How does Wise work for international transfers

Wise works for international transfers by letting you create an account, enter an amount and recipient, pay for the transfer and track it online or in the Wise app.

A simple Wise overview of the process, based on Wise's own help pages, follows the steps below.

1. Create an account: Sign up for free on the Wise website or app using an email address, or a Google or Facebook login.
2. Verify your details: Add your personal information and confirm your phone number with a code sent to it.
3. Verify your identity if asked: Depending on how much you send, Wise may ask for a photo ID such as a passport or driver's licence.
4. Start a transfer: Select Send Money, choose the currency you are sending from and the currency the recipient will get, and type in the amount.
5. Review the cost: Wise shows its fee upfront along with the mid-market exchange rate used for the transfer before you continue.
6. Add the recipient: Enter the recipient's bank details, such as an IBAN or SWIFT code, or have Wise email the recipient to collect their details.
7. Pay for the transfer: Fund it by bank transfer, debit or credit card, or from money already held in your Wise balance.
8. Confirm and send: Check the transfer details, select Continue and then Send.
9. Track it: Follow the status of the payment under Transactions on your Wise home screen.

Costs can vary with the route. For example, sending USD to someone outside the US over SWIFT carries an extra fee, so review the fee shown on screen for your specific currency pair and payment method before confirming.