How to Fill Out the Schwab MoneyLink Electronic Funds Transfer Form

To fill out the Schwab MoneyLink form, complete Sections 1, 3, and 7 at a minimum, add any optional sections that apply to your situation, attach a voided preprinted check or an acceptable substitute, sign it with every Schwab account holder plus one holder of the outside account, and either upload it through the Message Center inside your Schwab login or mail it to the operations center for your state. Online setup through the Schwab website usually activates in two to three business days; a mailed paper form takes one to two weeks.

Do You Actually Need the Paper Form?

Most people don’t. Schwab’s website lets you add an external bank by logging in, going to Transfer & Move Money, and entering the routing and account numbers directly. Verification happens either through a third-party service or through small trial deposits.¹

The paper form is the right tool in a handful of situations:

An investment advisor needs authorization to initiate transfers on your behalf.
You want to set up dividend and interest sweep instructions at the same time.
The online system cannot verify your external account electronically.
You’re linking a corporate or organizational account instead of a personal one.

You can download the PDF from the Forms Library inside your Schwab client portal.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Pull these together first so you can complete the form in one sitting:

Your Schwab account number, from a statement or the account dashboard. Multiple Schwab accounts can go on one form if they share the same tax ID and account holder names.
The external bank’s nine-digit ABA routing number, from the bottom left of a check or the bank’s website.
The external account number. Schwab processes transfers using only the routing and account numbers, so every digit needs to be right.
The external account type: personal checking, personal savings, corporate/organization checking, or corporate/organization savings.

For a joint Schwab account, both holders sign. If an investment advisor will initiate transfers, every Schwab account holder also has to initial the advisor authorization section personally.

Going Through the Form Section by Section

The form has seven sections. Sections 1, 3, and 7 are required for everyone. The rest apply depending on what you’re trying to do.

Section 1: Schwab Account Information

Enter your full name exactly as it appears on the Schwab account, along with the account number.

Section 2: Setup, Change, or Termination

Indicate whether you’re setting up a new link, changing an existing one, or terminating one. First-time users pick setup.

Section 3: External Bank Information

Fill in the routing number, account number, and account type for the outside institution. This is also where the supporting document gets attached. Schwab does not verify whether the account number and the account name actually match, so a wrong digit here can send money to the wrong place with no easy recovery.¹

Section 4: Type of Transfer

Choose on-request transfers, which you initiate manually each time, or recurring transfers on a schedule. For on-request, mark the direction: into Schwab, out of Schwab, or both. For recurring, enter the dollar amount, start date, and frequency. Frequencies range from weekly to annually, and semimonthly and last-business-day-of-the-month are available.¹

Section 5: Income Payments (Optional)

Skip this unless you want dividends, interest, or money market income sent to your external bank. You can have income paid as it accrues or accumulated and paid on the last business day of each month.

Section 6: Advisor Authorization (Optional)

Only relevant if an investment advisor manages your Schwab account and you want them to initiate MoneyLink transactions. Every Schwab account holder must initial this section personally. The advisor cannot initial it on your behalf.

Section 7: Signatures

All Schwab account holders sign and date the form. At least one holder of the outside account also signs. That signature authorizes Schwab to originate both credits (money to your bank) and debits (money from your bank) through the ACH network.

The Supporting Document You Have to Attach

You must include proof that you own the external account. A voided preprinted check is the standard. Starter or temporary checks issued when an account is first opened won’t work, because they lack the preprinted account holder information Schwab requires.

If a preprinted check isn’t available, any of the following substitutes works:

A deposit or withdrawal slip from the external institution.
An account statement showing the account registration and number.
A preprinted direct deposit form from the institution listing the account title, number, type, and routing number.
A letter on the institution’s letterhead, signed by an officer, with the account title, number, type, and routing number.

The name on the supporting document should match the registration on your Schwab account. Schwab can reject or delay processing when instructions are incomplete or inaccurate.¹

How to Submit the Completed Form

You have three ways to get the form to Schwab.

Upload It Through the Message Center

Log in, open the Message Center, and use the document upload feature to attach a scan or clear photo of the completed form together with the supporting document.² This is the fastest option.

Mail It to the Right Regional Center

Schwab routes mail to one of two operations centers based on where you live.³

Western states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY, and Armed Forces Americas/Pacific):

Standard mail: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., El Paso Operation Center, P.O. Box 982600, El Paso, TX 79998
Overnight: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., El Paso Operation Center, 1945 Northwestern Drive, El Paso, TX 79912

Eastern states (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, and U.S. territories):

Standard mail: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Omaha Operations Center, P.O. Box 2339, Omaha, NE 68103
Overnight: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Omaha Operations Center, 200 S 108th Ave, Omaha, NE 68154

Call for Help

If you get stuck on the form or need to change an existing link, call Schwab at 1-800-435-4000. From outside the United States, use +1-415-667-5009.¹

What Happens After Schwab Receives the Form

The link still has to be verified before your first transfer can move. Schwab picks one of three methods at its discretion:¹

Third-party verification through a consumer reporting agency. No action needed from you.
A real-time electronic connection between your Schwab and external accounts. Also no action needed.
Trial deposits. Schwab sends small test amounts to your external bank, and you log in and confirm the exact amounts to prove you have access.

Online setup requests are typically approved within two to three business days. Paper forms submitted by mail take one to two weeks because of mailing plus the same processing and verification steps. Once the link is active, MoneyLink deposits clear in about three business days.⁴

Changing or Canceling the Link Later

Transfer frequency, dollar amounts, transfer dates, and start dates can be adjusted online or by phone. Changes to the external bank information itself, such as a new routing number or account number, require written or electronic authorization and must reach Schwab by 5:30 p.m. ET at least ten business days before the next scheduled transfer so the link can be revalidated.¹

To cancel MoneyLink entirely, call 1-800-435-4000 or use the Schwab website. To stop a single upcoming recurring transfer, Schwab must receive the request at least two business days before the scheduled payment date. If you call to stop a payment, Schwab may ask you to confirm in writing within 14 days. Written requests can go to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 3000 Schwab Way, Attn: MoneyLink Support Services, Westlake, TX 76262.¹

1
Charles Schwab. Schwab MoneyLink Terms and Conditions
2
Charles Schwab. How to Upload Forms and Documents to Your Account
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Charles Schwab. Contact Us
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Charles Schwab. Frequently Asked Questions from Clients