Transfer Delayed or Blocked? What to Do Step by Step

You sent an international transfer days ago and the money has not arrived. Or you are waiting for a client’s payment and the client swears it was sent. Or your bank has just asked you for an invoice, a contract and an explanation for a payment you thought was routine.

It is stressful, and the information you get is often vague. This guide gives you a clear plan: how to tell whether the payment is really late, which documents to get, how to trace it, what to do if a bank asks questions, what happens if the money is returned and how to prevent the problem next time. If you want to understand the mechanics first, read how SWIFT transfers work.

The short answer

1. Check that it is really late.
2. Get proof of the payment, including the tracking reference (UETR) and a copy of the payment confirmation.
3. Ask the sending bank to trace it, and ask the recipient to check with their bank.
4. Answer any compliance request quickly and completely.
5. If it is returned, expect delays and possible losses, and resend by a cheaper, simpler route.
6. Escalate in writing if the bank does not act.

Step 1: Is it really late?

Most international payments are not instant, so first rule out a normal wait:

• Count business days, not calendar days, and allow for weekends and holidays in each country on the route.
• Check the method. SWIFT wires typically take one to five business days, local rails are faster. See how long international payments take.
• Check cut-off times. A payment sent late on a Friday may start moving on Monday.
• Check all accounts, including backup accounts and pending items.

Situation	What it usually means
Within the typical time for the method	Probably normal. Wait and check again
A day or two beyond the typical time	Time to ask for the reference and check the status
More than about five business days on a wire	Ask the bank to trace it
The sender says “paid” but nothing shows	Ask for proof, and check for holds and returns

Step 2: Get the proof

The key to any trace is the details of the payment. Ask the sender for:

• The payment confirmation from their bank, with date, amount, currency and recipient details.
• The tracking reference (UETR). The UETR is a unique code that travels with the payment through all the banks and is regarded as the standard identifier for tracing international payments.
• A copy of the payment message or advice (often called an MT103) if the bank can provide it. One guide advises asking the sender for a copy before asking your bank to start a trace.
• The fees instruction (OUR, SHA or BEN), since this decides who pays intermediary fees.

If the sender does not have the UETR, their bank can usually give it, and the bank can also trace a payment using the date, amount and beneficiary details.

Step 3: Read the status

If the sending bank or a tracker gives you a status, these are the common ones:

Status	What it means	What to do
Accepted, settlement completed (ACSC)	The funds have reached the beneficiary’s bank	The recipient should contact their own bank
Accepted, in process (ACSP)	Banks have agreed to process it but the funds have not been transferred yet	If it stays like this for more than one or two working days, contact your bank with the UETR
Pending, beneficiary details needed	The receiving bank cannot match the account	Check the name, account number and details
Rejected (RJCT)	A bank has refused the payment	Ask why and for the return details
Returned (RETN)	The funds are being sent back to the sender	Expect a delay and possible deductions

Names and codes vary between banks, so ask your bank to explain what they show.

Step 4: Contact the banks

Contact the sending bank’s international payments department and ask them to trace the payment using the UETR and the details above. Be clear and specific.

A message you can adapt

Subject: Request to trace international payment – [UETR / reference]

Dear [Bank],
On [date], I sent an international payment of [amount and currency] to [recipient name, bank, account/IBAN], reference [reference], with UETR [UETR]. It has not been credited yet.
Please trace the payment and tell me: (1) its current status and which banks have handled it; (2) whether any bank has asked for information or put a hold on it; (3) whether any fees have been deducted along the way; and (4) the expected completion date.
Please also confirm the case number for this request. Thank you.
[Your name and account details]

Then ask the recipient to contact their own bank, particularly if the status shows that the funds have reached the recipient’s bank.

