🌍 How do incoming international transfers work?
Your Accountable Banking account can receive credit transfers from abroad, regardless of the currency the sender uses. Swan's BIC is connected to the SWIFT network, so your IBAN is all the sender needs — no separate account required.
📋 What details should the sender use?
Ask the sender to provide the following details to their bank when initiating the transfer:
Beneficiary IBAN | Your IBAN (visible in the Accountable app under Banking) |
Beneficiary name | Your full name as registered on your account |
Swan BIC/SWIFT | Germany: SWNBDEBB |
Intermediary SWIFT | TRWIBEB3 — Wise Europe SA, Belgium |
💶 Will I receive the money in euros?
Yes. Accountable Banking accounts are euro-based. If the sender transfers in another currency (e.g. GBP or USD), the amount is converted to euros before it reaches your account. The conversion is handled by the intermediary banks along the route.
If Swan performs the final currency conversion, an additional fee applies on top of the standard €5 processing fee (e.g. 0.6% for USD). If the transfer arrives already converted to euros, only the flat €5 fee applies.
⚠️ What happens to fees?
Two types of fees can apply to incoming international transfers:
Intermediary bank fees: Charged by the banks that route the transfer. These are deducted directly from the transfer amount before it reaches your account. The exact amount depends on the banks involved and how the sender set up the fee arrangement.
Swan processing fee: A flat €5 fee charged separately by Swan once the transfer is booked to your account. This appears as a separate transaction in your history.
💡 Fee arrangement (set by the sender): • SHA — fees split: sender pays their bank's fees, you pay intermediary fees deducted from the amount • BEN — all fees paid by you, deducted from the transfer amount • OUR — all fees paid by the sender (though some banks may still pass on intermediary fees) |
The diagram below shows a real example of a £1,000 GBP transfer and what gets deducted at each step:
⏱️ How long does it take?
Once Swan receives the transfer, it is booked to your account immediately. The total time depends on how long the transfer spends passing through the sending bank and any intermediary banks — this can range from a few hours to several business days, depending on the origin country and currency.
When can an incoming transfer be rejected?
The transfer originates from a country not on the allowed list.
Your account is in Limited status (i.e. not yet fully verified). Any incoming international transfer on a limited account is automatically rejected, regardless of the amount. This restriction is lifted once your account verification is complete.
🌐 Allowed countries
💜 Need help?
Feel free to contact our support team. We'll be happy to help.