Send USD or foreign-currency wires to payees in most countries through Relay's SWIFT connection, typically arriving in 2 to 3 business days.
What you need before you start
Have this ready before you open the payment flow:
International wires enabled on your Relay account. Sending is enabled the first time you accept the international payments terms; receiving requires a separate application under Settings → International Wires Activation
The payee's legal name and physical address (PO Boxes are not accepted)
The payee's SWIFT/BIC code, plus an IBAN or local account number if the destination country requires one
Any destination-specific fields the country requires (BSB for Australia, CNAPS for CNY wires to China, Purpose of Payment code for the UAE, and so on)
Enough balance in the paying account to cover the wire amount plus the plan-based SWIFT fee
Access to the mobile phone tied to your 2FA, in case you are prompted to verify the payment with an SMS code
If the wire is in a currency other than USD, plan the send inside the FX conversion window: Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm ET. USD-denominated SWIFT wires can be initiated outside that window.
How do I send a SWIFT international wire on the web?
Sign in to Relay on desktop and follow these steps.
Sign in to your Relay account
Go to the Payments tab
Click Send International Payment
Select International Wire (SWIFT)
Under Recipient (vendor), select an existing payee or add a new one
Choose the Pay From Account
Under Amount, pick USD or the destination currency
Enter the wire amount
Click Next Step
Confirm the Payment Method and Payee Details
Select a Purpose Code
Choose the Scheduled Date
Choose whether the payment is recurring
Enter a memo
Click Next Step
Confirm the details and select Pay
Relay customers can also navigate to their recent payment activity from the Payments dashboard and select “New Payment” from a previously sent transaction. This will start a new payment to the same payee associated with that transaction.
How do I send a SWIFT international wire from the Relay mobile app?
Use these steps on iOS or Android.
Open the Relay mobile app and sign in
Go to Payments and tap Send Payment
Select the recipient or add a new payee
Enter the payment amount and currency
Select the source account
Choose International Wire (SWIFT)
Enter the payee's personal details
Select a Purpose Code
Enter a memo
Press Pay
How much does a SWIFT wire cost on Relay?
The per-wire SWIFT fee is set by your Relay Subscription Plan.
Plan | Fee per SWIFT wire |
Starter Plan | $25 |
Grow Plan | $22 |
Scale Plan | $20 |
Intermediary banks in the SWIFT chain may also deduct their own fees from the wire amount before it reaches the payee's account. Relay does not control what intermediary banks charge.
How long does a SWIFT wire take to arrive?
SWIFT wires are typically sent out within 2 to 3 business days of you submitting the payment. Total delivery time depends on the payee's bank and any intermediary banks that route the funds along the way.
What are the daily and monthly international wire limits?
Accounts have per-day and per-month limits on outbound international wires. Exact limits vary by plan, account age, and verification status. You can view your current limits in your Relay account under Settings → Account Limits.
What information do I need for specific countries?
Some destinations require extra fields on top of the SWIFT/BIC code.
Australia (AUD): Include the payee's BSB (Bank State Branch) number, and add the account number to the memo in the format
FBO [account number]China (CNY): A CNAPS number is required for wires to Chinese bank accounts in CNY
United Arab Emirates: A Purpose of Payment (PoP) code is required on the wire
European Union and most of continental Europe: An IBAN is required in addition to the SWIFT/BIC
United Kingdom: An IBAN is required; a sort code may also be requested
For any country not listed here, ask the payee's bank which fields they require.
What is a SWIFT code?
A SWIFT code (also called a BIC, or Bank Identifier Code) is an 8-to-11 character identifier that routes the wire to the payee's specific bank and branch anywhere in the world. The payee's bank supplies the code.
What is an IBAN?
An International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is a standardized account identifier of up to 34 alphanumeric characters used in many countries to route international wires. IBANs are required for wires to most European countries and several markets in the Middle East.
How do I pay a bill through the international wire flow?
If you already have the bill file, start the wire from Bill Pay and let Relay pre-fill the payment details.
Sign in to your Relay account
Click Payments and select the international wire payment method
Under Have a bill handy?, upload the bill file
Relay auto-extracts the vendor name, invoice number, line items, and dates
Review or edit any fields, and complete the memo
Optional: add accounting categorization
Click Next Step
Verify the details and select Pay
Common issues
Wire not received after 3 business days: Confirm the SWIFT/BIC and IBAN you entered match what the payee's bank has on file. Ask the payee whether their bank is holding the wire for compliance review.
FX rate expired or not showing: Non-USD conversions run Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm ET. Retry inside that window for foreign-currency sends.
"Additional information required" error at review: The destination country needs an extra field (BSB, CNAPS, PoP code, IBAN). Add the field and resubmit.
SMS 2FA code not arriving: Check the phone number on file under Settings, and confirm your device has signal. Retry the send, and contact Customer Experience if the code still does not arrive.
Wire returned or bounced: The receiving bank or an intermediary can return a wire for missing information, sanctions review, or a closed payee account. Contact Customer Experience with the payment reference number so we can trace it.
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