A data transfer apparatus includes a virtual channel unit configured to time share a serial bus for a first virtual channel and a second virtual channel and include a buffering control unit configured to receive data via the first virtual channel and the second virtual channel, first and second receive buffers being configured to store the data received via the first virtual channel and the second virtual channel, respectively; and a switching unit configured to control storing the data received via the first virtual channel in the second receive buffer when the buffering control unit receives the data from another data transfer apparatus which is configured to use only the first virtual channel and the capacity of the first receive buffer is smaller than that of the second receive buffer.