What is a bank wire transfer?

Answer 1

A reverse wire is a B-to-B transaction in which the bank account holder authorizes another party, such as a vendor, to withdraw funds from their account via a wire transfer. It is called a reverse wire because it is initiated by the recipient of the funds, rather than the sender. This is in real time, like a wire, so it will not bounce, whereas an ACH debit or check can bounce. They are also known as drawdown requests, reverse drawdown wires, or reverse wire requests. The benefit to the funds recipient is that the transfer is secure; the benefit to the payor is that once they have authorized their bank in writing to respond to future drawdown requests, no work is required on the payor's part to execute a transfer. Reverse wires are of particular use where the payment is 1) high-risk, 2) on a recurring basis, and 3) for a variable amount. (If the payment is not high-risk, ACH is a viable alternative. If the payment is not recurring, a traditional wire is simpler to execute. If the payment is not variable, a repeating traditional wire is most efficient.) Typical reverse wire scenarios include 1) high-volume, variable-dollar purchases of perishable inventory and 2) Payroll Services. Not all banks, especially local banks and credit unions, are currently able to process drawdown requests. Even fewer banks are able to provide an initiator (funds recipient) with simple functionality in a treasury management software or website. Check with your bank regarding availability.