Best UK business bank account for international payments

A UK company paid by clients in the US and EU needs more than a sterling account with a SWIFT fee table. The account that suits it holds USD and EUR with local details and pays out on local rails.

Alexia M.Comparisons and market guides editor

Published: 10 July 2026
Reading time: 2 min read

Google completes "best uk business bank account" with "for international payments" before "for sole trader" or "for startups". It is the question UK companies ask once their first client abroad pays them.

What to compare

	High street business account	Multi-currency business account
GBP payments	Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS	Faster Payments
Receiving USD or EUR	SWIFT, often with a fee	Local details: ACH, wires, SEPA
FX	Bank rate with a margin	Usually closer to mid-market
Paying abroad	SWIFT	Local rails in many countries
Lending and overdrafts	Yes	Limited
Protection	FSCS for deposits	Safeguarding under FCA rules

The cost on a real month

A London consultancy invoices $40,000 to US clients and €15,000 to a client in Ireland, and pays €8,000 to a developer in Portugal.

On a high street account, both receipts arrive by SWIFT and convert to sterling, and the developer payment converts back to euros. Three margins and two incoming fees.
With USD and EUR details, the US clients pay by ACH, the Irish client by SEPA, and the developer is paid from the euro balance. Only the surplus converts.

Questions to ask any provider

Do I get USD and EUR details in my company's name?
What is the margin over mid-market on GBP/USD and GBP/EUR?
What does each payout to my main countries cost?
How are funds held: FSCS deposit or safeguarding?

Paying into the United Kingdom: the local rail

What	Detail
Local rail	Faster Payments
Run by	Pay.UK
Settlement	Seconds, 24/7; the scheme limit is £1,000,000, and each bank sets its own

Bacs still carries most payroll and Direct Debits, on a three-day cycle.

Source: Pay.UK: Faster Payment System. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

Where Rivet fits

Rivet gives UK limited companies USD details on the free Starter plan and EUR and GBP details on Growth, with payouts to 120+ countries at $1 each and FX from 0.50%, shown before you confirm. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. See GBP business account and Accounts.

Questions people ask

Which UK business bank account is best for international payments?

The one that lets clients abroad pay you on their local rails and lets you pay suppliers abroad the same way. For a sterling-only business, any UK account works; for one that earns in dollars and euros, look at currency details and FX first.

Do UK banks charge to receive international payments?

Many charge a fee on incoming SWIFT payments, and the sender's side may lose an intermediary fee. Local details in the sender's currency avoid both.

Is a fintech account safe for a UK company?

Check how funds are held. E-money and payment institutions safeguard customer funds under FCA rules, and FSCS deposit protection does not apply. Banks are covered by the FSCS up to its limit.

Can I keep my high street account?

Yes. Many companies keep it for lending, HMRC and local payments and add a multi-currency account.

Sources

Written by

Alexia M.

Comparisons and market guides editor

Alexia compares the accounts, cards and payment tools companies weigh before they switch, and writes Rivet's market guides for founders in a specific country. Prices in Alexia's comparisons come from each provider's own pricing page on the date given in the article, rules come from the regulator or tax authority that sets them, and every source is listed at the end.