Guide to using Revolut Business for international payments

Over three-quarters of UK SMEs aren't currently importing or exporting, with many citing FX volatility and extra admin as key barriers¹. If you're one of the businesses pushing through those barriers, your choice of international payment provider matters.

This guide breaks down Revolut Business international payments and FX costs and introduces Wise Business as a way to compare fees, hold multiple currencies, and cut the hassle from cross-border transfers.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

What international payment methods do Revolut Business offer?

Revolut Business is built around a multi-currency account, letting you hold, send and receive money in 25–30+ currencies from a single dashboard².

For UK companies, that usually means:

• A GBP account with a sort code and account number
• A EUR account with IBAN and BIC for euro payments

These local details let you get paid like a domestic business in key markets, and then move those balances via different rails depending on the currency.

Revolut provides USD currency accounts to UK-registered customers, but they use SWIFT for inbound transactions instead of US-local ACH routing numbers.³ Revolut's UK USD transfers are considered cross-border. However, as a UK business, you can open a Revolut Business US account if you have US incorporation with a multi-business plan.

With Wise Business, you can get access to local USD account details. This can be leveraged to send and receive USD as if you were a local business in the states, without incurring expensive SWIFT charges.

SEPA transfers for EUR

Revolut considers EUR payments as local payments, via SEPA (for applicable countries)^2,4:

• SEPA credit transfers for most EUR bank transfers in the EU/EEA
• SEPA Instant for some EUR payments up to €100,000, where funds can arrive in seconds if both banks support it

For incoming payments, Revolut says EUR SEPA transfers normally arrive within up to two business days, though SEPA Instant can be faster.^2,4

SWIFT payments for other currencies

For currencies outside SEPA, or when the payment is cross-border in a way that can't use local rails, Revolut Business uses SWIFT payments:

• You give customers SWIFT/BIC details for the relevant currency account
• Outbound SWIFT transfers typically take up to two business days to reach the recipient's bank⁴
• USD transfers: within hours-3 days⁴

For many non-EUR cross-border payments, you'll be on SWIFT rails, which can mean higher bank-side fees for your counterparty, compared with local schemes.

Internal and local transfers

Revolut also offers:

• Revolut-to-Revolut transfers, which are usually instant and free⁴ – useful if your suppliers or overseas entities also bank with Revolut
• Local transfers for currencies where Revolut has local account details (for example, local GBP Faster Payments), with typical delivery in minutes to a couple of hours, up to a maximum of a few working days depending on the currency and destination⁴

For UK businesses, this setup effectively makes Revolut Business a combined multi-currency account and international payment gateway.

What are the fees for international transfers with Revolut Business?

Here's a breakdown of the plans, plus international fees for each:²

When you send an international payment in the recipient's local currency, a variable fee is applied as a percentage of the transfer amount, with minimum and maximum charges. The exact percentage depends on your account's base currency and the currency you're sending to, but it's typically around 0.15%.⁵ If your base currency isn't listed, you'll pay the equivalent fee in that currency.

For international transfers sent in a currency that isn't local to the recipient's country, a flat minimum fee applies instead. This amount varies by recipient currency, as shown in Revolut's official data. If your base currency isn't listed, you'll be charged the corresponding fee converted into your own currency⁶.

Aside from these fees, you get a monthly currency exchange allowance at the interbank rate, then pay an FX fee once you go over your limit.²

There may be a weekend or "out of hours" surcharge on FX at 1% reflecting the fact that currency markets are closed.² Intermediary and receiving banks may also take their own cut on SWIFT payments, which can be difficult to predict in advance.

With all this in mind, the true cost of Revolut Business transfers combines:

• Transfer fee (sometimes waived under your plan)
• FX markup above interbank
• Possible weekend/out-of-hours fee
• Any third-party bank charges on SWIFT

What is the FX markup on Revolut Business international payments?

With Revolut, you get interbank FX rates up to a certain monthly limit, then pay a markup once you exceed it. For business accounts, independent comparisons suggest that^2:

• You get a no-fee FX allowance per month (varies by plan) at or close to the interbank rate
• Once you pass that limit, you pay 0.6 FX fee on further currency exchanges during market hours
• There is usually an extra 1% FX fee outside market hours or at weekends** on Standard and Plus tiers, with this removed on higher-tier paid plans

These FX markups apply whenever you convert currencies inside Revolut: for example, turning GBP into EUR before a SEPA transfer, or GBP into USD before a SWIFT payment.

