Starling business account: Sending and receiving international payments

In an increasingly global market, UK businesses are looking for the best ways to pay suppliers abroad and receive payments from overseas clients. Starling Bank's business account lets you send money to accounts in 34 countries, with fees that vary depending on the payment route and currency.¹

It's a popular choice for small businesses and sole traders looking for a low-cost UK banking option.

This article covers the fees involved in sending and receiving international payments with a Starling business account, how those fees compare in practice, and where Wise Business fills the gaps, particularly for businesses that need to hold or receive money in currencies beyond GBP and EUR.

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Receiving international payments with Starling Bank

With a standard Starling business account, you can receive payments in GBP and EUR. Receiving GBP is free. If you receive a payment in a foreign currency, such as EUR, into your GBP account, Starling applies a 2% conversion margin to exchange it into pounds.²

If you need a dedicated EUR account, Starling offers one as a paid add-on at £2 per month. This gives you a separate EUR IBAN to receive euro payments directly, without converting on arrival.² You can read more about how that works in our Starling euro account guide.

For USD, Starling previously offered a USD business account at £5 per month. New applications are not being accepted at the moment.² Starling states it will be available to apply for again soon, but has not published a date.

If you're regularly invoicing clients outside Europe, you may find Starling's two-currency limit creates friction.Wise Business lets clients in Australia, Canada, Singapore, and beyond pay you in their local currency directly into your account.

With Wise Business for international payments, you can:

• Hold balances in 40+ currencies and convert at the mid-market exchange rate
• Send payments to 140+ countries with low, transparent fees*
• Integrate with Xero and QuickBooks to sync payments automatically
• Automate payroll and supplier payments with batch payments of up to 1,000 at once*
• Access theWise Business debit card to spend in 150+ countries

*These features are available on the Advanced plan, which requires a one-time fee.

£50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essential plan)*

The claim regarding the speed of transactions depends on fund availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system, and systems availability of our partners' banking system. It may not be the same for all transactions.

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

Starling Business account fees: What is the real cost?

You can send payments overseas with a Starling business account to pay international suppliers and receive payments from clients in currencies other than GBP. Fees vary depending on how you send and what currency is involved.

The main Starling pricing and fees for sending international payments are set out below.

For a full breakdown of all Starling business account charges, read our Starling business account fees guide.

Sending international payments with Starling Bank

With a Starling business account, you can send international payments to 34 countries in 17 currencies, Monday to Friday only. Starling processes international payments between 02:00 Monday and 22:00 Friday, payments cannot be sent on weekends or bank holidays.⁴

Priority SWIFT vs low-cost local payment

With Starling there are two payment routes to choose from.

• Priority delivery via SWIFT is a direct bank-to-bank transfer. It costs £5.50 per transaction on top of the 0.4% conversion fee, and typically takes 1 to 5 working days depending on the destination.⁴ Note that intermediary banks may charge their own fees on arrival, which are outside Starling's control.

• Low-cost local network payment routes the payment via a local partner bank. The fee varies by destination, £0.30 for eurozone countries, £0.90 for Czech Republic and Hungary, and not available for some currencies including AUD, CAD, and SGD where SWIFT is the only option.³ The low-cost route can take longer than SWIFT. Payments sent this way cannot be recalled and do not carry a payment reference.

Both routes apply Starling's 0.4% conversion fee on top of the delivery fee.⁴

If you need to send a large payment internationally with Starling, read our guide to Starling business large amount transfers for transfer limits and what to expect.

Starling vs Wise Business: sending 1,000 GBP to EUR

The table below illustrates what it costs to send 1,000 GBP to Europe(EUR). Exchange rates change constantly, the EUR amounts received will vary on the day of transfer.

Exchange rates change constantly. The EUR amounts received will vary depending on the rate at the time of transfer. The exchange rate in the above example was taken on 29 April 2026. Check both providers on the same day before sending.

The claim regarding the speed of transactions depends on fund availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system, and systems availability of our partners' banking system. It may not be the same for all transactions.

Currency holding: Starling vs Wise Business

Starling's standard GBP business account can be paired with a EUR account (£2 per month) and a USD account (£5 per month, currently closed to new applications as of April 2026).² That gives eligible businesses up to three currency accounts.

