International Money Transfers for Business in Australia
Table of Contents
Author: Artiom Pucinskij
Table of Contents
If you buy stock through China's 1688 wholesale marketplace, I suggest starting with WorldFirst because you can pay suppliers directly from your currency balance.
For regular overseas invoices, Wise avoids a monthly plan, while Airwallex adds customer collections and employee spending tools to the payment account.
OFX combines a business currency account with dealer support, while TorFX suits payments where you want help arranging the exchange and settlement.
If you already bank with CommBank, its international payment service can keep your supplier payments within your existing account and authorisation process.
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At a glance
Wise Business: Overseas invoices without a monthly subscription
Airwallex: Payments, online collections and employee spending
OFX Business: Currency accounts with dealer support and workflow tools
WorldFirst: Marketplace income and Chinese supplier payments
TorFX: Account-manager help and future currency commitments
CommBank: International payments through your business bank
Compare Australian business payment services
Start with the work you need to do regularly, because a low-cost invoice transfer and a complete payment administration system are different purchases.
"Wise Business is used by 300,000+ businesses each year. Easy integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and more are available."
"Airwallex offers a comprehensive financial platform for businesses. Make global transfers to 150+ countries, receive funds in 20+ currencies. Connect with popular software for a seamless approach."
"OFX Business offers multi-currency account to hold balances in up to 7 currencies. Make global payments to over 170 countries."
"WorldFirst helps growing businesses control cross-border costs with forward contracts and tailored FX solutions. Manage 40+ currencies and make international payments with specialist support on-hand."
"Make business tranfers 24/7 on TorFX's mobile & web apps. Benefit from their FX consultancy and risk management insights."
Which service fits your business payments?
Wise Business for invoices without a monthly subscription

Wise suits regular contractor payments and overseas client receipts when you want a business currency account without a monthly subscription.
You pay for the transactions you use, with a one-off charge for the full account features rather than a continuing monthly plan.
I'd say consider it if you run a small consultancy paying overseas contractors, especially when its team access and accounting connections cover the administration you need.
Business feature | Wise Business |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Sole traders, companies, partnerships and Australian trusts, subject to verification |
Sending and receiving | Overseas payments and local currency receiving details |
Funding and payout | Bank funding or available payment methods, payments to recipient bank accounts |
Team controls | Team access and spending permissions |
Bulk payments | Up to 1,000 contacts in a batch, CSV/XLSX file upload |
Cards and expenses | Physical/digital team cards with spending controls |
Accounting | Connections including Xero and QuickBooks |
Australian entity | Wise Australia Pty Ltd, regulated by ASIC, with a limited purchased-payment-facility authorisation |
The main limitation is that the fee depends on the currency and funding method, so the starting percentage will not describe every invoice.
Cost | Wise Business Australian pricing |
|---|---|
Setup and monthly plan | A$65 once for full account features, no monthly subscription |
FX and outgoing payments | Mid-market rate plus a variable fee from 0.19%, currency and funding method affect the charge |
Volume discount | Discounts on eligible monthly transfers above A$40,000 |
Foreign-currency payments without conversion | A$8 when sending from a foreign-currency balance through domestic bank networks, unless waived |
Receiving | Local/non-SWIFT receipts free, fixed fees for USD wire/SWIFT and other SWIFT receipts |
Example receiving charges | USD6.11, GBP2.16 or EUR2.39 for the corresponding wire/SWIFT receipt |
Holding currency | No holding fee |
Business cards | First card free, A$6 for each additional team card, replacement A$6, express delivery from A$16 |
Cash withdrawals | A$400 per account/month free, 2.69% on the amount above that allowance |
Other card costs | Conversion fees when needed, 2% for eligible external wallet top-ups |
Keeping customer receipts in the invoice currency can reduce repeated conversions, while the batch tool saves you entering each contractor payment separately.
Sending or converting more than A$2,000 in a month waives the A$8 same-currency cross-border payment fee for that month’s remainder and the following month.
