Five things to check before your first international transfer

Most international transfer problems aren't fraud or system failures — they're small data-entry mismatches that cause a delay or a bounce-back. Check these five things first and you'll avoid nearly all of them.

1. The beneficiary's name, exactly as their bank has it

Middle names, hyphenated surnames, and transliteration all matter. A name that doesn't match the receiving account precisely is one of the most common reasons a transfer gets held for manual review on the other end.

2. The correct SWIFT/BIC code

This code identifies the receiving bank, not the account — get it directly from your beneficiary rather than guessing from a bank's general website, since larger banks often have different codes per branch or region.

3. IBAN versus account number

Many countries use an IBAN instead of a standalone account number. Sending an account number where an IBAN is expected (or vice versa) is a common cause of returned transfers.

4. Who pays intermediary fees

Some routes involve an intermediary bank that takes a small cut in transit. Confirm with your beneficiary whether they expect the full amount to arrive, or expect to absorb any intermediary deduction themselves.

5. The fee tier for your transfer amount

Our transfer form calculates the exact fee for your amount before you confirm, so there's no separate deduction to anticipate — but it's still worth checking the total against what your beneficiary is actually expecting to receive.