USAA transfer limits [2025]

If you bank with USAA and want to transfer money to or from another account, you need to know the USAA transfer limits.

The good news is that USAA has several options for sending and receiving money, including Zelle®, direct account-to-account transfers, and wire transfers.

The per-day and per-month transfer limits vary depending on which method you use. Here’s everything you need to know about the USAA external transfer limit.

We'll also introduce Wise — your international money transfer alternative. Use Wise to send stress-free transfers to over 140 countries - all at the standard mid-market exchange rate.

Learn more 🔎

Table of contents
USAA transfer limits overview What is the daily limit for USAA? What is the USAA Zelle transfer limit? USAA international transfer limits How can you check your USAA transfer limits? Can you increase your transfer limits with USAA? What are the USAA transfer fees and charges? How can I transfer a large amount of money from USAA?

USAA transfer limits overview

USAA has some standard transfer limits when sending money to and from external bank accounts. In both instances, you’ll be capped at 5,000 USD daily and 25,000 USD within 30 days.¹

USAA uses a rolling 30-day period to track transfer limits, as opposed to monthly tracking. The bank also notes that account holders may occasionally qualify for transfers above the standard limit. You’ll see a higher transfer limit amount if you’re eligible.¹

What is the daily limit for USAA?

The USAA transfer limit per day is 5,000 USD. That means you can send 5,000 USD in a single transaction or as multiple transactions.

5,000 USD is a relatively “normal” cap when it comes to domestic external account transfers. However, some institutions have lower caps. With that in mind, you should check the limit on both accounts before initiating the transfer.

Let’s say you’re trying to transfer money from your USAA savings account to an account with a different domestic institution. If the other bank has a 1,000 USD daily cap and you attempt to initiate a transfer exceeding this limit, the transaction may be modified or rejected altogether.

What is the USAA Zelle transfer limit?

USAA’s mobile app is integrated with Zelle to facilitate instant money transfers.

All you need to do is link your account using your email address and mobile number, then add a trusted recipient from your contacts list. You can also manually enter new recipients as needed.

The USAA Zelle transfer limits are as follows²:
Up to 3 payments and 1,000 USD in any 24-hour period Up to 21 transactions and 2,500 USD in any 3-day period Up to 90 transactions and 10,000 USD in any 30-day period

Zelle transfers are subject to lower limits than account-to-account transfers. However, the money will be available in minutes to anyone who is enrolled in Zelle.

If you send money to someone who doesn’t have Zelle, they’ll receive an SMS message that prompts them to enroll. Your contacts will have a “Z” logo next to their name if they’re already enrolled.²

USAA international transfer limits

USAA doesn’t have any listed limits for international wire transfers. However, if you need to send more than 10,000 USD, you must call the institution directly.

To send your international wire, you’ll need the following information³:

• Purpose of the payment
• Amount you want to send
• Recipient’s bank SWIFT code
• Name of the recipient’s bank
• Address of the recipient’s bank
• Recipient’s account number
• Full name of the recipient
• Recipient’s address

USAA accepts requests Monday through Friday during normal business hours. If your request is in by 3:30 pm (CT), it will usually be processed on the same day. Your funds should arrive within 15 calendar days.³

What’s the best way to send money internationally?

Banks are certainly one option for sending money internationally, as are services like PayPal. But the problem with banks is they can often be slow, expensive and inconvenient. Luckily, there’s a better alternative out there.

You can send money worldwide with Wise for low fees and the mid-market exchange rate. It’s easy and quick to set up a payment online, and you’re guaranteed secure transfers even when sending large sums.

Wise is a money service business (MSB) regulated by 12 international financial authorities and uses sophisticated security features to keep you and your money safe.

Open a Wise account, and you can send, spend and convert between 40+ currencies whenever you need to. You can even receive money from all over the world using your own local account details.

As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s a Wise Multi-Currency Card too. For a one-time fee of just $9, you can spend in over 150 countries in the local currency. Your USD is automatically converted at the mid-market rate for just a small conversion fee.

Open a Wise account today

💡 Need to make a business payment? With the Wise Business account, you can send up to 1,000,000 USD per transfer from licensed states.

Some key features of Wise Business include:

Better visibility and organization of business finances; this is helpful for account reconciliations and audits Major local account details for a simple one-off fee to receive international payments with ease No monthly account fees or minimum balance requirements Receive payments from e-commerce platforms such as Amazon or via Stripe Create invoices using the free Wise invoice generator or invoice templates Accounting integrations, including a QuickBooks Bill Pay connection Access to BatchTransfer

Discover the difference between
Wise Business vs. Personal

How can you check your USAA transfer limits?

When you log in to your mobile or web app and attempt to set up a transfer, you will see the maximum amount allowed. You won’t be able to input a total that exceeds your limit.

As noted, you may sometimes be allowed to send a larger sum. However, you’ll need to check the app and open the transfer menu to see your current limits.

Can you increase your transfer limits with USAA?

You can’t permanently increase your USAA external transfer limit. However, USAA may allow you to transfer more than the standard threshold under certain conditions.

Simply check your mobile app to see your current transfer limit. If you have questions about eligibility for an increased transfer limit, contact USAA directly.

What are the USAA transfer fees and charges?

USAA allows you to send or receive money domestically free of charge. You can do this using the account-to-account transfer option or Zelle.

USAA charges a 20 USD fee for domestic and international wire transfers; however, for international transfers, this does not include the markup that may be added to the exchange rate. The receiving bank or intermediary banks involved in the transfer may also charge additional fees.³

How can I transfer a large amount of money from USAA?

If you want to transfer money using USAA’s standard domestic account-to-account option, you can send a maximum of 5,000 USD daily up to the 30-day cap of 25,000 USD.

Zelle caps are lower, so it’s less suitable for sending large sums.

If you need to send more than 5,000 USD in one transaction, wire transfers are the preferred option. There are no stated limits on USAA’s website.

Keep in mind that exceeding the 10,000 USD wire transfer limit may subject you to IRS reporting requirements. This applies to domestic and international transfers coming into or being sent from a domestic USAA account.

Send high amount, low cost international transfers with Wise

A smart option if you’re sending money overseas: meet Wise.

With Wise, you can send up to 1,000,000 USD per wire transaction to 140+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees.

Over 50% of Wise payments arrive instantly* — and all Wise transfers are deposited directly into your recipient's bank account for convenience.

No ongoing fees, no hidden charges and no hassle — just fast, transparent international transfers that can beat the banks.

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See how Wise compares with international bank transfers in our full guide

*Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.

Sources

1. USAA - Funds Transfer FAQs
2. USAA - Zelle FAQs
3. USAA - Wire Transfers

Sources checked 08/05/2025