Alternatively, an end-of-day balance of at least A$10,000 throughout the month qualifies for the following month, while batch payments are exempt.
Airwallex for payments, collections and employee spending

Airwallex makes more sense when you need several payment jobs in one service, rather than only an occasional international bank transfer.
You can combine currency accounts with supplier payments, employee cards and online customer payments, although the account plan does not include every transaction charge.
Explore supports ABA files, the Australian domestic bank-payment format, while international batch transfers require Grow or above.
Business feature | Airwallex Australian business account |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Companies, partnerships and sole traders with the required registration and identity documents |
Sending and receiving | Global currency accounts, local overseas payouts and SWIFT payments |
Funding | Bank deposits, available direct debit and customer payment collections |
Domestic batches | ABA bank-payment files on Explore |
International batches | Grow and above |
Team controls | Transfer approvals, Grow adds multi-layer expense/bill approvals |
Cards and expenses | Company/employee cards, Grow adds reimbursements and expense management |
Accounting | Bank feeds for Xero, QuickBooks and NetSuite, expense/bill connections vary by plan |
Checkout and billing | Payment links, checkout integrations and subscription management |
Australian entity | Airwallex Pty Ltd, AFSL487221, regulated by ASIC |
I suggest choosing Grow when international batches or bill approvals remove regular manual work, rather than paying for it simply to make a larger invoice transfer.
Plan cost | Explore | Grow | Accelerate |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly fee | A$29 per entity, waived with qualifying A$5,000 monthly deposits or A$10,000 balance | A$99 per entity | From A$999 per organisation |
Included active card/spend users | 2 employee card users | 2 spend users | 2 spend users |
Additional active users | A$15/month each | A$15/month each | A$15/month each |
Company cards | Up to 10 | Up to 50 | Unlimited |
Cost | Airwallex Australian transaction pricing |
|---|---|
Setup | A$0 account opening |
FX conversion | 0.5% above interbank rates for listed major currencies, 1% for other currencies |
Outgoing payments | Local payouts free, CNY transfers 0.1%, SWIFT shared charges (SHA) A$10 or sender-paid charges (OUR) A$30 |
Receiving | 0.6% for KRW/VND/BRL/MYR collections, 0% for other Global Account currencies |
Card conversion | Optional automatic conversion 1% when the required currency balance is insufficient |
Online card acceptance | Domestic cards 1.65% + A$0.30, international cards 3.45% + A$0.30 for new onboarding from 26 August 2026 |
Merchant settlement | Separate charges: 1% foreign-currency settlement and 2% conversion into a different settlement currency, where applicable |
Refunds and chargebacks | A$0.30 per refund request, A$25 per chargeback |
Subscription billing | 0.5% per successful transaction for onboarding from 1 December 2025, in addition to payment processing |
Optional billing extras | Automatic tax calculation 0.4%, custom payment-link URL A$17/link/month |
Other merchant terms | Certain B2B domestic Amex payments add 1.25%, local methods and optional dispute services have separate charges |
The monthly prices include GST, and the Explore waiver counts qualifying deposits or the combined Wallet/Yield balance under the plan's conditions.
Earlier merchant onboarding can have different rates, including 3.40% for international cards and 0.40% for subscription billing, unless a pricing change applies.
The drawback is the number of separate cost categories, particularly if you collect foreign card payments and then convert the proceeds.
In my opinion, you should assess those collections separately from supplier transfers, because a free local payout does not make the customer-payment workflow free.
OFX Business for currency accounts with dealer support

OFX gives you a currency account and payment tools alongside phone support, rather than requiring every payment decision to happen through a self-service quote screen.
Its free Standard plan covers the account, cards and basic accounting feeds, while Full Suite adds more payment administration and spending controls.
I'd say consider it if your importing business wants help with currency commitments and also needs everyday supplier-payment records.
