There was quite a good amount of money in the account it was wired to.

My bank doesn't charge anything for incoming wire transfers.

And I don't think mine should either. Some years ago they charged me $5.00 just to get a certified check. I think they're nickel and diming their customers.

Once again, this is a small local bank serving very local customers. Since the long (looong) time head of the bank (who would often come out to greet long time customers) died a few years back, the new one, whom no one knows and no one has ever seen, has added all sorts of little fees. It just strikes me as cheap, cheap, cheap.

Not uncommon and a very standard banking practice: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/banking/wire-transfers-what-banks-charge#:~:text=Chase%20Wire%20Transfer%20Fees,0%20if%20coming%20from%20Chase).

One of the most expensive means of moving money around!

I had no idea about incoming fees. I see it's common but also can be dependent on service level. I wired money from Chase to Citi in March and wasn't charged on either side.

laceyvail - call them and request a fee waiver. Since it is a small bank they might be more willing to accommodate a long time customer. I keep whatever minimum balance is required and avoid all fees - certified checks, wire transfers, canceled check fees etc. - plus I receive a earn a higher interest rate on my accounts. I send money from one bank to another by electronic transfer and there isn't a fee by either bank.

Our bank (Chase) does not charge us fees for anything I can think of (including wire transfers) due to their required minimum daily account balance. However, I agree it’s standard practice and also agree it’s irritating in your case.

maire_cate has a good suggestion. Have a chat with them.

I'm amazed. There's no charge here either for sending or receiving. It's fast and free. This afternoon I did an online transfer of a hefty amount to my DD. She messaged me to say it was in her a/c 5 minutes after I sent it. No cost to either of us.

I'm not surprised at all - esp. for a small regional bank. A phone call couldn't hurt and may help, I agree.

I'd check the bank's fee schedule to see what else they might charge customers for...

I think too that a phone call might help. We get several direct deposits at our bank - no fees - but I dont know that any are actual wire transfers. It does seem like we get conveniences at no charge though, like notarizing, cashiers checks, but there was a time I could walk in that door and everyone knew me by name. I'm inside the bank so seldom now, and the staff that was so familiar has been retiring. I think I'm down to one woman who recognizes me. If I have a request that is at all unusual, I skip the front staff and call her first.

In my experience, a charge for incoming wire transfers lies somewhere in the middle of the spectrum from rare to being a standard charge. Many banks charge for it, many don't. Mine doesn't (USAA). It's kind of a rip-off, it's not like any time or effort is required on the part of the receiving bank to process it.

" I'm amazed. There's no charge here either for sending or receiving. "

Floral, you may not be familiar with banking transactions in the US. We have a system of bank transfers called ACH transactions (automated clearing house) for electronic transfers. Such payments can be made to one's own accounts at other institutions, accounts of other people, payment to providers for goods and services, even payment of taxes due. ACH transfers, which can be done online or even from smart phones, are free. When I lived in Europe a few decades back, these were standard ways to pay personal bills and in French were called "virements". Or, "giro transers".

Wire transfers are different and go through a different system. They're a guaranteed payment, non-reversable, and take a bit of effort on the bank's part to do. They're typically used for very large amounts of money - tens and hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars and more.

I've never been charged for EMT's. Electronic money transfers. Is that what you're referring to? I use them often for buying and selling, etc.

But I was charged $5 service charge once when I sent money to my computer guy and he refused to accept it. He wanted to help me for free. Because I didn't 'accept' his rejection they charged me $5. Stupid practice. It was never taken out of my account. I went in to find out what the $5 charge was for, and she refunded it.

EMT's (technically EFT's or electronic funds transfers) are not the same as a wire transfer. EFT's include direct deposits, automatic bill paying and ATM transactions. They are just paperless/digital banking transactions.

Complain. If you have a lot of money at the bank, complain. They tried to charge me a service fee for something stupid (I don't remember what it was) and I said, okay "cut me a check for my balance" and they caved immediately. It can't hurt to ask. Twelve bucks is twelve bucks--better you should have it than the bank.