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International payments

How can I receive money from abroad?

Receiving international payments

The most efficient and secure way to receive money from abroad is by international bank transfer. The sender's bank issues the electronic payment instructions to a bank in the UK and the money is paid into your account. Funds are credited to your account as quickly as possible.

When receiving an international payment, make sure you advise the payer:

We recommend that you quote an IBAN however you can provide your branch sort code and account number.

Depositing drafts and cheques

While we don't usually recommend drafts and cheques, a basic principle that you can apply to make the process as simple and cost efficient as possible is to include multiple Sterling cheques and drafts in the same transaction. These need to be in the same currency, drawn on bank or building society branches based in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar, for negotiation.

If a cheque or draft is the only way that you're able to receive payments from overseas, please note that we can only clear these payments if they're made in Sterling by an issuer, bank or building society branch based in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar.

Please note that we're unable to accept:

  • deposits made to your account in non-Sterling cheques, international or domestic drafts or travellers cheque deposits from any issuer
  • Sterling/GBP cheques issued by a bank or building society branch based outside the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar

Any deposits or credits of this nature that we receive will be returned. We do not issue international draft payments.

If you have any questions or need to understand what other options might suit your requirements, please get in touch with your usual contact at the Bank who will be able to assist.

 

Where can I find my IBAN & BIC?

To receive an international payment, you'll need to provide the sender with some details including:

  • your International Bank Account Number (IBAN)
  • our Bank Identifier Code (BIC), used to identify our bank and branch

You can find your IBAN and BIC on your bank account statements, using online banking or with our mobile app: