Guide to sending large payments with Airwallex UK, including transfer limits

Need to make a large business payment? You may be investing in new equipment or office space, or simply have a large supplier invoice to pay.

Whatever the reason for the payment, you’ll need a fast, reliable and secure way to make large business transfers - without high fees.

This helpful guide looks at how large payments work with Airwallex, a popular provider of digital business accounts in the UK. It covers how to set up a transfer, average transfer times, limits, security considerations and fees.

Plus, a look at an alternative - Wise Business. You can securely send large transfers with Wise Business for low fees and mid-market exchange rates. This makes it ideal if you’re making a transfer across international borders.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

Can you use Airwallex for large transfers?

Yes, Airwallex business accounts are ideal for making high value business and corporate transfers, within the UK and internationally.

You can make large transfers to 200+ countries and regions, and in 60+ currencies with Airwallex.¹ It all happens through the Airwallex online platform - or via the Airwallex mobile app - where you can choose from payment methods including local bank transfers, BPAY and SWIFT.

An additional feature is batch payments, handy for paying multiple large bills or suppliers at once. Airwallex also offers multi-layered approval workflows and user permissions, to help you keep full control of spending - particularly when making high value payments.

Is Airwallex safe for large payments?

Security will always be a top priority when sending large amounts, so it’s important to choose a regulated, trustworthy provider.

Airwallex (UK) Limited use advanced security measures to protect accounts, payments and sensitive information.

This includes:²

• AI-powered fraud detection and 24/7 monitoring service
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) to safeguard your account (i.e. texting you a passcode when you login to the online platform)
• End-to-end data encryption
• Multi-layered approval workflows and user permissions
• Independent security testing, plus third-party penetration testing and advanced threat adversary simulation attacks.

Airwallex is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the highest level of compliance, as well as being SOC 1 and SOC 2 compliant.² It also uses safeguarding, where customer money is kept separate from its own funds - held in specially designated, ring-fenced client accounts at regulated banks and credit institutions.

When using any financial service, it’s crucial to take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your business when sending payments. These include double-checking recipient bank details, keeping your online banking details secure and being vigilant against scams.

How to make a large payment with Airwallex

You can make an Airwallex large payment via online banking or mobile banking. As it is a digital service, it doesn’t have any physical branches, so you can’t set up payments in person.

Before you can send your transfer, you’ll need to have the recipient’s details to hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

• The recipient’s name or business name as it appears on their bank account
• Their bank account number and sort code
• The type of account (i.e. a business account)
• The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) - for international transfers
• The SWIFT/BIC code for their bank - for international transfers.

To set up the payment online, follow these steps:³

1. Sign into your Airwallex account to open a new account if you don’t already have one
2. Navigate to ‘Transfers’ or ‘Wallet’
3. Select ‘New Transfer’
4. Select an existing recipient from the dropdown list, or add their details if it’s a new recipient
5. Select the funding account
6. Enter the amount to send
7. Choose a transfer method - the available options may vary depending on the destination country
8. Add additional details - including the transfer date, purpose, transfer reference and optional internal reference
9. Review your payment details and select ‘Submit for approval’
10. Check all the details and select ‘Complete payment’ to confirm.

Once you’ve submitted the request, you’ll receive confirmation from Airwallex. There’ll also be the option to download the confirmation letter to keep for your records and/or send to recipients.

In the case of some large payments, you may be contacted by Airwallex for extra checks or asked to provide additional verification documents showing the source of the funds (for example, business bank statements). This is to comply with anti-money laundering, anti-fraud and other financial regulations.

How long do large transfers take with Airwallex?

Airwallex large transfer times vary depending on the transfer method, date and recipient location.

But on average, payments take between 0 and 3 working days to arrive.⁴ You’ll be able to see the estimated transfer time when setting up the transfer, and track the payment once submitted.

You can also check Airwallex payout network information for an idea of destination-specific payout times.

What's the Airwallex maximum transfer limit?

You’ll also need to know how much you can send in one payment, and per day.

Airwallex transfer limits vary depending on quite a few factors, including the currency, payment channel and your account capabilities.

