Why Is My SWIFT Payment Delayed?
The most common causes of SWIFT delays are: (1) compliance / sanctions screening (PDNG status), (2) corridor cut-off times — payments sent late in the day go out the next business day, (3) intermediary bank holding, (4) missing or invalid data triggering manual review, (5) currency-specific RTGS hours (e.g. Fedwire closes 18:30 ET, TARGET2 closes 18:00 CET).
Details
Step-by-step:
1. Track the UETR on Ohmyfin to see exactly which bank is holding the payment.
2. If status is PDNG: contact your bank and ask which intermediary is holding it and what is needed.
3. If status is ACSP for >24h: ask your bank to send a SWIFT investigation (MT n95 / camt.027) to the holding bank.
4. If status is ACCC but the beneficiary still doesn't see the money: the holding bank should already have credited the beneficiary; contact them with the UETR.
Quick facts:
Key facts
- Typical SWIFT GPI same-currency: minutes to 4 hours.
- Cross-currency through 1 correspondent: 1–24 hours.
- Cross-currency through 2–3 correspondents: 24–72 hours.
- High-risk corridor + compliance screening: up to 5 business days.
Frequently asked questions
My SWIFT payment is taking longer than expected — why?
The most common causes of SWIFT delays are: (1) compliance / sanctions screening (PDNG status), (2) corridor cut-off times — payments sent late in the day go out the next business day, (3) intermediary bank holding, (4) missing or invalid data triggering manual review, (5) currency-specific RTGS hours (e.g. Fedwire closes 18:30 ET, TARGET2 closes 18:00 CET).
Is Ohmyfin tracking free?
Yes. Public UETR tracking on Ohmyfin is free — 10 free trackings per day per IP address with no signup, or 15/day plus 100 welcome credits after a free account; no card required.
Do I need a bank account at the sending bank?
No. Ohmyfin looks up the SWIFT payment status with just the UETR — no bank login or account required.
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