Interbank Giro (IBG) transfer: What is it? What's the IBG transfer time? (2023)

This guide covers all the details you need about Interbank Giro transfers and IBG transfer times. However, as IBG transfers are only used domestically, you’ll need a different payment route if you plan on sending money overseas. To help with this, we’ll also run through the costs of sending international payments with major Malaysian banks, and using modern online payments with Wise¹.

Table of contents

• What is IBG (Interbank GIRO) transfer?
• How long does an IBG (Interbank GIRO) transfer take?
• What is the difference between IBG transfer vs Instant transfer?
• Wise: a cheap and transparent alternative for sending money abroad

IBG meaning: What is a Interbank GIRO transfer?

Interbank GIRO transfers are electronic payments between participating financial institutions in Malaysia. Most of Malaysia’s major banks offer IBG payments as a low cost way for customers to move money between accounts, pay loan and credit card bills, or send payments to others.²

You can arrange an IBG payment online for just MYR0.10. You’ll also be able to initiate a payment by visiting a branch, but banks charge higher fees for this. The costs of over the counter IBG services vary by bank, so check out the terms and conditions for your own bank before you decide. It’s good to know though, that the fees for setting up an IBG transfer in-branch are usually waived for senior citizens and people with disabilities.³

The IBG payment system is managed by Paynet. Paynet sets a limit of 1,000,000 MYR per transaction, but individual banks have their own limits and caps, which are likely to be lower than this.³

IBG transfer time: How long does an IBG (Interbank GIRO) transfer take?

The exact transfer time for Interbank GIRO transfers depends on when you initiate the payment. There are a series of cut-offs throughout the working day, which the participating banks have agreed to. If you get your transfer in before cut-off, it’ll be processed and will arrive at the predetermined time. If you send money after hours or during the weekends or any public holidays, the transfer will be processed on the next working day.

The major Malaysian banks all use the same cut-offs for IBG transfers - so a Maybank IBG transfer and a CIMB IBG transfer should take the same length of time.

Check out the tables below for the payment schedules for the following banks:

• Maybank⁴
• CIMB⁵
• RHB⁶
• BSN⁷
• Hong Leong Bank⁸
• Ambank⁹
• OCBC¹º

IBG transfer cut-off times and payment schedule

Any transfer made before 5:00pm during a working day should arrive on the same day.

What is the difference between IBG transfer vs Instant transfer?

If you have the option of both, you’ll probably be wondering about the difference between IBG and instant transfers.

Instant transfers - also known as IBFT payments - are processed immediately without any cut-offs or delays during the weekends and non-working days. IBG transfers, on the other hand, are not instant and take some time as we’ve already seen. Although IBG transfers are slower than Instant transfers, IBFT can be cheaper than the other in some banks.

Instant transfers can only be used with selected participating banks in Malaysia and overseas.¹¹ Learn more about IBFT fees from our review.

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