Business feature | OFX Australian business platform |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Verified business account under OzForex Limited |
Sending and receiving | Receive, hold and pay in 30+ currencies |
Local receiving details | AUD, CAD, USD, EUR and GBP |
Funding and payout | Bank funding, local bank payouts and SWIFT, eligible Pay by Card funding |
Team controls | Full Suite adds approval policies, budgets and spend management |
Bulk payments | Bulk payment tools, with workflow features depending on plan |
Cards and accounting | Corporate cards, Xero/QuickBooks bank feeds, advanced connections on Full Suite |
Currency tools | Spot and forward contracts, with dealer support |
Software connection (API) | Custom plan |
Australian entity | OzForex Limited, AFSL226484 |
The current platform fees apply to new business onboarding from April 2026, with the fee schedule updated from 1 October 2026.
Cost | Standard | Full Suite |
|---|---|---|
Setup and monthly plan | A$0 | A$75/month including GST for 5 users, A$10/additional user |
FX conversion | Margin within the quoted customer rate | Margin within the quoted customer rate |
Cross-border local payout | A$0 | A$0 |
Outgoing SWIFT | A$10/payment | A$10/payment |
Incoming SWIFT | A$5 nominal fee, currently waived | A$5 nominal fee, currently waived |
Domestic transaction allowance | 20, then A$1 each | 200, then A$1 each |
Physical employee card | A$10 | A$10 |
Automatic card conversion | 1.5% when the charged-currency balance is insufficient | Same |
Pay by Card | Domestic Visa/Mastercard 1.27%, Amex 1.9%, international Visa/Mastercard 3.4% | Same, marked domestic fees exclude GST |
Other payment costs | Third-party SWIFT charges can apply | Same |
A forward can fix the exchange rate for a future invoice, but OFX normally requires an advance payment of up to 10%, potentially more.
Further advance funds can be requested, and cancellation can leave you owing market losses and expenses beyond the amount already deposited.
Full Suite is worth paying for when its approvals and accounting workflow replace regular administration, with the subscription continuing until you cancel it.
It would be less appealing for a single invoice if Standard already supplies the account and payment functions you need.
WorldFirst for marketplace income and Chinese supplier payments

WorldFirst connects overseas sales income with stock purchases, so you can receive marketplace proceeds and use the balance for commercial payments.
For an online retailer sourcing on 1688, China's wholesale marketplace, its World Pay connection lets you pay from your currency balance without opening a Chinese bank account.
That lets your sales proceeds fund stock purchases directly, which is useful when the same currencies recur on both sides of the business.
Business feature | WorldFirst Australian World Account |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Sole traders and companies, verified for commercial payments |
Sending and receiving | Currency accounts and collections from marketplaces, gateways and business clients |
Funding | Marketplace/client receipts or your own same-name bank account |
Supplier payments | Bank payments, World Account payments and 1688 World Pay |
Team controls | Custom roles, permissions and approval rules |
Bulk payments | Mass-payment tools |
Cards | World Card available in Australia, physical and virtual cards |
Accounting | Xero and NetSuite connections |
Currency tools | Spot, forward contracts and target-rate firm orders |
Australian entity | World First Pty Ltd, AFSL331945 and AUSTRAC remittance registration |
The absence of an account subscription helps, but currency conversion, international payouts and specialist supplier payments still have separate costs.
Cost | WorldFirst Australian pricing |
|---|---|
Setup, monthly plan and users | Free opening and ongoing account, unlimited users |
Receiving and holding | Free receiving and holding, with third-party source fees possible |
FX conversion | Major currencies up to 0.6%, minor currencies from 0.67% |
Outgoing payments | AUD/NZD domestic free, other payments from 0.4% capped at A$15 |
World Account payments | Free payments between World Accounts |
1688 World Pay | Up to 0.8% |
Full Value Transfer | Free for USD/GBP/EUR to the US/UK/EEA respectively, A$25 to other eligible destinations |
Cards | Virtual application/ongoing fees free, physical card application/replacement A$20 |
Card spending | Held eligible currency free, otherwise WorldFirst FX or Mastercard rate plus up to 1.5% for unsupported currencies |
Forward contracts | Pricing indicator up to 0.2% per month, actual contract rate and terms agreed at booking |
Mass payments, accounting and firm orders | No separate listed feature fee |
Physical cards have a separate application charge despite the free World Card headline, and Apple Pay and Google Pay are not currently available.
