Westpac International Transfers: Fees, Limits and How It Works

How to send a Westpac international transfer

You can send a Westpac international transfer through Westpac Online Banking, the Westpac App, or in a branch. Westpac's own step-by-step guide for the app is (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026): 1. Tap Payments, then Send overseas (or Pay someone if you already have the payee saved). 2. Select the country you're sending to. 3. Select the account to send from. 4. Change the date and frequency if you want to schedule a future or recurring payment. 5. Check the currency and enter the amount. 6. Review the currency, conversion rate, amount and fees shown. 7. Select a saved payee or add a new one, add a description and, if required, the transfer purpose. 8. Review the details carefully and select Confirm to submit.

Westpac's own page lists a set of 'popular' destination currencies (British Pounds, US Dollars, Euros and New Zealand Dollars) plus a longer list of other supported currencies including Norwegian Krone, Canadian Dollars, Singapore Dollars and Polish Zloty (the latter available online only). A Security Device is required for any international payment made by a personal customer, 'of any value' — Westpac's own FAQ is explicit that this applies regardless of the amount. Business customers only need a Security Device once their cumulative international payments for the day exceed AUD 5,000.

Fees

Westpac's own fee page sets out three tiers (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026):

1. Westpac Online Banking or the Westpac App, sent in a foreign currency — $0.
2. Westpac Online Banking or the Westpac App, sent in Australian dollars — $20.
3. A transfer made in a branch, in either Australian dollars or a foreign currency — $32.

On top of Westpac's own fee, 'transfer fees deducted by any other banks involved in the money transfer' can apply to any currency; Westpac's page suggests starting a payment to see an estimate of these rather than publishing a fixed correspondent-fee table.

How Westpac sets your exchange rate, and its negotiated-rate desk

Westpac does not publish a fixed margin percentage. Its own disclosure states: 'The exchange rates provided are applicable to foreign exchange products described on this website. The exchange rates are indicative only as at the time and date shown, are subject to market movements and therefore change continuously... They should not be relied upon as an accurate representation of any final pricing. You should contact Westpac for up-to-date pricing prior to dealing' (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026).

Westpac is one of the few banks in this comparison that publishes its own negotiated-rate option: 'Can I negotiate a better exchange rate? Yes, contact Financial Markets on 1800 221 815 Opt 1 to discuss your needs.' That's Westpac's own version of a dealing desk, available before you commit to the rate shown in Online Banking.

Transfer limits: per day for personal customers, per transaction for business

Westpac's own FAQ gives an exact ceiling, and the wording of who it applies to matters (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026): 'A Security Device is required for international payments of any value. The maximum cumulative value of international transfers personal customers can make is AUD$2,000,000 equivalent per day.' A separate 'User Daily Payment Limit' also applies on top of that ceiling, and — Westpac's page notes — this limit is shared across all users on a personal banking network, so it isn't necessarily yours alone to spend.

For business customers, the structure is different: a Security Device is required once cumulative international payments exceed AUD 5,000 equivalent per day, and the maximum value of a single international transfer is AUD$2,000,000 equivalent per transaction — a per-transaction ceiling, not a per-day one. Don't read the personal and business figures as interchangeable; they share a headline number but apply it differently.

Currency-specific restrictions worth knowing before you start

Westpac's own page lists restrictions that apply regardless of your daily limit (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026): 'Only business banking profiles are permitted to send CNY when initiating a payment to a registered business in China. Personal customers attempting to send funds to China will be prompted to select from other available currencies.' In practice, a Westpac personal customer cannot send Chinese Yuan to a Chinese recipient at all — the payment has to go out in AUD or another currency and be converted on the China side.

Westpac also restricts transfers in Thai Baht (THB), Filipino Peso (PHP), Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and Pakistani Rupee (PKR) to 'amounts of AUD $1,000 in value and above' — a smaller transfer in one of those four currencies has to be sent in a different currency instead.

Separately, Westpac's page names a list of destination countries where any currency sent is subject to the same AUD $1,000 floor: 'Transfers to selected countries are only available for amounts AUD $1,000 and above, or the foreign currency equivalent value. The countries currently subject to this restriction are Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.' Westpac's page notes 'this condition is subject to change at any time at Westpac's discretion,' so check the current list before sending a small amount to one of these destinations.

