The last time I did a wire, it was to send a 6-figure amount to Washington Mutual (RIP) to pay off a mortgage.
I logged into WAMU's web site to find out the amount and procedure, printed off the reply, and took it to the bank. The nice lady in the banking lobby took my printout and did the transfer. The fee was $15, IIRC, in 2007.
Wire transfers do entail some extra work, because the transaction is cleared in real time, whereas ACHs and bill-pays and paper checks are cleared (or bounced) in large batches that are processed daily.†
I logged into WAMU's web site to find out the amount and procedure, printed off the reply, and took it to the bank. The nice lady in the banking lobby took my printout and did the transfer. The fee was $15, IIRC, in 2007.
Wire transfers do entail some extra work, because the transaction is cleared in real time, whereas ACHs and bill-pays and paper checks are cleared (or bounced) in large batches that are processed daily.†
†http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/difference-between-wire-...