The US is one of the biggest markets for Swiss companies. Software, machinery, watches, pharma, consulting, design: sooner or later, a US customer wants to pay you, or a US supplier wants paying.
And then the friction starts. "Can you send us an ACH?" "Our AP team doesn't do international wires." "We received USD 85 less than the invoice."
Most of that friction has one cause: the money travels as an international SWIFT wire when it could have travelled as a local US payment.
This guide shows how to fix that: which US rail to use when, what to ask your supplier for, and why the time zone works in your favour.
How USD usually leaves Switzerland: SWIFT
Traditionally, a Swiss company paying in USD sends an international wire over SWIFT. It's still a common default, and a reasonable one for many currencies. But for the US it has known drawbacks:
- Correspondent banks. A SWIFT payment often passes through one or more intermediary banks before it reaches the US recipient's bank. Each one can take a fee.
- Short payments. Intermediary fees are frequently deducted from the amount, so your supplier receives less than the invoice and asks you to top it up.
- Unclear status. Once the payment is "on its way", tracking where it is can mean a support ticket.
- Friction for the other side. Some US companies' finance teams treat incoming international wires as an exception, and some US customers simply don't send them.
None of this means SWIFT is broken. It means SWIFT is built for cross-border payments, and a USD payment to a US company doesn't have to be one.
The US rails, in two minutes
The US has three main domestic rails for business payments. Your counterparties use them every day.
- ACH — What it is: Batch network for routine payments; Typical use: Supplier payments, subscriptions, invoices that aren't urgent
- Fedwire — What it is: The Federal Reserve's real-time gross settlement system; Typical use: Large or time-critical payments, final once settled
- FedNow — What it is: The Federal Reserve's instant payment service; Typical use: Urgent payments, 24/7, where the receiver's institution participates
A few facts worth knowing:
- ACH is processed in batches. Standard ACH settles in one to two business days, and Same Day ACH has three settlement windows per business day. A single Same Day ACH payment can be up to USD 1 million; Nacha has approved an increase to USD 10 million from 17 September 2027.
- Fedwire runs on US business days, from 9:00 p.m. ET the previous evening to 7:00 p.m. ET. The cut-off for customer transfers is 6:45 p.m. ET. Fedwire completed its move to the ISO 20022 message standard in July 2025.
- FedNow launched in July 2023 and runs 24/7/365. Since November 2025 its network transaction limit is USD 10 million, although each participating institution can set a lower limit. Many participants can receive but not yet send, so it isn't universal.
For the full overview of every rail, see SIC, SEPA, SWIFT, ACH, Fedwire, FedNow: Which Rail When? (Cheat Sheet).
Why local rails matter for a Swiss company
Paying US suppliers
When you pay a US supplier on ACH or Fedwire, the payment is a domestic US payment from their point of view. In practice that usually means:
- The full amount arrives. No intermediary chain along the way, so less risk of "we received less".
- It looks familiar. Their accounts receivable team sees a normal ACH or wire credit, not an exception.
- You choose speed on purpose. ACH for routine invoices, Fedwire when it must land today, FedNow when it must land now and the receiver supports it.
Firma lets your company pay US suppliers on ACH, Fedwire and FedNow, and gives your company its own US account details, so US customers can pay you on the same rails. Open your Firma account →
Not every provider offers local US payment rails to Swiss companies, so ask yours whether it sends USD by ACH and Fedwire, or only by SWIFT.
Getting paid by US customers
The same logic applies in reverse. If you give a US customer USD account details they can pay domestically, you're no longer asking them to send an international wire. That's easier for them, and easier is faster. We go deeper on this in ACH, Wire or FedNow? How Swiss Companies Get Paid by US Customers and Platforms.
Keeping dollars as dollars
If you earn USD and also spend USD (software, contractors, ads, US suppliers), you don't need to convert twice. Receive USD, hold USD, pay USD. Convert to CHF when you decide to, not every time money moves. For the cost side of that decision, read The FX Fee Your Bank Never Shows You.
Time zones: the detail that trips people up
New York is usually six hours behind Zürich. (For a few weeks in March and in late October/early November, when Europe and the US change clocks on different dates, the gap is five hours.)
That works in your favour more than you'd think:
- Fedwire's customer cut-off of 6:45 p.m. ET is 00:45 the next morning in Zürich, in normal weeks. A Fedwire payment you approve after lunch in Zürich still has the whole US business day ahead of it.
- The last Same Day ACH submission deadline at the ACH operator (4:45 p.m. ET) is 22:45 in Zürich. Your provider's own cut-off will be earlier, so check it.
