How Remitly transfers to your bank work
Remitly lets you send money to a bank account in the US or abroad, but the process depends on whether you're moving money out of Remitly (to your own bank) or using Remitly to send money to someone else's account. If you have a Remitly balance and want to transfer it to your own US bank account, you do this through the app or website by selecting your linked bank and choosing a transfer speed. The money arrives in 1 to 3 business days for standard transfers, or the same day for express transfers (which cost extra).
Remitly doesn't hold your money in a traditional bank account—it's a money transfer service. When you load money into Remitly (by debit card, credit card, or bank transfer), you're funding a transaction, not depositing into savings. If you want to move an unused balance back to your bank, Remitly calls this a "refund" or "reversal," and the process is straightforward but has limits depending on how you originally funded the account.
Key Takeaways
- You can transfer money from your Remitly account to a linked US bank account in 1 to 3 business days using standard delivery, or same-day using express delivery for a fee.
- Your bank account must be linked and verified in Remitly before you can transfer; this usually takes one business day after you add it.
- If you funded Remitly with a debit or credit card, reversals go back to that card, not to a bank account, and take 5 to 10 business days.
- Express transfers cost between $2 and $5 depending on the amount; standard transfers are free.
- Remitly holds your account for 90 days of inactivity before closing it, so unused balances should be transferred promptly.
Linking and verifying your bank account in Remitly
Before you can transfer money to your bank, you need to add and verify the account in Remitly. Open the app or go to Remitly.com, sign into your account, and navigate to "Settings" or "Wallet" (the exact menu name varies by app version). Select "Add Bank Account" or "Link Bank," then enter your routing number and account number. You can find both on a check, your bank's website, or by calling your bank directly.
Remitly will ask whether the account is checking or savings, and whether it's in your name. After you submit, Remitly sends two small deposits (usually under $1 each) to your bank account—this is the verification step. These deposits appear in 1 to 2 business days. Once they land, go back into Remitly, select the account, and enter the exact amounts of both deposits. After you confirm, the account is verified and ready for transfers.
If you don't see the verification deposits after 3 business days, check that you entered the routing and account numbers correctly. A single digit wrong will send the deposits to the wrong account. Contact Remitly support with your bank account details and they can re-send the deposits or manually verify the account.
Transferring money to your bank using standard delivery
Once your bank account is verified, open Remitly and select "Send Money" or "Withdraw" (depending on your app version). Choose your linked bank account as the destination. Remitly will show your available balance and ask how much you want to transfer. Enter the amount and select "Standard Delivery"—this is free and takes 1 to 3 business days.
The exact timing depends on when you initiate the transfer and your bank's processing speed. If you transfer on a Friday afternoon, the money may not leave Remitly until Monday, then take another 1 to 2 days to arrive at your bank. Weekends and bank holidays add time. After you confirm the transfer, Remitly sends a confirmation email with a reference number. Keep this number if you need to follow up with Remitly or your bank later.
Your bank will show the deposit as coming from "Remitly" or a Remitly partner bank name (often "Pathward" or "MetaBank"). If the deposit doesn't appear within 3 business days, log into your bank account and search for any pending transactions. If nothing is pending, contact Remitly with your reference number and they can investigate whether the transfer was sent or if it failed.
Using express delivery for same-day transfers
Remitly offers express delivery for transfers that arrive the same day or next business day, but this costs extra. The fee ranges from $2 to $5 depending on the transfer amount—larger transfers sometimes have lower percentage fees. When you select your bank account and amount, Remitly will show both the standard and express options with their fees side by side. Choose express if you need the money urgently.
Express transfers initiated before 2 p.m. Pacific Time on a business day usually arrive the same day. Transfers after 2 p.m. or on weekends process the next business day. The fee is deducted from your Remitly balance, so if you have $100 and pay a $3 express fee, only $97 transfers to your bank. Make sure your Remitly balance is high enough to cover both the transfer amount and the fee.