For forwards, a deposit typically between 3% and 20% can be required, with further margin calls and settlement obligations under the contract.
A target-rate order also needs a currency and deadline that fit the invoice, because an exchange-rate target cannot ensure your supplier is paid on time.
TorFX for account-manager help and future payments

TorFX is my preference here when you want an account manager to help arrange an overseas payment or discuss a future currency commitment.
You can agree the exchange and settlement directly, which can suit an equipment purchase or a sequence of import invoices with different due dates.
Its service is more focused on payment execution and currency contracts than employee expenses or a checkout system for your customers.
Business feature | TorFX Australian business service |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Verified commercial customers under TorFX Pty Ltd |
Sending and receiving | International business bank payments |
Funding | Bank-transfer funding, no cash |
Payment size | No business minimum/maximum, online transfers under A$200,000 and larger payments through an account manager |
Support | Dedicated account manager |
Accounting | Xero connection |
Currency tools | Spot transfers, forwards, limit and stop-loss orders |
Forward term | Current business offering up to 6 months, facility terms agreed with TorFX |
Australian entity | TorFX Pty Ltd, AFSL246838 |
No transfer fee is useful, but TorFX earns a spread within your exchange rate, so the cost still depends on the quote.
Cost | TorFX Australian business pricing |
|---|---|
Setup | Free business account opening |
FX conversion | Quoted customer rate includes TorFX's spread |
Outgoing payments | No TorFX transfer fee |
Intermediaries | External deductions possible, reimbursement of reasonable evidenced costs generally up to US$20 equivalent |
Forward funding | Most contracts require a 10% deposit, with further security potentially required |
Orders | Limit orders require a deposit under the contract, no guarantee of execution |
Changes and cancellation | Agreement required, contract losses and costs can be payable |
The deposit is part-payment towards the transaction, and you must still provide the remaining balance by the agreed settlement date.
If your order executes, the trade becomes binding, so decide whether you can fund it before setting a target exchange rate.
I suggest choosing this service for the account-manager relationship, while using a broader business account if cards or incoming customer collections dominate your needs.
CommBank for payments through your existing business bank

CommBank can be the simplest fit if your team already manages cash and authorisations through CommBiz, with overseas payments alongside your domestic banking.
You can fund an international payment from Australian dollars or a linked foreign-currency account, with payment tracking and separate authorisation of submitted trades.
I'd say keep that workflow if it already works for your finance team, rather than assuming a specialist account always improves the process.
Business feature | CommBank business international payments |
|---|---|
Australian business access | Business account, Australian Business Number (ABN)/Australian Company Number (ACN) and identity/ownership checks as applicable |
Sending and receiving | Overseas bank payments through the app, NetBank or CommBiz |
Funding | AUD account or linked Foreign Currency Account |
Currency accounts | Separate account per currency, linked eligible AUD account required |
Team workflow | CommBiz payment authorisation and linked account access |
Tracking | International payment tracker |
Currency tools | Forward FX trading through CommBiz requires an approved Forward FX Limit |
Australian entity | Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australian bank |
The payment channel and whether you convert currency change the charge, which is especially relevant when you already hold foreign customer receipts.
Cost | CommBank business payment pricing |
|---|---|
Business Transaction Account | Online option A$0/month, branch option A$10/month with 5 assisted transactions |
Foreign Currency Account | A$0 monthly fee, linked AUD account fees can apply |
FX conversion | CommBank's quoted exchange rate |
Digital overseas payment | Transfer fee waived for FX payments and payments from a Foreign Currency Account |
AUD-to-AUD overseas payment | A$30 through NetBank/app, transfer fee waived through CommBiz |
Branch/manual payment | A$30 transfer fee |
Receiving | Up to A$11 into a CommBank AUD or Foreign Currency Account |
Correspondent fees | Absorbed for cross-currency digital payments, except JPY through CommBiz |
Same-currency correspondent cover | Optional selected-currency charge, for example USD A$37 or GBP A$17, beneficiary-bank charges remain separate |
Amendment/cancellation/trace | A$25 per request, with overseas-bank costs where applicable |
The usual receipt estimate is one–three business days, with cut-off times and the receiving bank affecting when your supplier gets the payment.