Step 5: If the bank asks for documents (compliance checks)

Banks must screen payments for money laundering and sanctions risks, and a payment can be held for review if something looks unusual: a first payment, a large amount, an unfamiliar country, a name that partially matches a sanctions list or a payment description that does not match the profile. A guide from a payments provider says that standard compliance reviews can take from one to fifteen business days, and complex ones up to thirty. These are estimates and not guarantees.

What to do:

• Respond immediately to any request for information. Delays on your side delay the payment.
• Provide what is asked: typically a contract, an invoice, proof of source of funds and a description of the relationship with the other party and the purpose of the payment. A clear, accurate invoice helps, so see how to invoice an international client.
• State the purpose clearly and keep it consistent across all documents.
• Ask for a named contact and an expected timeline.
• Check the status yourself if the bank does not contact you.

Sanctions screening is a legal requirement, and ombudsman decisions have accepted that sanctions checks must take priority even when they delay a payment and the customer loses out on an exchange rate. In one UK decision, a bank held a transfer for sanctions checks, refunded it and the customer lost money because of a change in the exchange rate, and the ombudsman did not hold the provider responsible because the delay came from a legally required check. A payment can also be blocked permanently if the bank cannot verify the source of funds, in which case the money is returned or handled according to the law.

Step 6: If the payment is returned

A payment can be returned if the receiving bank rejects it, because of incorrect details, a closed or restricted account, a limit, a compliance or sanctions concern or a name mismatch. Here is what to expect:

• Time. A returned international payment can take one to several weeks to come back by SWIFT, depending on the banks involved.
• Fees. Correspondent and receiving banks may deduct handling or return fees. One guide puts typical return fees at about 15 to 50 USD, though real amounts vary.
• Exchange rate losses. If the money was converted, the amount you get back can be lower because of the exchange rate when it is returned. In several UK ombudsman decisions, customers received less than they had sent because of exchange rate changes and charges, and the banks were generally not found responsible for those losses, although some offered goodwill payments (for example, £30 for the exchange difference or £200 for the delay in applying a trace in the cases we reviewed). Outcomes depend on each case.
• Returned is not recalled. A returned payment is rejected by the receiving side and sent back automatically, while a recall is a request you or your bank make to pull the payment back after it has been sent. A recall can take time, because control of the funds may already have passed to a correspondent bank.

What to do:

1. Get the reason for the return from your bank, with the return reference.
2. Get the amounts: how much was returned, after which fees and at what exchange rate.
3. Fix the cause before you resend: details, name, purpose, documents.
4. Expect a new exchange rate if you resend. The rate will be the one available at the time of the new transaction, not the original.
5. Choose a better route. If the cause is a sanction or bank policy issue, try a different payment method or provider. See the cheapest ways to send money abroad, compare a bank transfer vs money transfer app and consider multi-currency accounts that give your payer local details and avoid a long wire route.
6. Understand your loss. Our guide to the exchange rate margin helps you see how much of the difference is the rate and how much is fees.

Step 7: Escalate if needed

If the bank is not acting or the delay is unreasonable:

1. Follow up in writing, quoting the case number, the UETR and your earlier messages.
2. Ask for the delay and any losses to be explained and, where the delay was the bank’s fault, for the fees to be refunded and the loss to be compensated.
3. Use the bank’s formal complaints process, and keep copies.
4. Go to the independent body in your country if you are not satisfied, such as a financial ombudsman or regulator. In the UK, for example, the Financial Ombudsman Service reviews complaints about banks and payment firms.
5. Keep a log of dates, names, reference numbers and what you were told.

Be realistic: delays caused by legally required checks, and losses due to exchange rate moves, are not always the bank’s responsibility. Complaints are strongest where the bank made an error, failed to act on a request or gave wrong information.

