Huntington Bank (previously TCF Bank) international wire transfer: full guide

There’s a ton of reasons why any one of us might need to send money across borders at some point. Maybe it’s for buying raw materials that are running out faster than you thought. Or there could be a loved one who desperately needs a medical bill taken care of.

The problem is, moving money around can be quite expensive. It may also involve some lengthy processes and a lot of paperwork.

Keep in mind that we don’t always get to choose how urgent the issue is, or how much the person needs. This is where international wire transfers come to the rescue.

In this article we’ll talk a little bit more about the Huntington Bank (formerly TCF Bank) International Wire Transfer and Wise, a cheaper alternative for sending money abroad.

Learn more about Wise

What happened to TCF Bank?

In October 2021, TCF Bank® customer accounts were transferred over to Huntington Bank as TCF became part of Huntington®¹.

This means that TCF Bank customers’ account and routing numbers changed, and they can now start to manage their money online with the Huntington online or mobile banking services, and at any of Huntington’s 1,100+ branches².

Prior to accounts moving over, TCF Bank customers will have received a welcome pack and new ATM or debit card in the mail. If you’re a TCF Bank customer and have queries, you can now contact the Huntington team on (800) 480-2265 for phone support³.

You’ll also want to make sure you read through the Huntington account disclosure for your specific account type, as terms and conditions may have changed in places at the point your TCF Bank account transferred⁴.

Fees for making an international wire with Huntington Bank

Huntington Bank has no fees for an incoming wire transfer. For an outgoing international wire transfer made at a banking center, the charge is 75 USD.

There’s no option to send your payment online - so you’ll need to visit a branch in person to get started. Outgoing wire transfers aren’t offered to non-customers and the recipient bank may also charge you a fee.

Get started with Wise

Don’t forget that banks like Huntington Bank tend to add a spread on the exchange rate when the money you’re sending is switched from one currency to another.

This is basically the difference between what currency sellers are willing to sell at, and what those buying are willing to buy at. The rate could reach 4% depending on the exchange pair.

At Wise, there are no extra fees and charges hidden in the exchange rate. All Wise currency operations use the mid-market exchange rate – the one you’ll find on Google. That means fair, cheap money transfers⁵.

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

How to make an international wire transfer using Huntington Bank

You can make an international wire transfer by visiting a bank branch⁶ and submitting the following information to a support agent:

Which types of transfers are offered by Huntington Bank?

Huntington Bank offers the following ways to make payments - not all of these are available internationally, though:

• Zelle® (domestic only)
• Bill pay (domestic ACH)
• Domestic and international wires
• Real time payments (domestic only)

As you can see, the only standard way offered by Huntington to send money internationally is using a wire.

Bank wires can be pretty costly - 75 USD for Huntington, plus any applicable currency exchange markup - and need a trip to the bank to set up.

Instead, you might want to consider a smart alternative which can save you money - and save you standing in line at the bank. More on how Wise can help with that coming up a little later.

How long does an international wire transfer take with Huntington Bank?

Banks tend to arrange international wires through the SWIFT network. That involves your payment being passed through one or more intermediary banks, which isn’t a fast process.

An international wire transfer can take 3 - 5 days to be processed. Specialist services like Wise have built their own payment networks to speed up the process - significantly.

In fact, 50% of Wise transfers arrive instantly or in seconds, and 90%+ are in the destination account in 24 hours.

The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners' banking system, and may not be available for all transactions

Receiving money from abroad into your Huntington Bank account

To receive money from abroad into your Huntington Bank account, you’ll need to provide the sender with the following information:

Depending on the bank the sender is using, and the country they’re in, you may also need to provide extra information, such as the reason for the payment.

It’s worth knowing that if you were originally with TCF Bank, your routing information may have changed at the point TCF accounts moved over to Huntington. To find your new routing information, take a look in your mobile or online banking service⁷.

Save money on sending and receiving international payments: meet Wise

Wise is a fast and cheap way of sending money abroad. Unlike banks, there’s no Wise mark-up on the exchange rate and, by using local transfers, your money goes across borders without any additional SWIFT fees — which means more transparent, and often lower, costs overall.

Making your international transfer can be done in just 4 steps:

Step 1. Create your Wise Account

Step 2. Select the amount and currencies you wish to send

Step 3. Add your recipient's bank details

Step 4. Pay for your transfer (via ACH, debit/credit card or wire transfer)

Create a Wise Account
in minutes

Eligibility is subject to verification of customers identity

Banks tend to have relatively high overall costs for sending international wires, including upfront transfer charges, exchange rate markups and SWIFT fees.

Plus, with a bank like Huntington you’ll need to call into a branch to arrange your transfer, and it’ll often take a few days to be deposited to your recipient’s own account.

Next time you need to send a payment overseas, consider alternatives like Wise, which can have a more transparent fee structure, faster processing and fewer surprises.