International Payments Guides - CrossGlobePay

How to reduce fees when sending money internationally

International money transfers often involve more than just sending a payment from one bank to another. Each transaction passes through networks of institutions, conversions, and checks — and each step can add to the total cost. For businesses that send regular payments abroad or for individuals transferring money to family or suppliers, even small fees … Read more

SEPA vs SWIFT transfers explained

When sending money internationally, two major systems dominate the process: SEPA and SWIFT. Both are designed to move funds across borders, but they serve different regions, currencies, and transaction speeds. Understanding how these systems operate helps businesses and individuals choose the most efficient and cost-effective option for their needs. What SEPA Is SEPA (Single Euro … Read more

What is a correspondent bank and why it matters

International payments often involve multiple financial institutions working together. When two banks do not have a direct relationship, they rely on a correspondent bank — an intermediary that enables the transfer of funds between them. This system is the foundation of today’s global payment infrastructure and allows even small regional banks to operate worldwide. What … Read more

Understanding SWIFT, IBAN, and BIC codes in global transactions

When sending or receiving money across borders, every transaction must include standardized identifiers. These codes ensure that funds reach the correct account safely and efficiently. The three most important elements are SWIFT, IBAN, and BIC. Each plays a distinct role in identifying banks, countries, and individual accounts during an international payment. What SWIFT Really Means … Read more

How cross-border payments work step by step

Cross-border payments are the backbone of the global economy, enabling businesses, individuals, and institutions to send and receive money internationally. Behind every successful transfer lies a complex chain of processes, participants, and regulatory checks. Understanding these steps helps companies manage financial operations efficiently and minimize delays or extra costs. Initiation of a Payment The process … Read more

SWIFT correspondent banks

No single bank maintains accounts everywhere. When two institutions lack a direct relationship, they call on an intermediary—a correspondent bank—that holds “nostro” and “vostro” accounts for each side. The originating bank debits its nostro at the correspondent, the correspondent credits the beneficiary’s bank via another internal ledger, and the payment reaches its destination without the … Read more

SWIFT Go for small payments

Sending a modest invoice to a designer in Berlin or reimbursing a supplier for sample materials in Seoul used to feel out of proportion to the amount involved. Traditional SWIFT wires charged the same fees and took the same two-day journey whether you moved ten thousand dollars or ten million. SWIFT Go rewrites that rule … Read more

SWIFT GPI for faster tracking

The SWIFT network has been the backbone of international payments for fifty years, but until recently it felt as sluggish and opaque as sending a letter by sea. Funds disappeared for days, correspondent banks clipped undisclosed fees, and only a tracer request could reveal where the money sat. SWIFT gpi—global payments innovation—changes that experience almost … Read more

SWIFT codes vs. BIC codes

When you fill out an international payment form, the bank invariably demands a string of eight or eleven characters. Some websites call it a SWIFT code, others ask for a BIC. The two labels appear side by side so often that many people assume they name different things, when in fact they belong to the … Read more

Understanding SWIFT transfers

International business still relies on a messaging backbone created half a century ago. SWIFT—the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication—does not hold or move funds itself. Instead it provides a secure, standardised language that more than 11 000 institutions use to tell one another which account to credit, how much, and why. Grasping the essentials … Read more