Receiving your funding round without bounced or delayed wires
Closing a round is the easy part to celebrate. Actually getting the money into your account is where founders hit avoidable snags: a wire that bounces back to the investor, a transfer stuck in review, or a payment held up because one detail did not match. This guide covers how to set yourself up so the money arrives cleanly the first time.
None of this is complicated, but a small mistake can add days while everyone chases the funds.
Why wires bounce on a name mismatch
The single most common reason an incoming wire is rejected or delayed is that the account name the investor entered does not match the name on your account. A wire to ‘Acme’ when the account is registered as ‘Acme Technologies Ltd’ can be enough to trip a check.
To avoid it:
- Share the account name exactly, including the legal suffix (Ltd, Inc, GmbH, and so on).
- Ask the investor to use the registered company name, not a trading name or an abbreviation.
- Double-check the IBAN or account number for transposed digits before sending it on.
How long an incoming wire takes to clear
Timing depends on the route and the currencies involved. A domestic transfer in a major currency often arrives the same or next business day. An international wire that has to pass through intermediary providers can take a few business days, and cut-off times and weekends add to that.
A few things that slow a wire down: sending late in the day, sending across time zones, sending in a currency that needs conversion, and any detail that needs to be confirmed before the funds are released. Building in a buffer of a few business days around any deadline is sensible.
What to expect if a large payment is reviewed
A large incoming payment into a young company is a normal event, and providers may take a closer look as part of routine checks. This is standard practice and not a sign anything is wrong.
You may be asked to confirm where the money has come from — for example a copy of the signed investment agreement, a SAFE, or a term sheet, and details of the investor. Having these ready before the wire lands means you can answer quickly and keep things moving.
How Altery fits
Altery gives you account details for receiving funds in multiple currencies, so you can share the right IBAN and SWIFT or local details for the way your investor wants to send. You can see incoming payments as they arrive and hold the raise in the currency it came in until you are ready to use it.
Frequently asked questions
Send the account name exactly as registered, the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC for an international wire or the local routing details for a domestic transfer, and the currency you want to receive. Copy them directly from your account rather than typing from memory.
The most common cause is a name mismatch — the account name on the wire did not match the registered name on your account. Mistyped IBANs or account numbers are the other frequent culprit. Confirm both before the next attempt.
A domestic transfer in a major currency often arrives the same or next business day, while an international wire can take a few business days once intermediary providers, cut-off times and weekends are factored in. Build in a buffer around any deadline.
A large incoming payment may be reviewed as part of routine checks, which is normal. You may be asked to confirm the source — such as a signed investment agreement or term sheet — so having that ready helps the funds clear without delay.
This guide is general information to help founders and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Altery is not a bank. Check your own circumstances before acting.
Keep reading
Proving source of funds when your startup is pre-revenue
What counts as acceptable proof of source of funds before you have revenue, and what providers typically ask for.
Ring-fencing the raise: pots for payroll, tax and reserves
Separate the raise into pots for payroll, tax and a do-not-touch reserve, and split near-term cash from your longer-term runway.
Spending controls and reporting for investor funds
Multi-user roles, approvals on large outflows, read-only access for accountants, and clean statements for board and investor updates.