- US public holidays close Fedwire and ACH processing. Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Labor Day aren't Swiss holidays, so add them to your payment calendar.
What you need from a US supplier
For a domestic US payment, ask for:
- Legal name of the account holder, exactly as on the account.
- Bank name.
- ABA routing number (nine digits) and account number.
- Account type if they mention it (checking or savings).
- Which rail they prefer: ACH or wire. Some banks publish different routing numbers for ACH and for wires, so ask which one applies.
- Invoice number to use as the payment reference.
Confirm new or changed details by phone, using a number you already have. "We've changed our bank details" emails are a classic fraud pattern; see "We Changed Our Bank Details": Stopping Invoice and CEO Fraud in a Swiss SME.
A worked example (hypothetical)
A Basel medtech GmbH buys components from a supplier in Ohio, about USD 40,000 a quarter, and sells software licences to two US hospitals.
Before: the GmbH pays each supplier invoice by SWIFT from its CHF account. Its bank converts CHF to USD at its own rate, an intermediary deducts a fee, and the supplier writes back about a shortfall. The hospitals' AP teams take weeks to process the international wire request.
After: the GmbH holds a USD balance. The hospitals pay into its US account details as a domestic payment. The supplier is paid by ACH for routine invoices, and by Fedwire when a rush order has to be paid the same day. The GmbH converts USD to CHF once a month, when it chooses, to cover Swiss salaries.
Same business. Fewer emails, fewer short payments, and FX happens on purpose.
Common mistakes
- Sending a SWIFT wire to a US supplier who asked for ACH. It works, but it's slower and invites fees.
- Paying USD from a CHF balance by default. Each payment becomes a conversion you didn't plan.
- Using the wrong routing number (ACH vs wire).
- Forgetting US holidays and cut-offs before a deadline payment.
- Assuming FedNow works for everyone. It only works if the receiver's institution supports it.
Bottom line
A payment between a Swiss company and a US company doesn't have to be "international" in the old sense. Hold USD, use the rail your counterparty uses, and save SWIFT for the corridors where it's the right tool.
FAQ
Can a Swiss company pay a US supplier by ACH?
Yes, if your provider offers ACH. You need the supplier's legal name, routing number and account number. Some providers only send USD as an international SWIFT wire, so ask.
What's the difference between ACH and Fedwire?
ACH processes payments in batches and is used for routine payments, with same-day options. Fedwire settles each payment individually in real time during operating hours, and the payment is final.
Is FedNow available on weekends?
Yes. FedNow runs 24/7/365, but only between participating institutions, and each can set its own limits.
Why did my US supplier receive less than I sent?
On a SWIFT payment, intermediary banks can deduct fees on the way, depending on the route and the fee option (OUR, SHA or BEN). Domestic US rails avoid that chain.
When are Fedwire's cut-offs in Swiss time?
Fedwire's cut-off for customer transfers is 6:45 p.m. ET, which is 00:45 in Zürich in most weeks. Your provider's own cut-off will be earlier.
US rails for your Swiss company
Firma gives your company balances in USD, EUR, CHF, GBP, CAD, MXN and BRL in its own name, plus your company's own US account details. US customers pay you by ACH, Fedwire or FedNow, and payers abroad can use SWIFT. You pay US suppliers on ACH, Fedwire and FedNow from your USD balance, alongside SWIFT, SEPA, SIC and Swiss QR, all in the same account as your CHF and EUR balances. Money in is free. Every outgoing payment carries the plan fee (25 bps on Plus, 20 bps on Platform, custom on Enterprise), shown before you send. Conversions use the Reuters rate, and if an incoming payment is converted, there's no spread. Plus is Fr. 499 a month. Verification takes about two days, and if we can't verify your company, there's nothing to pay.
Invoicing US clients? Read Get Paid Faster by EU and US Clients: Invoice in Their Currency. Holding more dollars than you need? See The Strong Franc and Your SME: Currency Risk Basics for Swiss Companies.
This article is general information, not advice. Check the details for your situation with your provider or adviser.
Firma is not a bank and is not licensed by FINMA. Firma Operations AG is a member of VQF, a FINMA-recognised self-regulatory organisation for anti-money-laundering, and does not hold client funds. Fiat payments are processed through partner banks. Balances are digital stablecoin tokens, not bank deposits, and are not covered by esisuisse.
Sources: Federal Reserve, Fedwire Funds Service; Federal Reserve Financial Services, Fedwire operating hours; FedACH processing schedule; Nacha, Same Day ACH limit to USD 10 million; FedNow, network limit raised to USD 10 million; Federal Register, planned expansion of Fedwire operating hours to 22x6 (Nov 2025); Firma.
