International Payments & Collections

Santander Bank offers your company a wide range of products to process your international payments and collections.

 

International payments

Our International Payments service offers a wide range of products that allow your business to send and receive foreign payments quickly and efficiently; whether you’re a retailer, a manufacturer, a not for profit organisation or a charity.

Currency accounts* are available in all major currencies and you can make payments or receive up to date reports via online banking.

Our team have considerable knowledge and experience of handling payments and providing foreign exchange services to clients of all sizes. If your business regularly makes and receive payments in a foreign currency, you should perhaps consider a currency account*.

 

Sending payments

Electronic (SWIFT) payment

We can send payments for you via the SWIFT payment network into the bank account of an overseas company or individual.

Foreign currency draft

A draft can be raised in the currency requested and made payable to the beneficiary, which we will then post back to you.

Foreign exchange

We can provide payment solutions in most major currencies.

 

Foreign currency accounts

Available in 19 currencies, accounts can be tailored to meet your specific international banking needs, helping you mitigate the risks of exchange rate fluctuation, match payments and receipts in the same currency and convert the funds when you want.

 

Receiving payments

Electronic (SWIFT) payment

You can receive payments electronically into a Santander UK plc account via SWIFT.

Foreign currency cheques

We can clear any foreign currency cheques you receive, either via negotiation (credit given with recourse) or on a collection basis (when the item is fully settled).

Foreign currency note deposits

We have a dedicated support team for customers who wish to deposit Euros and other foreign currency notes into a Santander UK plc account.

Documentary Services

Documentary Collections

Documentary Collections can be useful where you have established a good trading relationship with your trading partner and/or where you have a relatively high level of confidence that your trading partner will perform under the trading contract. So, if you need to know that the trade documents you are expecting accurately evidence what has been ordered before you pay or commit to pay then a Documentary Collection might be just what you need. If you are exporting and want to retain control of the trade documents until you receive payment or a promise of payment from your buyer then a Documentary Collection is an ideal solution.

Documentary Collections can accommodate payment terms that require the buyer to settle immediately upon “sight” of the trade documents or on deferred payment terms linked to the buyer making a promise to pay by accepting a Bill of Exchange or Promissory Note. These solutions are internationally recognised and can be very useful in the event of any subsequent dispute with the buyer over payment.

Letters of Credit (LC)

If you are importing goods from the other side of the world and you need peace of mind that you will receive them at the correct place, at the correct time and to the correct specification then a letter of credit is the answer.

As an exporter receiving a letter of credit you have the comfort that when you provide evidence that you have shipped your goods to the correct destination, at the correct time and to the correct specification then you will be paid.

*Available to Sole Traders, Partnerships and Limited Companies, with a turnover in excess of £250,000.
Our Currency Current Accounts are available in 19 major currencies – Euro, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Danish Krone, Hong Kong Dollar, Indian Rupee, Japanese Yen, Moroccan Dirham, New Zealand Dollar, Norwegian Krone, Philippine Peso, Singapore Dollar, South African Rand, Swedish Krona, Swiss Franc, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Dirham, Polish Zloty and Thai Bhat. Deposit Currency accounts available in EUR and USD only.