How correspondent bank fees actually work

Westpac's own FAQ explains the mechanism behind the 'other banks' fee referenced above: 'Based on the currency of the transfer and the country/region the transfer is being sent to, additional fees may be deducted by another overseas bank or the transfer recipient's bank... Westpac might not have any control over the fees, charges or foreign currency conversions imposed by these institutions' (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026). By default, any such handling charge 'will... be borne by the recipient of the international money transfer and deducted from the payment amount, unless otherwise organised' — so unless you arrange otherwise, it's your recipient who ends up receiving less, not you paying more upfront.

Cut-off times, how long it takes, and tracking a transfer

Westpac's own FAQ states: 'When sending overseas: It usually takes 1-3 business days for the money to reach your Payee's account... If it hasn't been received after 5 business days, you can follow up' (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026). For money coming in, 'Funds will usually be available the same business day that Westpac receives it, as long as it's received before cut-off times' — Westpac does not publish a single clock time for that cut-off on the pages checked this month.

You can track the progress of a payment already sent 'by logging into Online Banking or the Westpac App and accessing your payment list or transaction details.' If it genuinely hasn't arrived after 5 business days, Westpac's own page directs you to call its International Payments and Services team on 1800 632 308 (option 2), or email cenquiry@westpac.com.au with the payment details, the last time you checked with your payee, and your current contact details.

Receiving money from overseas into a Westpac account

To receive a payment, give the sender Westpac's full name — 'Westpac Banking Corporation' — its BIC/SWIFT code WPACAU2S (WPACAU2SXXX if the sender's system needs 11 characters), and your 12-digit account number, made up of your 6-digit BSB followed by your 6-digit account number (westpac.com.au, as at September 2026). Westpac charges a $12 AUD processing fee to receive money from overseas, waived if the amount received is AUD 100 or less.

Westpac also offers a 'Do Not Convert' request — asking the sender to include the message 'Do not convert' — though Westpac's own page cautions it 'can't guarantee that this approach will be effective.' For the full walkthrough on receiving into a Westpac account, including what to do if a transfer hasn't arrived, see our guide to receiving money from overseas into a Westpac account.

When a specialist provider works differently

A specialist FX provider is a genuine alternative for the one thing Westpac's own personal banking rules block outright — sending Chinese Yuan directly to a recipient in China — and for locking in a rate for longer than a single Online Banking session; a provider like OFX, for example, does not publish a fixed margin percentage either, so the same 'compare the delivered amount, not the headline rate' approach applies regardless of which you use.

What is Westpac's SWIFT/BIC code?

WPACAU2S (WPACAU2SXXX where 11 characters are required).

How much does Westpac charge to send money overseas?

$0 if sent in a foreign currency through Online Banking or the app, $20 if sent in AUD through the same channels, or $32 in a branch, plus any fee the receiving bank deducts.

Can I send Chinese Yuan (CNY) to China through Westpac?

Not as a personal customer. Westpac's own page states only business banking profiles can send CNY to a registered business in China; personal customers are prompted to choose a different currency instead.

What is Westpac's daily international transfer limit?

AUD $2,000,000 equivalent per day for personal customers (with a Security Device required for any value), or AUD $2,000,000 equivalent per transaction for business customers.

Does Westpac charge to receive money from overseas?

Yes, a $12 AUD processing fee, waived if the amount received is AUD 100 or less.

Can I negotiate a better exchange rate with Westpac?

Westpac's own FAQ says yes — contact its Financial Markets team on 1800 221 815 (option 1) to discuss a negotiated rate before dealing.

What if my Westpac international transfer hasn't arrived?

Westpac's own guidance is to wait 5 business days from sending before following up. After that, call Westpac's International Payments and Services team on 1800 632 308 (option 2), or email cenquiry@westpac.com.au with a copy of the original payment and the last time you checked with your payee.

What currencies can I send from Westpac?

Westpac's own page lists British Pounds, US Dollars, Euros and New Zealand Dollars as its popular currencies, alongside a longer list of other supported currencies, some of which (such as Polish Zloty) are available online only.

Does Westpac offer international transfers for business customers?

Yes, through Westpac's business banking platforms. The same AUD$2,000,000-equivalent ceiling applies, but as a per-transaction maximum for business customers rather than the per-day maximum that applies to personal customers.

Can I schedule a recurring international transfer with Westpac?

Westpac's own app instructions include a step to 'change the date and frequency' when setting up an overseas payment, which supports scheduling a future-dated or recurring transfer — a contrast with some other Australian banks that only support a one-off transfer at the time it's made.