A zero sending fee does not settle the price comparison, because the bank's conversion rate and any remaining beneficiary charges still affect the invoice cost.
What can you do with an international business payment service?
Pay for imported stock or equipment
A wholesale order can require a deposit followed by a balance payment, so the service needs to handle the supplier's currency and both deadlines.
You might use a bank payment for a European machinery invoice, or World Pay for a purchase made on China's 1688 marketplace.
World Pay uses your CNH balance, meaning offshore Chinese yuan, rather than simply sending Australian dollars to the seller's checkout.
Keep the purchase reference with each payment, and agree whether your supplier needs the exact invoice amount after bank deductions.
For larger commitments, a currency broker can also help arrange settlement dates, although the payment and currency contract remain separate decisions.
Collect overseas sales income and reuse it
If you sell to US customers, receiving their payments into USD details can let you retain the proceeds for a USD supplier invoice.
That can avoid converting the same money into Australian dollars and then back again, while leaving your local operating costs funded separately.
WorldFirst's marketplace connections are relevant for online retail, whereas Wise's currency receiving details can suit direct client payments to a consultancy.
Receiving bank transfers or marketplace settlements does not, by itself, give you a checkout that accepts customer cards.
Your multi-currency account choice should therefore match the incoming payment method as well as the currencies you want to hold.
Pay distributed contractors without re-entering every transfer
A batch file can group payments to an overseas design or development team, while retaining each person's bank details, amount and currency.
Wise accepts CSV or XLSX files, which can reduce repeated entry when you pay the same contractors every month.
Airwallex's Australian ABA file is a domestic bank-payment format, so it does not replace the international batch feature available on Grow and above.
For payroll, keep the employment, tax and payslip process separate from the payment tool, rather than assuming successful bank transfers complete those obligations.
Accept international checkout and subscription payments
An Australian software business charging overseas customers needs payment acceptance and recurring billing, rather than only an account that receives bank transfers.
Airwallex offers checkout tools and subscription management, with processing, billing and settlement charges that can accumulate within one sale.
For a new account, an international card payment starts at 3.45% plus A$0.30, before applicable billing and currency settlement charges.
Choosing like-for-like foreign-currency settlement can help you keep the proceeds for foreign expenses, but that settlement has its own fee.
In my opinion, you should judge this workflow on the net revenue you retain and the billing work it removes, rather than the outgoing transfer tariff.
Control employee spending abroad
A travel business can issue individual employee cards and spending limits, rather than sharing one card number for overseas hotel bookings.
That also gives you a clearer record of who spent the money and which receipts still need to be reconciled.
Wise and Airwallex provide team cards, while WorldFirst's Australian card supports spending from currency balances with different physical-card and conversion charges.
Keep enough of the spending currency available when that avoids automatic conversion, and choose the plan that supplies the expense controls you need.
A card allowance is separate from an international bank-payment allowance, so spending and supplier invoices need their own cost checks.
Plan the currency cost of future invoices
If an import invoice is due in three months, a forward contract can fix the exchange rate before you pay the full settlement amount.
That gives you a known currency cost, but it also creates a commitment even if the supplier order later changes or the market improves.
OFX and TorFX can request further security during the contract, while WorldFirst's forward terms also allow additional margin calls.
Keep funds available for those calls and the final settlement, rather than treating the initial deposit as your maximum possible cost.
A limit order serves a different purpose, waiting for an agreed exchange rate that may never be reached before your invoice falls due.
I suggest using currency tools to match a real payment commitment, after understanding the funding obligations and potential cancellation losses.
