Wire Transfer

A wire transfer is simply an electronic transfer of funds. A wire transfer allows people on opposite sides of the globe to quickly and easily exchange money. The term wire transfer originates from a time when telegrams were used as the means of communicating over long distances. During that era, a wire transfer was a message sent over a telegram line, or wire, directing an amount of money to be given to a particular person. A wire transfer is a relatively safe means of instantaneously transferring money. The identities of the bank account holders are confirmed and the funds are guaranteed, so the potential of fraud in a wire transfer transaction is limited. A wire transfer can also be called a bank transfer or EFT (electronic funds transfer). An ATM transaction would be an example of a wire transfer.