What actually happens to your money between "Sent" and "Delivered"

When you tap send, four things happen in sequence, and the app timeline in Activity tracks each one: your payment is captured, the amount is converted at the rate you locked, we verify the recipient's account is still valid, and we instruct our local payout partner to deposit the funds.

The first three steps usually take under a minute. The fourth — the receiving bank actually crediting the account — is the one outside our control, and it is also the one most people are watching when a transfer says "Sending to bank" for longer than expected.

Most banks in the corridors we serve post transfers within minutes during business hours, which is why we advertise "minutes, not days." Outside business hours, or on a bank holiday specific to the receiving country, that leg can take until the next business day even though your money left your Payvio balance instantly.

If a transfer sits at "Sending to bank" for more than an hour on a business day, that is unusual enough that we will chase the receiving bank directly — chat with us rather than waiting it out. If a transfer is returned, the funds come back to your Payvio balance in full, and the app shows the bank's stated reason so you can fix it before sending again.