Separate payment preparation from approval and accounting
If one employee prepares supplier payments and another approves them, configure those permissions before handing over account access.
WorldFirst supports roles and approval rules, and CommBiz separates submitting international payments from authorising them through your security credentials.
Accounting connections can also reduce manual reconciliation, although a bank feed and a complete two-way bill integration do different jobs.
Airwallex Grow and OFX Full Suite add administration features that may justify a subscription when you process invoices regularly.
For a platform building payments into its own product, an API connects its software to the service, with access and embedded functions under a separate commercial agreement.
OFX reserves API access for Custom, so ordinary business-account access should not be treated as approval to build a customer-facing payment product.
How to compare the cost of a business transfer
Ask each service for the Australian-dollar cost of delivering the same invoice amount, using the same currency and payment date.
That exposes both the sending fee and the exchange-rate difference, without giving an automatic advantage to a service advertising no transfer charge.
Then add the subscription, additional users and any incoming-payment or card costs your business will incur during the same month.
For example, five active Airwallex employee-card users add A$45 beyond the two included users, before the monthly plan and transaction charges.
Explore would therefore cost A$74 before transactions unless you qualify for its waiver, while Grow would cost A$144 with those five active spend users.
That is an illustration of the listed tariff, rather than a tested quote or a claim that either plan is cheapest overall.
If you are sending money to the United States for a USD invoice, also check whether the quote covers the full amount your supplier needs.
How to make international business payments
Choose the business product and complete verification
Apply using the business's registered details, then provide the requested ABN, ACN, ownership and identity documents for your legal structure.
Select the actual business product, because its payment purposes, controls and charges can differ from the provider's personal transfer service.
Confirm the payee and payment purpose
Check the beneficiary's account details against the invoice through a trusted contact, especially if you receive an unexpected change by email.
Include the supplier or contractor reference, and confirm the currency and net amount they need before booking the payment.
Approve the full cost and fund the payment
Review the exchange rate, fees and funding deadline, then obtain the required internal approval before committing to a currency contract.
Use the instructed bank account or permitted funding method, leaving time for cleared funds and any additional checks before the payment deadline.
Track and reconcile the payment
Save the confirmation and payment reference, then reconcile the cost, exchange difference and invoice within your accounting records.
If the payee reports a missing payment, trace the original transfer before sending another payment for the same invoice.
Compare the complete payment cost before choosing a service for your next overseas supplier invoice or contractor payment.
Compare business transfer costs from Australia
Enter your destination and payment amount to compare the available rates for your business transfer from Australia.Questions about Australian business transfers
Can you use a personal account for business transfers?
Use a service that accepts your business structure and commercial payment purpose, even if a personal account appears to offer a similar exchange rate.
A sole trader does not legally need a separate business bank account in every case, but the transfer service's account terms still apply.
Does an Australian financial services licence protect every balance like a bank deposit?
A financial services licence identifies a regulated service, but it does not mean every currency balance or forward deposit has a bank-deposit guarantee.
TorFX holds client funds separately and is outside Australia's Financial Claims Scheme, so understand the protection attached to the specific product you use.
Our methodology & why trust us
We assessed Australian business eligibility, payment and collection methods, operational features, local contracts and the costs associated with each business product.
The shortlist combines self-service accounts, dealer-assisted payments and a business bank, with different uses rather than an unsupported overall price winner.
We used official Australian product, tariff and legal sources, separating current business fees from personal offers and overseas account plans.
The Airwallex calculation illustrates its listed fees, and we have not opened these accounts or tested business transfers for this guide.
Our review process explains how we assess money transfer services and the evidence behind our comparisons.
Best multi-currency business accounts
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Best currency brokers
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Sending large amounts abroad
A contact you can reach outside Australian working hours
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The sender can pay in pounds, US dollars or another supported currency while a transfer company delivers AUD into your bank account.
Mobile money transfers
When you send abroad, the transfer company quotes the AUD cost, converts the payment and arranges delivery to the chosen wallet.
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