For businesses also paying suppliers or staff in multiple currencies,Wise Business holds balances in 40+ currencies, including AUD, CAD, and SGD. Rather than converting every time you need to pay overseas, you can hold the currency and send it directly, reducing conversion costs and simplifying your payment flows.*

These features are available on the Advanced plan, which requires a one-time fee.

£50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essential plan)*

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Protection: FSCS vs Wise safeguarding

As a fully licensed UK bank, Starling's eligible business deposits are protected up to £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).⁵

Wise is an e-money institution authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Rather than FSCS protection, Wise safeguards customer funds by holding them in ring-fenced accounts with leading financial institutions, separate from Wise's own funds. Wise is not a bank and does not operate like one.

Both models are regulated and transparent. The right choice depends on your business's priorities and payment needs.

Business Toolkit

Starling offers an optional Business Toolkit add-on at £7 per month. It includes invoicing, tax management, and Making Tax Digital (MTD)-compliant features for VAT filing, relevant from April 2026 when MTD for income tax becomes compulsory for many sole traders and landlords.³

For businesses that need cross-border payment support alongside their accounting tools,Wise Business integrates with Xero and QuickBooks to sync international payments automatically.

How to open a Starling business account

Starling business accounts are available to UK-registered limited companies and sole traders. Before applying, check that you meet the eligibility criteria.

To be eligible, the following must apply:⁶

• Your business is a limited company or LLP registered at Companies House
• All persons of significant control (PSCs) are individuals and UK residents
• All directors with access to the account are UK residents
• You don't already hold a Starling business account for the same business

Some industries are not supported, including businesses that hold client money, financial services firms, and businesses connected to gambling or defence.⁶

To set up a Starling business account, follow the steps below:⁶

• Step 1: Download the Starling app
• Step 2: Enter your personal and business details
• Step 3: Verify your identity using ID documents
• Step 4: Provide details about your business and its directors
• Step 5: Await Starling's decision. The account is managed entirely through the app and online banking

Starling is an app and online only. There are no branches. You can read more in our guide to opening a Starling business account.

Is a Starling business account right for your business?

Starling is a strong choice for UK businesses that want straightforward, low-cost GBP banking with no monthly fees. As a challenger bank, it removed much of the friction of traditional business banking. Free UK transfers, solid accounting integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent, and a clean app make it a practical everyday account for sole traders and small limited companies operating primarily in the UK.

Where it has limits is on the international side. With receiving restricted to GBP and EUR, USD accounts currently closed to new applications, international payments only available Monday to Friday, and no local account details beyond Europe, businesses that regularly pay overseas suppliers or invoice international clients in multiple currencies will find those constraints become friction points as they grow.

That's where the two products work well alongside each other. Starling handles your UK banking.Wise Business handles the cross-border side, multi-currency balances, local account details for receiving in currencies Starling doesn't support, and transparent fees at the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden markups and transparent fee*.

For a fuller side-by-side comparison of both products, read our Wise vs Starling business account guide.

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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.

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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.

FAQs

Can a Starling business account receive international payments?

Yes, but with limits. A standard Starling GBP business account can receive payments in GBP and EUR only. Receiving GBP is free. Receiving EUR into a GBP account carries a 2% conversion margin. A dedicated EUR account is available at £2 per month. USD accounts are currently closed to new applications as of April 2026.

Can I use a Starling business card abroad?

Yes. Starling doesn't charge a fee for using its debit card abroad. Currency conversions use the Mastercard exchange rate. The only charges to watch out for are fees applied by local ATM operators, which are outside Starling's control.

Can Starling send money at the weekend?

No. Starling processes international payments between 02:00 Monday and 22:00 Friday only.

Sources used:

1. starlingbank.com - Sterling business bank account
2. starlingbank.com - Starling multi-currency business accounts
3. starlingbank.com - Starling international transfer fees by country
4. starlingbank.com - Starling fee breakdown for sending 1,000 GBP to EUR
5. starlingbank.com - Starling FSCS protection
6. starlingbank.com - Starling business account eligibility

Sources last checked on date: 29 APR 2026

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.