If you are the recipient

If you are waiting for a payment:

• Ask the sender for the confirmation and UETR, and check the status.
• Check your accounts for pending items and for fees that reduced the amount.
• Ask your own bank whether the payment has arrived, is under review or has been returned, and whether it needs information from you.
• Check that your details are correct, including the account holder name and the SWIFT/BIC code you gave.
• Check your account status. If a platform holds or limits your account, the payment may be stuck for that reason. See what to do if your account is frozen or under review.
• If the payment is overdue and the client has not confirmed, follow the steps to handle late payments from international clients.

Common causes and fixes

Cause	What to do
Wrong or incomplete beneficiary details	Correct the details and, if returned, resend with the right ones
Name on the payment does not match the account	Use the exact account holder name
Compliance or sanctions review	Provide documents quickly and state the purpose clearly
Closed, restricted or limited recipient account	Ask the recipient to fix the account or provide another one
Bank cut-off, weekend or holiday	Wait for the next business day
Several intermediary banks	Ask for a trace using the UETR
Incoming limits or country restrictions	Use a different bank, provider or route
Missing purpose or reference	Add a clear reference and description

How to prevent it

• Double-check every detail before you send: name, account number or IBAN, SWIFT/BIC, currency and reference.
• Use the exact account holder name.
• Write a clear payment purpose, such as the invoice number and the service.
• Keep supporting documents ready: contract, invoice and proof of source of funds.
• Send a small test payment to a new payee before a large one.
• Pay on a weekday before the cut-off and avoid holidays.
• Use local rails or local account details when possible, so that the payment does not go through a long correspondent chain.
• Check the total cost of the route with our transfer fee calculator.
• Keep the tracking reference and the confirmation.

Beware of scams

People who are waiting for money are an easy target:

• No legitimate bank or provider asks you to pay a “release fee” to unlock your own incoming payment.
• Do not click links in messages about a “blocked transfer”. Use your bank’s app or the number on its website.
• Do not share passwords or codes with anyone.
• Be suspicious of overpayments. If someone sends more than the agreed amount and asks you to refund the difference, wait until the original payment has fully cleared.
• Be careful with “recovery” services that promise to unblock or trace a payment for a fee.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting too long before asking for a trace.
• Chasing too early, before the normal time has passed.
• Not getting the UETR or the payment confirmation.
• Ignoring a request for documents from the bank.
• Resending the payment before the first one is returned or cancelled, which can create a double payment.
• Not checking the return amount and the fees deducted.
• Resending by the same route when the cause was the route.
• Using different names or descriptions on documents.
• Paying “fees” to unblock a payment.
• Not keeping records.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my international transfer taking so long?

Common reasons are cut-off times, weekends and holidays, intermediary banks, compliance checks and incorrect details.

How do I trace an international transfer?

Get the payment confirmation and the UETR from the sender, then ask the sending bank to trace it, and ask the recipient to check with their bank.

How long can a compliance hold last?

It varies. A provider guide estimates one to fifteen business days for standard reviews and up to thirty for complex cases, but there is no guarantee.

Why was my transfer returned?

Typical reasons are incorrect details, an account that is closed or restricted, bank limits or a compliance or sanctions concern.

Will I get all my money back if a transfer is returned?

Often most of it, but fees may be deducted, and if currency was converted, the exchange rate at the time of return can reduce the amount.

Who pays for exchange rate losses on a returned payment?

Usually the sender, though some banks offer goodwill payments in specific cases. Responsibility depends on the case and the country.

Can I cancel an international transfer?

You can ask your bank to recall it, but it is not guaranteed, because the payment may already be with another bank.

Should I resend the money?

Only after you know whether the first payment was returned or cancelled, and after you have fixed the cause.

Final thoughts

When an international transfer goes wrong, the best tools are information and calm. Check that it is really late, get the confirmation and the UETR, ask for a trace, answer compliance questions quickly and keep records. If the money comes back, expect some friction, fix the cause and choose a simpler route next time. Most delays and returns are avoidable with accurate details, a clear purpose and a route that suits the payment.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Procedures, timelines and fees change and vary by bank and country. Information reviewed October 11, 2026.