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What are "business days"?
What are "business days"?

How the financial network calculates transit times

Updated over a week ago

When referencing "Business Days" in the Horizon Payment Center, the system is referring to the business operating days defined by the banking institutions involved in payment transactions. Typically, this is Monday through Friday, excluding US Federal Holidays. Your individual banking institution may vary from "normal" business days, but most banking institutions follow this practice.

  • Transactions do not process holidays, and these days are excluded from transaction processing timelines.

  • Transactions are not processed on Saturdays or Sundays, and these days are also excluded from transaction processing timelines.

US Federal Holidays

Banking transactions are not conducted on US Federal Holidays and do not count towards any transaction timeline.

  • New Year's Day (January 1)

  • Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)

  • Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February)

  • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

  • Juneteenth (June 19)

  • Independence Day (July 4)

  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)

  • Columbus Day (Second Monday in October)

  • Veterans Day (November 11)

  • Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)

  • Christmas Day (December 25)

Bank Holiday Impact on ACH Payments
Similar to initiating a payment on a typical weekend, if you’re initiating your payment on a banking holiday, processing times will be delayed until the next business day.

If a Bank Holiday Falls on a Weekday

When a payment is initiated on a bank holiday that falls on a weekday, the transfer will be delayed until the next business day. For example, if you initiate a payment on Christmas Day, which falls on Friday, it won’t actually initiate until Monday, the next operating business day.

If a Bank Holiday Falls on a Weekend

If a banking holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it could also affect your payment processing date. For example, if a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, it is usually observed on the receding Friday. Likewise, when a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is usually observed on the following Monday.

Processing Cut-Off Time

Financial transactions are processed up until 5:00 pm ET (America/New_York). Any transactions initiated before the cut-off time will be included on that business day's batch processing. Any transactions initiated on a non-business day or initiated at or after the cut-off time will be processed on the next available business day.

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