---
title: "Create Wire Transfer"
method: POST
path: "/accounts/{account_id}/wire"
tags: ["Transfers"]
---

# Create Wire Transfer

`POST /accounts/{account_id}/wire`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.meow.com/v1`
- URL: `https://api.meow.com/v1/accounts/{account_id}/wire`
- Auth: API key in header `x-api-key`
- TypeScript: <https://skmtc.dev/meow/apis/meow-api/docs/accounts/:account_id/wire/post.ts> (a function with typed inputs; its response is checked against the schema)

Creates a new wire transfer to an external counterparty. Wires are sent in US dollars, including to a counterparty banking outside the US. To pay someone in their own currency, use `POST /accounts/{account_id}/international`.

## Path parameters

- `account_id` string, required: The ID of the account.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string, nullable: A unique key you generate (1-50 printable ASCII characters, no spaces) so retrying this request never creates a duplicate. Reusing a key is rejected.
- `x-entity-id` string, uuid

## Request body

- CreateWireTransferRequest
  - `email` string, email, nullable: Email address to notify when the operation completes
  - `amount` union, required: Amount to send, in USD.
    - number
    - string
  - `counterparty_id` string, uuid, required: Contact to pay. Use list_contacts to find one.
  - `instructions` string, nullable: Wire instructions sent to the receiving bank.
  - `purpose` string, nullable: Purpose of payment. Required by some receiving banks. Your account's bank sets the maximum length: 16 characters on most accounts, 50 on some. A longer purpose is rejected with a message giving your limit.
  - `internal_note` string, nullable: Private note, visible only inside Meow.
  - `metadata` object, nullable: Your own key/value data to attach to this object. Meow stores it unchanged and returns it on every read of the object and on every webhook event about it, so you can match it back to your own records. Up to 20 pairs; keys up to 40 characters, values up to 200, and 5 KB serialized as JSON in total — note that a non-ASCII character counts as 6 bytes and an emoji as 12. Values must be strings. Meow never interprets it — do not put anything here that needs to stay private.
  - `idempotency_key` string, nullable: Deprecated: send the key in the `Idempotency-Key` header instead. When both are sent they must match.

## Response `200`

Successful Response

- CreateWireTransferResponse
  - `id` string, nullable: Identifier of the wire at the bank. `null` until the transfer leaves the queue, so it is always absent while `status` is `processing` or `pending_approval`. Use `approval_id` as the stable handle instead.
  - `status` 'pending' | 'pending_approval' | 'canceled' | 'processing' | 'error' | 'sent' | 'returned' | 'void', required
  - `amount` string, required: Amount sent, in USD. Echoes the request.
  - `instructions` string, nullable, required: Wire instructions sent to the receiving bank. Echoes the request, except for contacts paid through your brokerage account, where Meow replaces the submitted memo with system-generated instructions.
  - `counterparty_id` string, uuid, required: Contact that was paid. Echoes the request.
  - `created_time` integer, required: When the transfer was created, as a Unix timestamp in seconds.
  - `transfer_type` 'book' | 'usdc' | 'usdt' | 'pyusd' | 'cash' | 'usdg' | 'path_usd' | 'ach' | 'wire' | 'international', required: The rail a transfer moves on, as the customer API reports it.
  - `approval_id` string, uuid, required: Handle for this transfer, returned whether or not an approval policy gated it. Pass it to `GET /approvals/{approval_id}` to follow the transfer to completion.
  - `message` string, nullable: Human-readable next step. Set only when `status` is `pending_approval`; otherwise `null`.
  - `metadata` object, nullable: The metadata attached when this object was created, unchanged. `null` when none was attached. Rarely, a `.created` webhook can be published before the create request finishes committing, and that one event reports `null`; every later event and every read of the object carries the metadata.

## Other responses

- `400`: The request could not be processed.
- `401`: Authentication failed.
- `403`: The API key is not authorized for this operation, or the user of a global API key is an admin or controller without approved KYC. The KYC case returns the message `KYC is required for controllers and admins.` until that user completes KYC in the Meow dashboard.
- `429`: Too many requests.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/meow/apis/meow-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/meow/apis/meow-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/meow/apis/meow-api/revisions/ea2d7e25b63b?raw)