Receiving Money From Overseas Into a Westpac Account

What to give the person sending you money

Westpac's international-transfers page answers this directly, under "What your sender needs": "To receive money from overseas, you'll need to let the sender know: Full bank name: Westpac Banking Corporation. Westpac's BIC/SWIFT code: WPACAU2S. (If the sending bank requires 11 characters, use WPACAU2SXXX.) Your full name and address: including suburb, state, and country/post code. Your 12-digit bank account number: made up of your 6-digit BSB followed by your 6-digit account number."

So the block to send is:

1. Full bank name: Westpac Banking Corporation.
2. SWIFT/BIC code: WPACAU2S (or WPACAU2SXXX for an 11-character field).
3. Your full name and address, including suburb, state and postcode.
4. Your 12-digit account number — your BSB and account number run together, not given as two separate fields.

You can pull the exact 12-digit number from Online Banking or the Westpac App. Westpac doesn't ask for a branch address on top of your own personal address — the block above is what its own page treats as complete.

Westpac's fee to receive an international transfer

As published on westpac.com.au (checked September 2026), Westpac states: "Westpac charge a $12 AUD processing fee when you receive money from overseas. This fee is waived if you're receiving the equivalent of $100 AUD or less." Westpac's page lists a second, separate cost on top of that: "Sending bank(s) fee — The fee(s) deducted by any other bank involved in transferring the money from overseas," applying to any currency and not fixed at a single figure.

Westpac's page also covers what it costs to send the other way: sending in a foreign currency through Westpac Online Banking or the app is $0, sending Australian dollars costs $20, and a branch transfer costs $32 in either currency. Our guide to Westpac international transfer fees how it works covers Westpac's sending fees and its AUD$2,000,000-a-day personal transfer limit in full.

Receiving in the original currency instead of AUD

By default, a foreign-currency transfer into a Westpac AUD account gets converted at Westpac's own exchange rate, which Westpac describes as "indicative only ... subject to market movements" rather than a fixed margin. Westpac's page describes a specific way to try to avoid that conversion: ask the sender to include the message or reference "Do not convert" in their payment instruction.

Westpac is upfront that this isn't guaranteed to work — its own wording is that it "can't guarantee that this approach will be effective." If it matters to you, confirm with the sender that their bank actually carried the instruction through once the money arrives, rather than assuming it worked.

If you're receiving a large amount and want a say in the rate Westpac converts it at rather than relying on the standard rate shown online, Westpac's own FAQ answers this directly: "Can I negotiate a better exchange rate? Yes, contact Financial Markets on 1800 221 815 Opt 1 to discuss your needs." This is Westpac's own dealing-style option, separate from anything a specialist transfer provider offers.

How long it takes

Westpac's page states, under "When receiving money from overseas": "Funds will usually be available the same business day that Westpac receives it, as long as it's received before cut-off times. However, in some cases the processing period may be longer." Westpac doesn't publish a single clock time for that cut-off on this page.

The leg before that — from the sender's bank to Westpac — depends on the sending country, the currency and how many banks the payment passes through, which is outside Westpac's control. Our general guide to receiving money from overseas in Australia gives a typical range of one to five business days end-to-end for a standard SWIFT transfer into an Australian bank, if you need a working estimate for the whole journey rather than just Westpac's own leg.

If the transfer hasn't shown up

Westpac's own FAQ addresses this directly, under "Incoming payment delay?": "Sometimes delays can occur. In the event of delays, please contact the sender, who may need to discuss payment location details with the sending bank." In practice:

1. Check Online Banking or the Westpac App for a pending transaction before assuming nothing has happened.
2. Ask the sender to confirm with their own bank exactly when the payment was sent and to get the payment reference.
3. Have the sender raise the delay with the bank they used to send it — Westpac's own wording puts the next step with the sending bank, not with Westpac, once the money is genuinely stuck en route.

This matches ANZ's international-payments page, which states the same principle for its own customers: "only the sender can track the payment and confirm when it was sent."

Why PayID won't work for this

A Westpac PayID only resolves inside Australia's own domestic payments system, so an overseas sender's bank has no way to use it — there's no PayID field on an international wire transfer form. Give the sender your full name and address, 12-digit account number and Westpac's SWIFT/BIC code instead, as set out above. See our can I use PayID for an international transfer for the full explanation of why PayID and the NPP don't extend across borders.

What's Westpac's SWIFT/BIC code?

WPACAU2S, as published on Westpac's international-transfers page. If the sending bank's form needs 11 characters, Westpac's page confirms WPACAU2SXXX also works.

How much does Westpac charge to receive an international transfer?

$12 AUD, as published on westpac.com.au (checked September 2026) — waived if the amount received is $100 AUD or less. A sending or correspondent bank may also deduct its own fee before the transfer reaches Westpac.

Can I get the money in USD or GBP instead of AUD?

You can ask the sender to add "Do not convert" to their payment instruction, which Westpac describes as a way to try to receive the funds in the original currency — Westpac states it can't guarantee the request will be honoured.

Can someone overseas send money to my Westpac PayID?

No. PayID only works within Australia's domestic payments system. Give the sender your full name and address, 12-digit account number and Westpac's SWIFT/BIC code (WPACAU2S) instead.

Will I pay tax on money sent to me from overseas?

Not automatically — it depends on why the money was sent. See our receiving money from overseas in Australia and our guide to bringing money to Australia tax implicationss for the difference between a tax-free gift or your own savings and taxable foreign income.