Reversing a Remitly transfer if you funded it with a card
If you originally loaded money into Remitly using a debit or credit card, and you want that money back, Remitly reverses it to the card you used—not to a bank account. Open Remitly, go to "Settings" or "Account," find "Refunds" or "Reversal," and select the card you want the money returned to. Remitly will show your available balance and let you choose how much to reverse.
Card reversals take 5 to 10 business days because the money has to go back through the card network (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to your card issuer. Your bank or card company then credits your account. During this time, the money is in limbo—it's left Remitly but hasn't reached your card yet. Check your card statement after 10 business days. If the reversal doesn't appear, contact your card issuer with the Remitly reference number and they can trace it.
If you funded Remitly with a bank transfer (ACH), reversals go back to the bank account you transferred from, not to a different account. You cannot reverse to a different bank account than the one you originally used to fund Remitly.
What happens if a transfer fails or gets stuck
Transfers occasionally fail if your bank account information changes, your bank rejects the deposit, or Remitly encounters a technical issue. If a transfer fails, Remitly usually notifies you by email and returns the money to your Remitly balance automatically. Check your email and your Remitly account balance to confirm the money is back.
If a transfer shows as "sent" in Remitly but never arrives at your bank after 3 business days, contact Remitly support with your reference number and the date of the transfer. Provide your bank account details and the amount. Remitly can check whether the transfer actually left their system or if it's stuck in your bank's processing queue. Your bank can also search for pending deposits using the Remitly reference number.
Some banks flag transfers from money service providers like Remitly as unusual activity and hold them for review. If this happens, your bank will contact you or place a temporary hold on the deposit. Confirm with your bank that the transfer is legitimate and they will release it. This typically adds 1 to 2 business days but is not a failure—the money will arrive once the hold is lifted.
Fees and limits on Remitly transfers
Standard transfers to your US bank account are free. Express transfers cost $2 to $5 depending on the amount. Remitly does not charge a fee to link or verify your bank account. If you reverse money to a card, there is no reversal fee, but the card network may charge your card issuer a small fee (which you won't see directly).
Remitly does not publicly state a maximum transfer amount per transaction, but most users can transfer up to several thousand dollars at once. If you try to transfer more than your account limit, Remitly will tell you the maximum allowed and you can split the transfer into multiple transactions. Your bank may also have its own daily deposit limits—check with your bank if you're transferring a large amount.
Remitly closes accounts that have no activity for 90 days. If you have a balance sitting in Remitly and don't use the account, transfer the money to your bank or reverse it to your card before the 90-day mark. Once an account is closed, you have to contact Remitly support to reopen it and retrieve any remaining balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer money from Remitly to someone else's bank account?
No, you can only transfer from Remitly to a bank account that is linked to your own Remitly account and registered in your name. If you want to send money to someone else, you use Remitly's "Send Money" feature to transfer to their bank account directly, but that is a separate transaction and they receive the money, not you.
How long does it take to verify a bank account in Remitly?
Verification deposits arrive in 1 to 2 business days. Once you see them in your bank account and confirm the amounts in Remitly, the account is verified immediately. The whole process usually takes 2 to 3 business days from the time you add the account.
What if I entered the wrong bank account number when I linked it?
If you realize the error before confirming the verification deposits, delete the account from Remitly and add it again with the correct number. If you already confirmed the wrong account, contact Remitly support and they can unlink it and help you add the correct one. Do not attempt a transfer to a wrong account—the money will go to the wrong bank and recovery is difficult.
Can I transfer money from Remitly to a savings account?
Yes, Remitly lets you link and transfer to both checking and savings accounts. When you add the account, select "Savings" if that's the account type. Transfers work the same way and take the same amount of time regardless of whether the destination is checking or savings.
What if Remitly closes my account while I have a balance?
If your account is inactive for 90 days, Remitly will close it. You can still contact Remitly support to request reactivation and access your balance. They will ask you to verify your identity and may require you to log in again. Once reactivated, you can transfer the balance to your bank or reverse it to your card. There is no fee to reactivate, but the process may take a few business days.