Why FX markups matter

From the perspective of a UK SME, this structure means your real FX rates may be very competitive within your allowance but could become more expensive once you push above it. If most of your overseas revenue arrives late in the month, or you pay suppliers in large batches, you may slip into the markup band more often than you realise.

How to make international payments with Revolut Business

The exact flow depends on the currency and destination, but a typical Revolut Business international payment from the UK looks like this:⁷

1. Open and verify a Revolut Business account: Apply online, then once approved, you'll get access to multi-currency accounts with local details for major currencies like GBP, EUR and USD
2. Set up a currency account (if needed) Within the app or web interface, you can create additional currency "pockets" to hold balances in, say, USD, EUR or AUD, and receive payments via local or SWIFT details
3. Add a recipient: For most SWIFT payments, you'll need the beneficiary's:
   • Name and address
   • Bank name
   • IBAN or account number
   • BIC/SWIFT code
4. For SEPA EUR payments, you'll typically just need the IBAN and beneficiary name
5. Choose the transfer type and currency: Revolut will route the payment automatically where possible (SEPA vs SWIFT vs local rails). You'll see the exchange rate and any transfer fee before you confirm.
6. Review FX and fees, then confirm. The app will show:
   • The FX rate you're getting
   • The transfer fee (or if it's within your plan's free allowance)
   • The estimated arrival time
7. Once you confirm, the payment is submitted, and you can track its status in-app.

This process is fairly streamlined, especially if you already use Revolut Business as your main current account. Just remember that the FX behaviour (allowances and markups) sits behind the nice UI, so you may want to export data and check the average cost per £1,000 over a full quarter.

How long do international transfers take with Revolut Business?

Revolut publishes indicative timeframes for incoming and outgoing payments. For business accounts, these are roughly⁴:

• Revolut-to-Revolut transfers: usually near-instant
• Local GBP transfers: often within hours, but can be up to around 3 business days, depending on the counterparty bank
• EUR SEPA transfers:
  • SEPA Instant – usually within minutes, where supported
  • Regular SEPA – up to 2 business days
• USD transfers: within hours, up to 3 business days
• International SWIFT transfers: up to 2 business days for outbound, and up to 5 business days in some cases for inbound, especially if intermediary banks are involved

For UK SMEs paying regular suppliers in the EU or US, that's generally fast enough, but if you need precise delivery times (for example, for large just-in-time orders), it might be worth building a buffer into your payment processes.

How to contact Revolut Business

Revolut doesn't offer a dedicated "FX dealing desk" for small business customers, but you do have several support options:⁸

• In-app chat – the primary channel. Go to your profile, tap Help, then Support to chat with the team 24/7 in multiple languages
• In-app phone support – available for certain higher-tier personal plans (Premium, Metal, Ultra), with business users still relying on chat for most issues
• Email fallback – if you can't log in to the app or access chat, you can email Revolut at published addresses like support@revolut.com for recovery support
• Help Centre – a self-service knowledge base covering business account setup, transfers, cards and more

Wise Business: a smart way to handle GBP and international payments

UK businesses looking for modern ways to manage their money have a good range of providers to choose from, including Tide. If you work with customers, contractors, or staff in the UK (or internationally), Wise Business is a powerful tool designed for both everyday payment management and scaling globally.

If you're already researching Revolut Business international payments, it's worth considering Wise Business, especially if:

• You send or receive money in multiple currencies every month
• Your FX volumes regularly exceed "free" interbank allowances
• You want predictable pricing with no weekend surprises

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 ✍️

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Investments can fluctuate, and your capital is at risk. Interest is offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Wise Payments Ltd. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you're uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

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Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changed on 26/11/2025. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

Sources used in this article:

1. Price Bailey Chartered Accountants – Why are UK SMEs not accessing global supply chains?
2. Revolut United Kingdom – Compare Revolut Plans
3. Revolut Business - Local Account Details
4. Revolut United Kingdom – How long will my outbound transfer take to arrive?
5. Revolut United Kingdom – International Payment Fees
6. Revolut United Kingdom – Fees for sending a transfer
7. Revolut United Kingdom – How to get started with Revolut Business
8. Revolut United Kingdom – How to contact Revolut Support

Sources last checked: 20-Feb-2026