International account provider
Wise
Multi-currency payment account
A multi-currency payment account for holding, receiving and sending money. The Wise Account is not a bank account. Listed for comparison.
At a glance
- Provider type
- Global multi-currency payment account / EMI
- Legal status
- Payment institution / EMI
- Availability
- Broad international coverage
- Account model
- Multi-currency payment account
- Currencies
- Hold 40+ currencies. Local account details are available in multiple currencies depending on location.
- International transfers
- Send globally, with card spending. Local and SWIFT receiving depend on the currency and location.
- Minimum / eligibility
- No general high-balance requirement.
- Protection / safeguarding
- EMI / payments provider. This is not a bank account. The entity and the safeguarding regime depend on location.
Is this actually a bank account?
International money-management products can look similar in an app while being legally very different.
This is not a traditional bank account.
Legal status: Payment institution / EMI.
Wise Account. This is not a bank account.
EMI / payments provider. This is not a bank account. The entity and the safeguarding regime depend on location.
Who it may suit
Internationally mobile users, salary and pension receiving, and cross-border spending. That describes the published focus. It is not a view on whether this account is suitable for you.
Can you open it where you live?
Broad international coverage. Product availability varies by registered address.
Availability: Broad international coverage.
Eligibility may depend on residence, nationality, immigration status or local provider entity.
Which entity holds the account?
The provider brand and the legal account entity are not always the same thing.
The reviewed material says the entity depends on location. Confirm which legal entity would hold the account.
Account model
Wise Account. This is not a bank account.
Multi-currency payment account. Payment institution / EMI.
Holding money in different currencies
Being able to send a currency is not always the same as being able to hold a balance in that currency.
Hold 40+ currencies. Local account details are available in multiple currencies depending on location.
Receiving salary and other payments
Salary and pension receiving are part of the published use case. Confirm the payer can use the details you are given.
Local receiving details: Available in selected currencies, depending on location.
Sending money internationally
Send globally, with card spending. Local and SWIFT receiving depend on the currency and location.
A transfer can involve your provider, a bank in the middle, and the recipient’s bank. The workbook does not publish a live price for those charges.
FX and currency conversion
Conversion fees are publicly disclosed. Check the rate and any fee for the currencies and amount involved.
Cards
Card spending is described.
What does the account actually cost?
The total cost can include a monthly account fee, a minimum-balance fee, transfer fees, FX conversion, intermediary bank fees, card charges, ATM charges and a premium plan.
Pricing and conversion fees are publicly disclosed. Check the current tariff for the route you need.
No general high-balance requirement.
Check the provider’s current tariff before opening an account.
What protection applies?
Bank deposit protection and payment or e-money safeguarding are different legal frameworks.
EMI / payments provider. This is not a bank account. The entity and the safeguarding regime depend on location.
The applicable framework depends on the provider entity and jurisdiction. The protection framework depends on the legal entity serving you and where the account is booked.
Will the account still work if you move?
An account may stay as it is, move to another entity, lose some features, stop taking new money, restrict the card, close, or need a new local account. Eligibility can change with residence.
Product availability varies by registered address. Confirm what changes if you move.
Questions to ask
Can residents of my country open this account?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Is this a bank account or payment account?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Which legal entity serves me?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Where is the account legally booked?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Which protection or safeguarding regime applies?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Which currencies can I hold?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Which currencies can I receive?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Can I receive salary or pension payments?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Do I get local account details?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Can I make international transfers?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
What FX margin or conversion fee applies?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Are there monthly fees?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Is there a minimum balance?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
What happens if I move country?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Can I keep the account after changing tax residence?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Are there restrictions for US persons or other nationalities?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Can the account hold large balances?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Are incoming international transfers charged?
Confirm the current answer with Wise. It depends on the legal entity, your residence and the product.
Sources and review
- Wise Account
- Currencies you can hold
- Publisher programme page. WiT Access has not joined this programme.
Information is based on publicly available provider information reviewed by WiT Access. Account eligibility, fees, currencies and product terms can change. Reviewed 6 October 2026.