support. If it's been longer than five business days and Robinhood still shows it as pending, contact Robinhood support through the app (tap Account, then Help or Support) and provide the withdrawal date and amount. They can investigate whether the transfer was rejected by your bank or stuck in their system.
Common reasons for delays: your bank account information was entered incorrectly, your bank rejected the transfer due to fraud detection, or your bank is processing it slower than usual. Robinhood support can help you confirm the account details and resubmit if needed.
Fees and limits on withdrawals
Robinhood charges no fee to withdraw cash to your linked bank account. However, your bank may charge a fee if you receive frequent incoming transfers—some banks limit free incoming ACH transfers per month. Check your bank's fee schedule or contact them before you withdraw repeatedly.
Robinhood does not publish a maximum withdrawal amount per transaction or per month. You can withdraw all your settled cash in one transfer or split it across multiple transfers. The only limit is the amount of settled cash you have available.
If you have a margin account (a Robinhood Gold or Robinhood Crypto account with borrowed funds), you cannot withdraw if doing so would drop your account below the minimum balance required to hold your margin position. Robinhood will warn you before you submit a withdrawal if this applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I withdraw to a bank account that isn't in my name?
No. Robinhood requires that the bank account you link and withdraw to be registered in your name. This is a regulatory requirement to prevent money laundering. If you need to move money to someone else's account, withdraw to your own bank account first, then transfer from there using your bank's tools.
What happens to my stocks or crypto when I withdraw cash?
Your stocks and crypto stay in your Robinhood account. A withdrawal moves only cash, not investments. If you want to close your entire Robinhood account, you would need to sell your holdings first, wait for the proceeds to settle, then withdraw the cash.
Can I cancel a withdrawal after I submit it?
If the withdrawal is still pending (hasn't been processed yet), you may be able to cancel it through the Robinhood app—go to Transfers or History, find the withdrawal, and look for a cancel option. Once Robinhood has processed the withdrawal and sent it to your bank, you cannot cancel it through Robinhood. Contact your bank to try to recall the transfer, but success depends on how far along the ACH process is.
Do I have to withdraw all my buying power at once?
No. You can withdraw any amount up to your settled cash balance. You can leave some cash in Robinhood to trade with and withdraw the rest, or withdraw everything. Each withdrawal is a separate transaction.
What if I linked the wrong bank account?
If you haven't withdrawn to that account yet, you can unlink it and link the correct one instead. If you've already withdrawn to the wrong account, contact that bank to see if you can reverse the transfer or redirect it. Then contact Robinhood support to report the error. Going forward, always verify the account details before confirming a withdrawal.