You can receive international wires in USD, EUR, GBP, or CAD into your Relay Account once you activate receiving international wires and choose a deposit account.
What you need before you start
An activated Relay Account with international wire receiving turned on
A checking account you can designate as the destination for incoming international wires
Your business's registered physical address (PO Boxes are not accepted)
The sender's country, sending bank, and the currency they plan to use
Access to Relay on desktop (deposit account setup is desktop only today)
How do I activate international wire receiving?
Activation is a one-time step you complete before any sender can wire funds to your Relay Account. Sign in on desktop, open Accounts, and follow the activation flow. For the full walkthrough, see How to Activate Receiving International Wires.
How do I choose my deposit account for incoming international wires?
You can designate one checking account at a time to receive international wires, and you can change it whenever you want. Setup is available on desktop only.
Sign in to your Relay Account on desktop.
Go to Accounts.
Select Manage accounts.
Click Receiving International Wire Account.
Select the checking account you want wires deposited into.
Click Save.
International wires post only to the designated account. Choose the account that fits your bookkeeping workflow, such as a dedicated income account if you use Profit First.
Where do I find my international wire receiving details?
Your receiving details live inside the deposit account you designated, and they change based on the currency your sender is paying in.
Go to Accounts.
Open the checking account you selected as your international wire deposit account.
Click Details.
Under Receive Money, click International Wires.
Select the currency (USD, EUR, GBP, or CAD) and copy the details shown.
Share the details for the specific currency your sender is paying in. Mixing currencies (for example, sending EUR to your USD SWIFT details) is a common cause of delayed or returned wires.
Should my sender use the Local Network or SWIFT?
For EUR, GBP, and CAD, ask the sender to use the Local Network. It is typically faster and avoids intermediary bank fees. Use SWIFT for USD, or for any currency the sender cannot pay in through local rails.
Local Network (EUR, GBP, CAD): SEPA for EUR, Faster Payments for GBP, EFT for CAD. Faster settlement, fewer intermediary fees.
SWIFT (USD and other currencies): Global rails. Intermediary banks may deduct fees before the funds arrive.
What information does my sender need to send USD via SWIFT?
For USD, or for any currency Relay does not accept over the Local Network, your sender uses the SWIFT network and needs your Thread Bank, Member FDIC, receiving details.
Beneficiary name: your registered business name, exactly as it appears on your Relay Account
Beneficiary address: your business's physical address, no PO Boxes
Beneficiary account number or IBAN as shown in your Relay SWIFT details
Beneficiary bank: SWIFT/BIC code, bank name, and bank address
Intermediary bank (if listed): SWIFT/BIC, bank name, and address
Payment reference: your company name and invoice or reference number
Intermediary banks may deduct fees before the funds land. If the exact received amount matters for invoice reconciliation, ask the sender to select "OUR" charges so they absorb wire fees on their side.
What information does my sender need to send EUR, GBP, or CAD via the Local Network?
Local Network details vary by currency, but every payment needs your business name and a physical business address.
EUR (SEPA Credit Transfer or SEPA Instant):
Beneficiary business name and physical address (no PO Boxes)
IBAN from your Relay Account
Reference: your company name and invoice or reference number
GBP (Faster Payments Service):
Beneficiary business name and physical address
Sort code and account number from your Relay Account
Reference: your company name and invoice or reference number
CAD (Electronic Funds Transfer):
Beneficiary business name and physical address
Institution number, transit number, and account number from your Relay Account
Reference: your company name and invoice or reference number
For any currency outside USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD, check Currencies available in Relay for current support.
How long do incoming international wires take, and what fees apply?
Delivery time depends on the sender's bank, cutoffs, and whether the wire uses Local Network or SWIFT. Local Network transfers typically land faster than SWIFT. Relay does not charge a fee to receive international wires. For SWIFT transfers, the sender's bank and any intermediary banks may deduct fees before the funds arrive in your account.
How do I track an incoming international wire?
SWIFT wires (USD and other currencies) can often be tracked using an MT103 document from the sender's bank. Local Network transfers (EUR, GBP, CAD) usually cannot be tracked with an MT103; the sender needs to check the payment status with their own bank.
What happens after an international wire arrives?
Non-USD wires (EUR, GBP, CAD) convert to USD automatically once they land in your designated Relay checking account. Conversion runs during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, so a wire that arrives on a weekend converts on the next business day. The USD amount posts to your account with the applied exchange rate shown in the transaction detail.
Common issues and how to resolve them
Wire returned for wrong beneficiary name. The name on the sender's instructions must match your business name or a Beneficial Owner on file with Relay. See Which names can I receive ACH, wire, or check payments under?
Wire rejected for PO Box address. Sending and intermediary banks reject wires with PO Box beneficiary addresses. Provide your registered physical business address instead.
Wire delayed in transit. SWIFT wires can sit at intermediary banks for extra review. Ask the sender to request an MT103 status update from their bank.
Wire returned because Relay does not support the sender's country. Check Country Restrictions for Sending or Receiving International Wires before sharing your wiring details.
Currency arrived but did not convert. Conversion runs Monday through Friday. Weekend and holiday arrivals convert on the next business day.
Wrong currency details shared with the sender. Copy details from the specific currency panel (USD, EUR, GBP, or CAD) inside your deposit account. Sending EUR to USD SWIFT details, for example, can delay or return the wire.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to activate receiving international wires before I can receive one? Yes. Receiving international wires requires a one-time activation in your Relay Account before any sender can wire funds to you.
Which currencies can I receive? You can receive USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD. Non-USD wires convert to USD automatically after receipt. See Currencies available in Relay for current support.
Can I receive an international wire under my DBA name? No. International wires can only be received under your registered business name or a Beneficial Owner name on file with Relay.
Does Relay convert non-USD wires automatically? Yes. Relay Accounts hold funds in USD, so EUR, GBP, and CAD wires convert to USD after receipt at the applied exchange rate.
Why was my international wire returned? Common reasons include the sender using the wrong currency details, a PO Box beneficiary address, a beneficiary name that does not match your business or Beneficial Owner records, or missing intermediary bank details for SWIFT.
Related articles
Country Restrictions for Sending or Receiving International Wires
Which names can I receive ACH, wire, or check payments under?
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