I have a confusion to understand the difference between [振]{ふ}り[替]{か}える and [振]{ふ}り[込]{こ}む. I would be glad if someone point the difference between them. Thank you in advance.


振り替え typically means moving money from an account that belongs to you to another account that belongs to you with both accounts belonging to the same bank branch. For example, you could move from money from your savings to checking account. This process is typically free and very fast. Automated payments to things like utilities or credit cards are also called 口座振替. The fee for 口座振替 is typically paid by the receiver.

振り込み typically means to deposit money into an account. The source of the money can be cash. But if source of the money is another account, that account and the account that gets desposited into do not have to be the same bank or owned by the same person. The speed is typically slower than 振り替え and it might be processed on the next business day if it's too late in the day (3PM!!! on weekdays for Mizuho Bank when transferring to another bank). There's typically a fee associated with this especially when transferring between banks, but sometimes even when transferring between branches of the same bank. Here's an example of the fee structure from Mizuho Bank

振込金額                                         3万円未満  3万円以上 
当行同一支店内宛 (Same bank, same branch)        0円        0円 
当行本支店宛 (Same bank, main branch)            108円      216円 
他行宛 (Other bank)                              216円      432円

There are some exceptions to these definitions. For example, the Japan Post Bank calls 振り込み with cash as 払込み and what is typically known as electronic 振り込み as 電信振替. 電信振替 naturally has a fee associated with it. I'm sure there are other exceptions as well.

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込む can be seen as "into", so 振り込む means to put money into a bank account. A 振込 can be made by putting (振り) cash into (込む) a bank account, it doesn't necessarily have to be a transfer from one bank account to another.

替える means to change, so 振り替える means to transfer money from an account to another, a 振替 should be made only using the same "currency" (not sure if this is the right word), because it basically can be seen as "to move the money".

As for the way you use them, a 振替 can be a payment for rent for example, when a certain amount of money if debited from your bank account and credited to another bank account, it is a 振替.

If you put cash into your bank account, it is a 振込.

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