FB Pay is a new payment service from Facebook that allows users to send and receive money across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. With FB Pay, you can easily send money to friends and family, pay businesses, donate to causes, and more. But how long does it actually take to receive money sent through FB Pay? Here are some quick answers to commonly asked questions about FB Pay transfer times.
How fast is FB Pay?
FB Pay transactions are processed almost instantly. As soon as the sender confirms the payment, the funds are immediately deducted from their linked debit card, credit card, or PayPal account. The money is then credited to the recipient’s FB Pay balance right away.
So in most cases, an FB Pay transfer takes just seconds to complete. This makes it one of the fastest ways to send and receive money digitally.
When will the recipient get the money?
While FB Pay processes payments near instantly, the exact time it takes for the recipient to gain access to the funds depends on:
- How they have their FB Pay account set up
- Their bank’s policies
Here are the possible timeframes:
FB Pay Balance – Immediately
If the recipient has their FB Pay account set up to hold a balance, then the money should appear in their balance within seconds after it’s sent. They can use these funds immediately for purchases or sending money to others.
Instant bank transfer – Usually minutes
If the recipient has their FB Pay account linked to a debit card and has instant bank transfers enabled, the money is typically deposited to their bank account within minutes. However, banks can take up to 30 minutes in some cases.
Standard bank transfer – 1-3 business days
For recipients who have FB Pay connected to their bank account without instant transfers activated, the standard transfer times apply. This means it typically takes 1-3 business days for transfers from FB Pay to reach their bank account.
So in summary, while FB Pay is ultra-fast on Facebook’s end, bank policies determine how quickly recipients can actually use the transferred funds. Enabling instant transfers provides the fastest access.
Detailed Breakdown of FB Pay Transfer Times
To give you a more detailed look at how long FB Pay takes, here is an overview of the key steps and typical timeframes:
1. Sender initiates payment (Seconds)
– Sender taps the FB Pay icon on Messenger, Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp
– Sender selects the amount and confirms recipient
– FB Pay immediately deducts funds from sender’s selected payment method
2. Payment processed by Facebook (Seconds)
– FB Pay backend processes and authorizes the transaction
– Funds debited from sender, credited to recipient’s FB Pay balance
– Takes just seconds, transaction details appear in both users’ histories
3. Appears in recipient’s FB Pay balance (Seconds)
– As soon as Facebook processes it, the money appears in the recipient’s FB Pay balance
– Recipient will get a notification that they’ve received funds
– Recipient can tap to view transaction details
4. Bank transfer initiated (Minutes to days)
– If recipient has bank account linked, FB Pay initiates transfer from their balance
– Time it takes to reach bank depends on transfer method and bank policies:
Instant bank transfer:
– Transfers within minutes (typically up to 30 minutes)
– Requires eligible debit card and enabled via FB Pay settings
Standard bank transfer:
– Usually takes 1-3 business days
– Standard transfer times without instant activated
So in summary, FB Pay takes seconds on Facebook’s end. Recipients see funds in their balance immediately. But transfers from FB Pay balance to bank accounts follow standard transfer times.
Tips to Speed Up Transfers
Here are some tips to help ensure the fastest possible transfer times when sending or receiving money via FB Pay:
- Set up instant bank transfers – This makes funds available in your bank account within minutes rather than days.
- Link a debit card – Debit cards allow for faster transfers compared to standard bank accounts.
- Transfer early in the day – Transfers initiated in the morning tend to hit bank accounts sooner.
- Avoid holidays and weekends – Bank transfer times can be slower on holidays or weekends.
- Transfer smaller amounts initially – Some banks review larger transfers more thoroughly, which can delay funds availability.
- Confirm account info is correct – Mistakes in account or routing numbers can lead to transfer delays.
Following these tips will optimize transfer times. But in general, FB Pay moves funds extremely quickly between Facebook services. The main delays stem from external factors like bank policies and processes.
Factors That May Delay FB Pay Transfers
While FB Pay is designed to deliver near instant transfers, there are some situations where transfers to bank accounts can be delayed beyond standard timeframes:
- Incorrect account information – If the recipient’s account details entered are invalid, this delays the transfer.
- Recipient account frozen – If the recipient’s FB Pay or bank account is frozen, transfers will be held until it is resolved.
- Bank fraud review – Banks sometimes review transfers they deem unusual, which puts a hold of up to 72 hours on funds.
- Payment reversal – If the sender reverses the payment, it cancels the pending transfer.
- Technical issues – Glitches with FB Pay, banking systems, or network outages can also lead to delays.
