No. Starting January 1, 2026, a 1% excise tax (from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) applies to international transfers sent from the US using physical payment methods like cash, checks, or money orders. Because Wise uses digital payment methods (like ACH, wire transfers, and cards) that are not covered by this law, your transfers with Wise are not subject to this tax.

Sending money is a straightforward process that can be done through the Wise website or app by following these steps:

Register and Verify: First, sign up for a free account. You’ll typically need to verify your identity with a photo ID to ensure your transfers are secure.

Start Your Transfer: Click the “Send” button on your home screen.

Choose Your Recipient: Select an existing recipient or add a new one. You can add someone by entering their bank details manually, searching for their @Wisetag/email, or even using an AI tool that extracts details from an uploaded invoice or screenshot.

Enter Amount and Currency: Enter how much you want to send. You can choose to specify the exact amount you want to pay (“You send”) or the exact amount you want your recipient to receive (“Recipient gets”).

Select Payment Method: Choose how you’d like to pay (e.g., ACH, Wire, or Debit/Credit Card). Wise will show you the fees and the estimated arrival time for each option.

Review and Pay: Double-check all the details to avoid delays, then confirm and send your payment.

What happens next?
Wise will notify you via email when they receive your money and again when it has been sent to your recipient. You can track the progress of your transfer at any time under the “Transactions” tab on your home screen.

When you pay via ACH (connected bank account), it usually takes up to 4 working days for the money to reach Wise. However, unlike some other payment methods, your exchange rate is guaranteed the moment you authorize the payment, as long as Wise receives the money within the specified timeframe. To avoid delays or cancellations, ensure you have sufficient funds in your bank account for 2–3 business days after starting the transfer, as that is when the debit typically hits your account.

The fee for a wire transfer with Wise depends on whether you are using a wire to fund a transfer or receiving one into your account:

Paying for a transfer via wire: If you choose to fund your Wise payment using a wire transfer, you will pay a fixed fee (typically around $6.00 – $7.00 USD) plus a variable fee that starts from 0.33% for major currencies.

Receiving a wire into your Wise account: To receive USD into your Wise account details via wire or Swift, there is a fixed fee of $6.11 USD per transaction. (Note: Receiving USD via ACH is free).

Sending money from your Wise balance: If you already hold a balance and send it via wire, Wise charges a low fee that is clearly displayed in the app before you confirm the transaction.

Important Note: Your own bank may also charge you a separate fee for initiating the wire transfer to Wise. However, Wise always uses the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden markups on the conversion itself.

The timing of a wire transfer depends largely on whether it is domestic or international:

Domestic Wires (within the US): These are typically the fastest, usually completing within 24 hours or even just a few hours if initiated before the bank’s cutoff time.

International Wires: These generally take 1–5 business days. The extra time is due to the money moving through the Swift network, which often involves multiple “intermediary” banks and different time zones.

What causes delays?

Cutoff Times: Every bank has a daily deadline (often between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM). If you miss this, your wire won’t even start processing until the next business day.

Weekends and Holidays: Banks only process wires on business days. A wire sent on a Friday evening may not arrive until the following Tuesday.

Security & Compliance: Banks may pause transfers for manual review to prevent fraud or comply with international regulations.

Errors in Details: Even a small mistake in the recipient’s Swift code or account number can cause the wire to be delayed or returned entirely.

Yes, it is possible to send money using a credit card through several methods, though it is often more expensive than using a debit card or bank transfer. Here are the primary ways:

Money Transfer Providers (like Wise): You can fund an international or domestic transfer with your credit card. Wise, for example, allows you to send money overseas using the mid-market exchange rate with transparent fees.

P2P Apps: Many peer-to-peer apps like Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App allow you to link a credit card to send money to friends and family. However, note that Zelle does not support linking credit cards.

Cash Advance: Most credit card issuers allow you to take a “cash advance” to deposit money into your bank account or get cash, but this usually comes with high fees and immediate interest.

Traditional Services: Providers like Western Union and MoneyGram also allow you to pay for transfers using a credit card.

Important Considerations:

High Fees: Credit card payments typically incur higher processing fees from the transfer service.

Interest & Cash Advance Fees: Your card issuer may treat the transfer as a cash advance, meaning they might charge an additional 3-5% fee and start charging interest immediately with no grace period.

Credit Impact: Overextending yourself with credit card transfers can impact your credit score if you are unable to keep up with repayments.

Yes, you can pay for your Wise transfers using Google Pay through the Wise Android app (version 3.13.1 or later).

Regional Restrictions: Like Apple Pay, you must use a local card (e.g., a card issued in the US for USD transfers). Google Pay is not available for cards issued in Japan.

Limits for US Users: The limit is $2,000 USD per day and $8,000 USD per week, as long as you are in a licensed state.

Requirements: Ensure your Wise Android app is up to date, as the option will not appear on older versions.

Yes, you can use Apple Pay to fund your international transfers via the Wise iOS app or on the website using Safari.

Regional Restrictions: You must use a local card. For example, if you are sending USD, you must use a card issued in the US. Wise cannot accept cards issued in Japan via Apple Pay.

Limits for US Users: You can send up to $2,000 USD per day and $8,000 USD per week, provided you are in a licensed state.

Fees: Wise charges its normal card fee for Apple Pay transactions.

Yes, the limits depend on your payment method and how long you have been with Wise:

ACH (Connected Bank Account): You can send up to $50,000 USD every 24 hours, or up to $250,000 USD within a rolling 60-day period.

Wire Transfer: This method offers the highest limits, allowing you to send up to $1,000,000 USD per transfer.

Debit/Credit Card: These usually have lower limits, often around $2,000 to $10,000 USD per transaction, depending on your card issuer and location.

Wise Balance: Sending from your Wise balance generally offers the most flexibility for high-value transfers.

Can these limits be increased?
Your individual limits are determined by your verification status. The more Wise verifies your identity and address, the higher your limits become. For very large six- or seven-figure transfers, Wise may request additional documentation regarding your source of funds to comply with financial regulations.

You’ll need their full name, full address (we don’t accept PO boxes), bank account number, ACH or wire routing number (or ABA), and account type. If you’re sending to an individual, please include their first and last names and use only Latin characters (a-z). There’s an 18-character limit on recipient names. Account numbers are between 4–17 digits long. Routing numbers are 9 digits long. Find your recipient’s routing number

You can’t send US dollar (USD) to a recipient’s brokerage account or an intermediary bank. We also don’t support For Further Credit (FFC) payments. Keep in mind some banks use different routing numbers based on the transaction type (i.e. Wire or ACH). If obtaining your recipient’s account details from a check, it may not have the correct routing number that corresponds to the transfer type being used.

You can send US dollar (USD) to any bank account in the US that accepts ACH payments or wire payments. You can also send US dollar (USD) to bank accounts outside the US using the Swift payment network. These payments can take up to 6 working days to arrive and may be more expensive than transfers inside the US.