Overseas money transfers and payments
You can make payments and transfers from your HSBC Expat accounts using online, mobile or phone banking in 22 currencies to over 150 countries and regions. You can also receive payments and transfers to your accounts in these currencies.
Find out everything you need to know about payments or transfers from your accounts, and the account details you need to give a bank sending a payment or transfer to you.
Payments and transfers
From your account
Exchange rates
For immediate transfers in online, mobile and phone banking, we provide live exchange rates which are updated every 90 seconds between:
- the opening of the Hong Kong market on Monday morning local time
- the closure of the New York market on Friday afternoon local time
Live rates won't be available on public holidays or if we have to close unexpectedly.
Transfers made outside live rate hours will be based on the most recent exchange rates from the close of business the previous day and will include an additional premium.
If you're setting up the transfer for a later date, the exchange rate will be the rate that applies at the time of the transfer.
Our exchange rate margins are tiered, so better foreign exchange rates are available for higher transfers.
If you need to convert currency on a regular basis, you can fix your exchange rate in advance. You can also get enhanced pricing if you convert large amounts of currency each year. For further details, speak to your Relationship Manager.
Daily limits on international payments and transfers*
There are no daily limits on international payment and transfer amounts in phone banking, but in online and mobile banking there is a daily limit of:
- GBP 100,0001 for transfers to other HSBC Expat account holders
- GBP 500,0001 for transfers between your HSBC Expat accounts
- USD 200,0001 for transfers between your linked accounts in Global Transfers
In online banking, where you have more international payment and transfer options, the daily limit is:
- GBP 10,0001 for UK credit card and utility bills2
- GBP 100,0001 for transfers to other international accounts3
Call us if you need to transfer more than your daily limit and we'll put you in touch with our team of foreign exchange specialists who can explain the solutions available to you.
*Daily limits are set by default but can be lowered via Online Banking using our online transfer limits tool. Please note that once decreased you will need to call our dedicated 24/7 contact centre in order to increase again.
How to make a payment or transfer
Online banking
Log on to enter your payment or transfer details.
Mobile banking
Log on to the app and select 'New transaction' in 'Banking' to enter your transfer details.
Phone banking
Call us to pay or transfer any amount. Please have your 10 digit PBN and 6 digit PIN to hand before you call.
Transfer times
You can instantly move money between your HSBC Expat bank or savings accounts, even if the accounts are in different currencies.
We process transfer requests on the same day they're received until 5pm UK time. After this time, we process your request on the following business day.
Sterling transfers to UK sterling accounts will be credited within 3 working days.
All other international transfers are usually credited within 2 - 5 working days, depending on:
- the type of payment you're making
- the currencies involved in the transfer
- the time of day the transfer request is made
Transfer fees
The fee for sending money internationally from your account will depend on whether:
- you're a Premier or Advance customer
- you're making the transfer via online, mobile or phone banking
- there are additional charges applied by the correspondent bank
It's free to make a transfer in online and phone banking from your account to:
- an HSBC account you hold in the UK
- a third party HSBC account in the UK
- other banks within the HSBC Group
To make a transfer to other banks within the UK or abroad, there is a fee of:
- GBP 4 for Premier customers in online banking and GBP 9 in phone banking
- GBP 6 for Advance customers in online banking and GBP 14 in phone banking
For more details see our Tariff of Charges.
Transfer currencies
You can make transfers to beneficiaries in 22 currencies.
To your account
Sterling transfers
You can make a sterling transfer from the UK to your HSBC Expat sterling current account using CHAPS. You will need to quote your:
- name
- 6 digit sort code (40-61-62)
- 8 digit account number
For sterling current accounts only, your account's 6 digit sort code (40-61-62) and 8 digit account number is displayed as the last 14 digits of your account's IBAN number.
If you are making a sterling transfer from the UK to a sterling savings account or an account which is held in any other currency than sterling, you must quote your account's IBAN number along with the associated BIC/SWIFT code MIDLGB22 when you make the transfer.
Currency payments and transfers
If you receive a payment or transfer to your HSBC Expat account from overseas in a different currency to your account, we convert it using the HSBC Exchange Rate at that time before crediting it to your account.
To receive a payment, you must provide the sending bank with these details:
- the amount and the currency
- your full name and address
- your IBAN - this is your international bank account number
- our correspondent bank details for the currency
- our account name - HSBC Bank plc Jersey branch
- our SWIFT address - MIDLJESH
They will need to send:
- an 'authenticated SWIFT MT103 message' to our SWIFT address with your name, address, IBAN and currency details
- a 'SWIFT cover (MT 202) payment message' to our correspondent bank
To save you time entering the correspondent bank details, you can download our interactive form which pre-fills the relevant sections when you select the currency.
How to check on a payment
If you need to check on when you will receive the payment, you should contact the sending bank as it's dependent on their processing times.
Contact us
Premier customers
Speak to your Relationship Manager if you need advice on international transactions.
| +44 1534 616 313 |
Advance customers4
Call us if you have any queries about international transfers or payments.
| +44 1534 616 212 |
New to HSBC Expat
To benefit from our financial planning service you'll need to become a HSBC Expat customer.
From multi-currency savings accounts to our FX app, discover all of the reasons to bank with us and open your Expat account today.
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To find out how we use your personal information view our Privacy Notice.
You might be interested in
FX App
Make more informed foreign currency transactions with exclusive rates via the Expat FX app.
Link and make transfers
Use Global View and Global Transfers to link and move money between your global HSBC accounts.
Foreign exchange services
Trade currencies, set up limit orders and find out about our personalised FX plan.
Banking in multiple currencies
Manage your money in different currencies through offshore accounts.
1Or the currency equivalent.
2Payment can be made from sterling accounts to over 700 beneficiaries. Allow 10 working days for payment.
3Excludes HSBC Expat accounts and HSBC accounts linked in Global View.
4We no longer offer Advance to new customers.
You should be aware of the potential risk of foreign exchange rates changing. If you convert your money back to the original currency, you may incur a loss as a result of movements in the markets.