Sending money from the United States to Guatemala: the payments stack
Sending USD 200 from the United States to Guatemala cost 4.19% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 30 services in the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide survey. Payouts in Guatemala typically run over Transferencias Instantáneas de Fondos (marketed by banks as ACH Inmediato), CCA deferred transfers (Transferencias Diferidas de Fondos); between now and the end of 2027 there are 10 weekdays when banks in the United States are closed but Guatemala keeps paying out, so the payout balance has to be funded before them.
| Average cost to send | 4.19% of USD 200 (Q3 2025, World Bank RPW) source |
| Money transfer operators | 4.24% across 28 services |
| Banks | 3.48% across 2 services |
| Collect in United States | FedNow Service, FedNow network limit, RTP network, Fedwire Funds Service, FedACH and Same Day ACH, Same Day ACH limit |
| Pay out in Guatemala | Transferencias Instantáneas de Fondos (marketed by banks as ACH Inmediato), CCA deferred transfers (Transferencias Diferidas de Fondos), LBTR (Sistema de Liquidación Bruta en Tiempo Real) |
What it costs to send USD 200
The World Bank surveyed 30 services sending from the United States to Guatemala from 13 August 2025 to 28 August 2025. The average total cost, fees plus the FX margin, was 4.19% of the amount sent; money transfer operators averaged 4.24% and banks 3.48%. source
Bank and operator averages are worked out from the survey's provider types.
The send side: the United States
- With few exceptions, each money services business must register with the US Treasury through FinCEN by filing FinCEN Form 107 within 180 days of being established, and must renew the registration every two years; a business that is an MSB only because it acts as agent of another MSB does not register. source
- Money transmission is also licensed state by state. As of September 2026, 31 states have enacted the CSBS Money Transmission Modernization Act in full or in part, and money transmitters licensed in at least one adopting state account for 99% of reported money transmission activity. source
- The Money Transmission Modernization Act sets a minimum tangible net worth of the greater of US$100,000 or 3% of total assets for the first US$100 million, 2% of assets from US$100 million to US$1 billion and 0.5% of assets above US$1 billion, and encourages states to run licensing, surety bonds and reporting through NMLS. source
Licences, sponsor banks, collections, ramps and KYC providers: sending from the United States.
The payout side: Guatemala
| Payout partner | What it does in Guatemala | Source |
|---|---|---|
| dLocal · our guide | Pays out in Guatemala by bank transfer in GTQ, or to USD accounts when currency_to_pay is USD, for B2C, B2B and P2P flows; beneficiaries are identified by a 13-digit CUI. | source |
| Nium · our guide | Lists three Guatemala routes: GTQ to bank accounts by ACH (same day), GTQ by Visa Direct (instant) and foreign currency wires in 10 currencies (T1). | source |
| TerraPay · our guide | Its network page lists Guatemala (GTQ) with both wallet and bank payout. | source |
| Localpayment | Pays out GTQ to Guatemalan bank accounts over IFT (up to GTQ 20,000) and ACH (above GTQ 20,000), both T+1 with a 12:00 local cut-off; registered for payin and payout with the SAT. | source |
Licensing, local banks, stablecoin ramps, FX and KYC in Guatemala: launching payments in Guatemala.
Payout rails in Guatemala
| Rail | Operator | What matters for payouts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transferencias Instantáneas de Fondos (marketed by banks as ACH Inmediato) | Cámara de Compensación Automatizada (CCA), operated by Imágenes Computarizadas de Guatemala, S.A. and settled by Banco de Guatemala | BAC Credomatic's Guate ACH Inmediato runs 07:00 to 21:00 Monday to Friday and at weekends, holidays included, and applies transfers within five minutes; BAC caps it at Q20,000 or US$2,500 a day per client with a Q5 fee. | source |
| CCA deferred transfers (Transferencias Diferidas de Fondos) | Imágenes Computarizadas de Guatemala, S.A., under Banco de Guatemala rules | Batch credit transfers settle in LBTR in windows at 07:46 to 08:00, 12:01 to 12:15 (credits and debits) and 16:31 to 16:45, with the operating day closing at 17:46 to 18:00 (schedule in force since 25 March 2022). | source |
| LBTR (Sistema de Liquidación Bruta en Tiempo Real) | Banco de Guatemala | Under Banco de Guatemala resolution GG-01-2006, LBTR operates 07:00 to 18:00 on working days; third-party interbank payment instructions are taken 08:00 to 17:30 and same-day-value payments abroad 08:00 to 12:00. | source |
Holiday gaps to plan for, to December 2027
Weekdays when one side of the corridor is closed. On the 10 dates when the United States is closed and Guatemala is open, the payout balance has to already hold enough to cover them. On the 12 dates when Guatemala is closed, instant rails may still pay out.
