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UniCredit chooses Wise Platform to become first Italian bank to launch fast and secure foreign-currency payments

Julie Arnoux

15.07.25

Read time 1 minute

We’re thrilled to announce that UniCredit, a leading European commercial bank, serving 15 million customers across Western, Central and Eastern Europe, has chosen Wise Platform to enhance their international payments offering.

With this partnership, UniCredit becomes the first Italian bank to enable fast, secure and transparent foreign-currency transfers for retail customers via the UniCredit mobile app in a push to become Europe’s leading bank for payments.

The new service will enable foreign-currency transfers from Euros to several foreign currencies, with the same speed and simplicity as domestic payments. In most cases, funds will be credited to the recipient within seconds*, with clear, transparent pricing and a streamlined user experience.

At launch, customers will be able to send money quickly and securely in selected currencies including GBP, CHF, HKD, BLR, INR, SGD, THB, TRY, VND, with more routes in development.

Raphael Barisaac, Global Head of Payments & Cash Management at UniCredit said: “Our mission is to transform payments into an agile, borderless experience, capable of moving with the speed and transparency of a fintech. Our customers expect simple, fast and transparent solutions at an affordable cost, even when it comes to complex transactions such as international wire transfers. This new service was created to meet exactly these needs and represents a fundamental step in this direction.”

Steve Naudé, Global Managing Director at Wise Platform said: “This partnership marks a milestone for millions of people and businesses that rely on UniCredit for their daily banking needs. Wise and UniCredit share a clear vision and a strong consumer focus and we’re looking forward to offering an even more seamless, faster, and efficient international payments experience to UniCredit’s customers.”

While traditional banks’ international payments still take three to five days to arrive on average and often include hidden fees for customers, this new solution draws on Wise’s local presence and direct access to local payment schemes that facilitate a faster, cheaper and more transparent process for customers.

The service will be rolled out to UniCredit customers in Italy starting from 21 July 2025, with plans to extend availability to additional countries in the near future.

*Transaction speed depends on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions.

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.