In most cases, FB Pay transfers complete successfully without any hiccups. But these are some situations that can slow down the process beyond what is considered standard transfer times.
Troubleshooting Slow or Missing Transfers
Don’t panic if your FB Pay transfer seems to be taking longer than expected or doesn’t show up at all. Here are some steps to troubleshoot delayed or missing transfers:
- Check for notifications – Open the FB Pay tab and look for any notifications about pending issues or delays.
- Contact support – Reach out to Facebook Pay support or your bank for assistance investigating.
- Confirm accounts are right – Double check the recipient’s account number entered matches their actual account.
- Wait the maximum time – Continue waiting up to the maximum quoted time period (such as 5 days for standard transfers).
- Retry the transfer – Cancel the original and resend it in case it was just a technical glitch.
- Submit a claim – If funds never arrive, submit a claim via Facebook Pay’s help pages to recover the money.
With a bit of persistence and checking with support teams, most delayed or missing FB Pay transfers can be resolved. The money is rarely lost for good in the system.
Does Transfer Time Vary by Payment Method?
FB Pay lets you link and use several different payment methods to fund transfers, including:
- Debit card
- Credit card
- PayPal
- Bank account
The payment method used by the sender does not impact how fast the recipient receives the money. FB Pay will deduct funds from the sender’s linked payment method instantly when the transfer is initiated.
The only difference the payment method makes is:
- Debit card / PayPal – Deducted from account balance immediately.
- Credit card – Counts against available credit line but actual charge may lag a few days.
But regardless of how the sender pays, the recipient will receive the funds into their FB Pay balance at the same crazy fast speed.
The recipient’s payout method does influence speed, as bank transfers take longer than FB Pay balance. But the sender’s chosen method has no bearing.
Does Transfer Time Vary by Amount?
The amount being transferred via FB Pay also does not affect how fast the transaction processes. Whether you are sending $5 or $500, the funds move at the same speed.
Small and large transfers alike will:
- Deduct from the sender instantly
- Credit to the recipient’s balance within seconds
The amount may, however, impact the time it takes to reach the recipient’s bank account, but not their FB Pay balance. This is because banks sometimes review larger transfers to screen for potential fraud, which can put a hold on funds availability.
But Facebook themselves do not process small and large transfers any differently in terms of transfer times to FB Pay balances.
Sending Money Internationally via FB Pay
For international transfers via FB Pay, the funds first need to be converted into the recipient’s local currency. This does add an extra step that can increase transfer times slightly.
Here is an overview of how long international FB Pay transfers generally take:
- Appears in recipient’s balance – Seconds to minutes after initiating transfer
- Currency conversion – Happens instantly at time of transfer
- Bank deposit – 1-5 business days, depending on bank processing times
So the transfer to the recipient’s FB Pay balance still occurs very quickly. The main delays are simply due to currency conversion procedures and the lag in depositing to local bank accounts internationally.
But overall, FB Pay makes sending money abroad extremely fast and convenient compared to traditional wire transfers or forex services.
Sending Between Facebook and Messenger
An advantage of FB Pay is you can send money between the Facebook app and Messenger instantly.
If sending money to a Facebook friend through Messenger, or to a Messenger contact via Facebook, the transfer time will be a matter of seconds.
The steps are:
- Initiate transfer on Facebook or Messenger
- Facebook processes and credits funds instantly
- Notification shows in both apps within seconds
So cross-app transfers between Facebook and Messenger complete at lightning speed. Both services share the common FB Pay infrastructure for seamless transfers.
Sending via Instagram and WhatsApp
You can also send and receive money quickly via Instagram and WhatsApp using FB Pay.
Here are the key steps:
From Instagram Direct
- Start payment in Direct messaging
- Funds deducted from linked payment method
- Appears in recipient’s IG Direct + FB Pay instantly
From WhatsApp Chat
- Initiate payment from chat window
- WhatsApp contacts FB Pay to process
- Recipient sees money in chat + FB Pay balance within seconds
So just like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram transfers occur at lightning fast speeds. All apps utilize the same FB Pay system on the backend for smooth transfers.
Conclusion
In summary, FB Pay delivers extremely fast transfer times in most cases. You can expect:
- Under 30 seconds for transfers to appear in the recipient’s balance
- Minutes for instant bank transfers to accounts (if enabled)
- 1-3 days for standard bank transfers
The minute you hit send, the money is as good as in the recipient’s hands (or bank account). FB Pay provides near real-time money movement between friends and businesses alike.
So next time you need to send or receive money digitally, turn to the speed of FB Pay within Facebook, Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp. It takes mere seconds compared to old-school payment methods. Just tap and it’s there!