| Date | United States | Guatemala | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov 2026 | Open | All Saints' Day (bank closure) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 11 Nov 2026 | Veterans Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Thu 26 Nov 2026 | Thanksgiving Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Both closed |
| Thu 31 Dec 2026 | Open | Year-end bank closing (from midday asueto) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | Both closed |
| Mon 18 Jan 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Mon 15 Feb 2027 | Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Thu 25 Mar 2027 | Open | Holy Thursday | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Open | Good Friday | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 10 May 2027 | Open | Mother's Day (bank closure at each bank's choice) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Memorial Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Fri 25 Jun 2027 | Open | Bank Employee Day (for 1 July) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 28 Jun 2027 | Open | Army Day (moved from Wednesday 30 June) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 5 Jul 2027 | Independence Day (observed) | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Mon 6 Sep 2027 | Labor Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Wed 15 Sep 2027 | Open | Independence Day | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 11 Oct 2027 | Columbus Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Tue 12 Oct 2027 | Open | Dia de la Raza (bank closure) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Wed 20 Oct 2027 | Open | Revolution Day | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 1 Nov 2027 | Open | All Saints' Day | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Thu 11 Nov 2027 | Veterans Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Thu 25 Nov 2027 | Thanksgiving Day | Open | Prefund Guatemala the day before: no funding from the United States, payouts continue |
| Fri 31 Dec 2027 | Open | Year-end bank closing (from midday asueto) | Guatemala banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
Full calendars: United States and Guatemala. Size the buffer with the corridor runway calculator.
Funding the corridor
- Fedwire does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or Federal Reserve holidays; the Monday business day opens at 9:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and every business day closes at 7:00 p.m. ET, with customer transfers cut off at 6:45 p.m. ET. source
- Federal Reserve holidays in the rest of 2026 are Veterans Day (11 November), Thanksgiving (26 November) and Christmas (Friday 25 December); in 2027, Juneteenth (19 June) and Christmas (25 December) fall on Saturdays, so the Reserve Banks open on the Friday before. source
- Instant transfers settle across banks in LBTR in ten batches between 07:20 and 17:20, after banks' TIF reserve balances are synchronised at 07:10 to 07:15; transfers can be loaded and credited from 07:00 to 21:00. source
- The CCA runs its clearing sessions on each banking business day, so deferred transfers and LBTR settlement wait for the next business day at weekends and on holidays. source
- Banguat's reference rate is the weighted average of Mercado Institucional de Divisas spot trades of US$20,000 or more up to 18:00 on a banking day; it is published the next banking day and applies from that day. source
Running the corridor
Polynopsis shows every balance on both sides of this corridor in one live position: the collection accounts in United States, the payout partners and banks in Guatemala and any stablecoin in between. It warns before the Guatemala balance runs dry, holidays included. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send money from the United States to Guatemala?
The World Bank's survey put the average total cost of sending USD 200 at 4.19% in Q3 2025, across 30 services. Money transfer operators averaged 4.24%.
Which rails pay out in Guatemala?
Local payouts run over Transferencias Instantáneas de Fondos (marketed by banks as ACH Inmediato), CCA deferred transfers (Transferencias Diferidas de Fondos), LBTR (Sistema de Liquidación Bruta en Tiempo Real).
When do I need to prefund Guatemala payouts ahead of holidays?
Between now and December 2027 there are 10 weekdays when the United States is closed and Guatemala is open, the first on Wed 11 Nov 2026. The payout balance has to cover those days before they start.
Related corridors
Sources
- World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset · World Bank
- Holiday Schedules (Federal Reserve Banks, 2026 to 2030, plus FedACH holiday processing) · Federal Reserve Financial Services
- Fedwire Funds Service and National Settlement Service Operating Hours · Federal Reserve Financial Services
- Guia para el trabajador (days of asueto under the Labour Code) · Ministerio de Trabajo y Prevision Social
- Decreto 19-2018, reform of the Ley que Promueve el Turismo Interno · Congreso de la Republica de Guatemala
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.