Guide to sending large payments with Countingup, including transfer limits

Buying new equipment, or putting down a deposit on new office space? Perhaps you’ve just placed a large order and have a high value supplier invoice to pay. Businesses often need to make large payments, but it’s not always easy finding a fast, reliable and secure way to do it - or without paying high fees.

This helpful guide looks at how large payments work with Countingup, a popular provider of app-based 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 Countingup for large transfers?

Yes, Countingup business accounts can be used for making some high value business transfers, but there are also limits which many companies may find restrictive.

The maximum you can send per day with a limited company account is £100,000 per day.¹ The Countingup transfer limit is even lower for sole trader accounts at just £30,000 per day.²

And there’s another restriction - you can only make UK payments with Countingup. It doesn’t currently support international transfers.

So if you want to send a larger payment than the limits allow, or you want to send money overseas, then you’re going to need to use your bank or find an alternative provider. It’s useful to know though that Countingup does have an international payments partner, CurrencyFair - you’ll be directed there via the app if you need to send money abroad.

Is Countingup 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.

Countingup UK uses advanced security measures to protect accounts, payments and sensitive information.

This includes:

• Biometric logins
• Dedicated security and compliance teams
• The ability to freeze your card
• 24/7 contact for reporting fraud

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. This does mean though that you don’t have any FSCS protection for your business funds.

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 Countingup

You can make a CountingUp large payment via the provider’s mobile app. 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).

If you’re sending an international payment with Countingup’s partner Currencyfair, you’ll also need additional details such as an International Bank Account Number (IBAN) and SWIFT/BIC code.

To set up the payment on the Countingup app, follow these steps:

1. Open the Countingup app and sign into your account. Make sure you’re using the latest version of the app from the Google Play Store or App Store.
2. Tap the ‘Pay’ icon at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap ‘Make a payment’
4. Select an existing recipient from the list, or add their details if it’s a new recipient
5. Enter the amount to send
6. Enter a reference for the recipient
7. Choose a category for the payment - this step is helpful for keeping bookkeeping organised
8. Check the details carefully
9. Once you’re happy, tap ‘Send payment’

Once you’ve submitted the request, you should receive confirmation from Countingup.

In the case of some large payments, it’s possible that you may be contacted by Countingup for extra checks or asked to provide additional verification documents showing the source of the funds (for example, business bank statements).

This is standard practice in the money transfer world, in order for providers to comply with anti-money laundering, anti-fraud and other financial regulations.

How long do large transfers take with Countingup?

Countingup large transfer times are determined by the payment method.

Most payments will be made by Faster Payments, which take up to 2 hours to arrive - but most payments will arrive almost instantly.²

In rare cases, it can take up to 24 hours.³ This can happen if the receiving bank has extra security checks or internal policies that can cause a delay.

What's the Countingup maximum transfer limit?

You’ll also need to know how much you can send in one payment, and per day. If you can’t make the whole of the required payment in one go, it could cause delays for your suppliers or cause other operational issues.

Countingup transfer limits vary depending on your account and business type. Here are the daily and monthly payment limits you need to know about:

These limits are fixed and can’t be changed. You can make multiple large transfers from your Countingup business account, but you won’t be able to exceed these daily and monthly limits.

Get expert support for your large transfer 📞

What are the Countingup fees for large transfers?

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

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

• fees correct as of 14.07.26

An Countingup alternative: use Wise Business for large transfers

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

It 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 a Wise Business account for free, and send large payments right away with the Essential plan. All accounts can hold and exchange 40+ currencies. With Wise Business Advanced, available for a one-time fee of just , 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 0.33%.

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.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 70+ countries 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
• 🏢 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.

FAQs

What is Countingup?

Countingup is a UK-based financial technology company that combines a business current account with built-in accounting software. It also offers fully automated AI-powered tax estimates and tools.

Can I send international payments with Countingup?

No, Countingup doesn’t currently support international payments for UK business account holders. You can’t send or receive international payments using your account.

However, Countingup does have an international payments partner, CurrencyFair. You’ll be directed there in the app, and will need to sign up for a separate CurrencyFair before you can send money abroad.

Can I send batch payments with Countingup?

No, it’s not currently possible to make batch payments or mass payouts with Countingup. If you have lots of payments to make (i.e. to pay your staff), you’ll need to set them up individually using the Countingup app.

Can I send CHAPS payments with Countingup?

No, you can’t send CHAPS payments with Countingup. However, it is possible to receive them into your account.

Does Countingup have an IBAN number?

No, Countingup business accounts don’t come with an IBAN (International Bank Account Number). The provider has partnered with specialist providers such as CurrencyFair though, so that its customers can work with international clients and suppliers.

---

Sources used:

1. Countingup - What are the business account limits for a Limited Company?
2. Countingup - What are the account limits for a sole trader?
3. Countingup - How long do bank transfers take to clear?

Sources last checked 14-Jul-2026