The basic process: three steps and a waiting period
To move money from Robinhood to your bank account, you initiate a transfer through the Robinhood app or website, confirm your bank details, and wait for the money to arrive. Robinhood calls this a withdrawal. The money does not move when ready—it takes one to three business days for the transfer to complete, depending on your bank and the day you initiate it.
The process itself is straightforward: you tell Robinhood where to send the money, Robinhood sends it, and your bank receives it. But the timing matters, and there are a few rules about what money you can move and when.
Key Takeaways
- Withdrawals from Robinhood take one to three business days to reach your bank account, not minutes or hours.
- You can only withdraw cash that has settled—money from stock sales or deposits that arrived more than two business days ago.
- If you have unsettled funds (money waiting to clear), Robinhood will not let you withdraw until those funds settle.
- You must have a linked bank account on file before you can start a withdrawal, and Robinhood will verify it with small test deposits if it is new.
What money you can actually withdraw
Not all the money showing in your Robinhood account is ready to move. Settled cash is money that has been in your account for at least two business days. If you sold a stock yesterday, that money is unsettled and you cannot withdraw it yet. If you deposited money from your bank three days ago, that is settled and you can move it.
Robinhood shows you both numbers: your total account value and your buying power (the cash you can actually use or withdraw). The buying power number is what matters for withdrawals. If your buying power is $500 but your total account shows $800, you have $300 in unsettled funds sitting there. You can only withdraw the $500.
This rule exists because Robinhood itself does not have the money until your bank or the stock exchange confirms the transaction. Until that confirmation arrives, Robinhood is holding your request in a queue.
How to start a withdrawal on the app or website
Open Robinhood and go to your Account tab. Look for the option labeled "Transfers" or "Withdraw" (the exact wording changes between the app and website, but it is always in the account settings area). Tap or click it, then select "Withdraw to Bank Account."
Robinhood will show you a list of any bank accounts you have already linked. If you have never linked a bank account before, you will see a button to add one. Enter your bank's routing number and your account number—both are on a check or available from your bank's website or app. Robinhood will ask whether the account is checking or savings.
Once your bank account is linked, Robinhood performs a verification step: it sends two small deposits (usually under $1 each) to your bank account. You will see these deposits appear in your bank account within one to two business days. You then return to Robinhood and confirm the amounts of those deposits. This step happens only once per bank account. After that, the account is verified and you can withdraw whenever you want.
Entering the withdrawal amount and confirming timing
After your bank account is verified, you enter the amount you want to withdraw. Robinhood will show you your available balance and let you withdraw any amount up to that balance. You can withdraw $50 or $5,000—there is no minimum or maximum set by Robinhood itself, though your bank may have its own limits.
Before you confirm, Robinhood tells you when the money will arrive. The standard message is "1–3 business days." The actual timing depends on your bank and when you initiate the transfer. A withdrawal started on a Tuesday morning usually arrives by Thursday. One started on a Friday afternoon may not arrive until Tuesday, because the banking system does not process transfers over weekends.
Once you confirm, the withdrawal is locked in. You cannot cancel it after you hit the final button, so double-check the amount and the bank account before you submit.
What happens after you submit the withdrawal
Robinhood when ready deducts the money from your account. Your Robinhood balance drops right away, but your bank account balance does not change yet. The money is in transit between Robinhood's bank and your bank.
During this transit period, you can see the withdrawal status in the Transfers section of your Robinhood account. It will show as "pending" or "in progress." Once your bank receives the money, the status changes to "completed" and the funds appear in your checking or savings account.
If something goes wrong—your bank account number was wrong, or your bank rejected the transfer for another reason—Robinhood will send the money back to your Robinhood account. This reversal takes another one to three business days. Robinhood will notify you in the app if a withdrawal fails.
Timing issues and why weekends matter
The one to three business day window exists because banks do not process transfers on weekends or federal holidays. If you initiate a withdrawal on Friday at 4 p.m., your bank may not even receive the request until Monday morning. From there, it takes another one to two business days to process. You could be waiting until Wednesday or Thursday.
Robinhood processes withdrawal requests during business hours on weekdays. If you submit a request after market close (4 p.m. Eastern) or on a weekend, it enters the queue and processes the next business day.
This is why the timing is not exact. Robinhood cannot promise the money will arrive in exactly two days because it depends on when your specific bank processes the incoming transfer. Some banks are faster than others.
Fees and costs
Robinhood does not charge a fee to withdraw money to your bank account. The transfer is free. Your bank may charge a fee if you exceed a certain number of transfers per month (some banks limit free transfers to six per month), but Robinhood itself takes nothing.
The only cost is the opportunity cost: if you need the money urgently and it takes three days to arrive, you are without that cash for three days. If you are moving money to cover an upcoming bill, plan for the full three-day window and initiate the withdrawal earlier than you think you need to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I withdraw money if I have unsettled funds in my account?
No. Robinhood will only let you withdraw your settled cash balance. If you have unsettled funds, you have to wait until they settle (usually two business days after the transaction) before you can withdraw that portion. Your app shows both numbers so you know which is which.
What if I entered the wrong bank account number?
Robinhood will catch most errors before the transfer goes out. If the number is invalid, it will reject the withdrawal and ask you to correct it. If the number is valid but belongs to someone else's account, the receiving bank will reject the transfer and send the money back to Robinhood, which then returns it to your account. This takes an extra one to three business days.
Do I have to verify my bank account every time I withdraw?
No. You verify it once with the two small test deposits. After that, you can withdraw to that account as many times as you want without repeating the verification step. If you add a new bank account, you will have to verify that one too.
Why does my withdrawal say "pending" after three business days?
If a withdrawal is still pending after three business days, contact Robinhood support. This is unusual and usually means either your bank is processing it slowly or there is a technical issue on Robinhood's end. Robinhood can see the status on their side and can tell you whether the money has actually left their system.
Can I withdraw money that I used to buy stocks if the stocks are still in my account?
No. Once you use cash to buy a stock, that cash is no longer in your account—it is now part of the stock position. You can only withdraw cash that is sitting as cash. If you want to move that money, you have to sell the stock first, wait for the sale to settle (one business day), and then withdraw the proceeds.