In general, there is no upper limit when sending SWIFT payments with Airwallex, but there may be limits when sending internationally via other methods. For example, the maximum you can send to the US via ACH or Same Day ACH is $15 million USD.⁵

Other limits may apply, such as the £1 million GBP limit when sending through the UK’s Faster Payments network.

Another thing to bear in mind is that due to compliance regulations, Airwallex may need to carry out additional verification checks for payments over £25,000 or the currency equivalent.⁵

You should be able to see specific transfer limits when you set up your payment.

Get expert support for your large transfer 📞

What are the Airwallex fees for large transfers?

Now for the all-important question - how much does it cost to use Airwallex for large transfers?

Here’s a quick look at Airwallex large transfer fees, including the subscription costs for your account:⁶

• fees correct as of 01.07.26

When Airwallex talks about local payments, it means that you can access local account details for 16 countries, including Australia, Canada, the US, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, the UAE and the UK. This lets you tap into local payment rails to make payments within that country, just like a local.

While these fees may seem pretty straightforward, there’s another cost to consider that is a little more complicated. This is the exchange rate for converting currency, which will be essential to know if you’re sending an international payment.

Providers such as Airwallex typically add their own margin to the mid-market exchange rate, which can make the transfer more expensive - especially if you’re sending large amounts.

For Airwallex customers, this means an extra 0.5% above mid-market rates for major currencies such as:⁶

• US dollars (USD)
• British pounds (GBP)
• Euros (EUR)
• Chinese yuan (CNY)
• Canadian dollars (CAD)
• Australian dollars (AUD)
• New Zealand dollars (NZY)
• Singapore dollars (SGD)
• Hong Kong dollars (HKD)
• Japanese yen (JPY)
• Swiss francs (CHF).

For all other currencies, the margin is higher at 1%.⁶

An Airwallex alternative: use Wise Business for large transfers

As an alternative to Airwallex, check out Wise Business - which has multi-currency account and card solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Wise Business also has a dedicated secure service for sending large payments.

Wise transfer limits depend on what currency is being sent, here's a few of the most popular:

• GBP - £20 million GBP per transfer
• EUR - €20 million EUR per transfer
• USD - $20 million USD when paying from your USD account, $1.6 million per SWIFT transfer.

It’s also worth knowing that Wise offers discounts for sending large amounts over £20,000 (or the currency equivalent). The more you send, the more you save.

You can open up an account for free, and send large payments right away with the Wise Business Essential plan. All accounts can hold and exchange 40+ currencies. With Wise Business Advanced, available for a one-time fee of just £50, you can receive payments like a local with major currency account details. There are no ongoing monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements.

Whenever you need to convert currencies, to send a payment or spend with your Wise debit card, you’ll get the mid-market exchange rate and low conversion costs from 0.24%.

You also have the ability to earn a return on GBP, EUR and USD funds with Wise Interest (capital at risk, growth not guaranteed). See more information at Wise Business Interest.

Read more: Airwallex vs Wise Business: UK Comparison 2026

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 70+ countries and pay overseas invoices at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no hidden exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
• 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
• 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
• 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation. See full cashback terms and conditions
• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
• 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
• 📈 Earn variable returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Rates vary by country and currency. Rates are variable. Visit Wise Interest to find out more)
• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily (Card payment acceptance for new Wise Business customers is currently unavailable. Payment methods subject to eligibility and availability.)
• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

**Investments are not guaranteed, and your capital is at risk.

Wise is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), so features like Interest and Stocks may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). For standard cash balances, we safeguard your funds to meet regulatory obligations.

In the UK, Interest and Stocks are provided by Wise Assets, the trading name of Wise Assets UK Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 839689).

We do not provide investment advice, and taxes may apply. If unsure, seek qualified financial advice. Full fund information is available on our website.

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Sources used:

1. Airwallex - Fast, cost-effective international money transfer services
2. Airwallex - Is Airwallex safe?
3. Airwallex - Help - How can I create a transfer/payout?
4. Airwallex - Help - How long should it take for my recipient to receive their funds?
5. Airwallex - Send money to the United States from the UK
6. Airwallex - Plans and pricing

Sources last checked 01-Jul-2026