On a Federal Reserve holiday, such as Veterans Day or Thanksgiving Day, the Federal Reserve’s FedACH and Fedwire Funds services do not settle payments. ACH transfers, direct deposits and domestic wires wait for the next business day. Instant payments are the exception: FedNow and the RTP network run every day, holidays included, when both the sending and the receiving bank take part.
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Reserve Banks open on the Friday before, so payments settle that Friday even though federal offices are closed. In 2027 that applies to Friday, June 18 and Friday, December 24. The full rules are on our Federal Reserve holidays page.
Bank holiday payment processing at a glance
| Payment type | Settles on a Federal Reserve holiday? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ACH transfers, direct deposit, bill pay (FedACH) | No. Settles on the next business day | FedACH processing schedule |
| Domestic wires (Fedwire Funds) | No. Holidays are non-business days | Fedwire operating hours |
| FedNow instant payments | Yes, if both banks offer FedNow | Federal Reserve Board |
| RTP instant payments | Yes, if both banks are on the RTP network | The Clearing House |
| Zelle | Zelle’s Help Center does not mention holidays; ask your bank | Zelle Help Center |
| Checks | Deposit if your bank accepts it; holds count business days | CFPB |
Short answers per payment type
ACH and direct deposit. FedACH settles next-day payments at 8:30 a.m. ET and same-day payments at 1:00, 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. ET, on business days only. Details, cut-offs and a worked holiday example are in our guide to ACH processing times; payroll questions are covered under direct deposit on holidays.
Wire transfers. Fedwire Funds treats “all Saturdays, all Sundays and the holidays listed on the Federal Reserve Banks’ Holiday Schedules” as non-business days. See wire transfer cut-off times.
FedNow. The Federal Reserve says the FedNow Service “has a 24-hour business day each day of the week, including weekends and holidays.” So there are no FedNow holidays as such, but your bank has to offer it.
RTP. The Clearing House describes its RTP network as available “around the clock, including bank holidays, weekends and after hours,” for any participating institution.
Does Zelle work on holidays? Zelle’s Help Center says money sent with Zelle “is typically available to an enrolled recipient within minutes” and tells users to check with their financial institution. It does not say anything specific about holidays, so your bank’s own Zelle terms are the place to check.
Cards. Card networks are not a Federal Reserve service, so card purchases generally keep working on a Fed holiday. When a merchant receives the money depends on its card processor.
Checks. Whether you can deposit a check by ATM or app on a holiday depends on your bank. Check holds are counted in business days, and the holidays listed in Regulation CC are not business days, so those days do not count toward the hold. As of October 2026 the regulation’s list does not include Juneteenth; ask your bank how it counts June 19. Branch hours are set by each bank; see bank holiday hours.
All sources above were checked on October 23, 2026.