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Every payment on the rail that fits
Sterling on Faster Payments. Euros on SEPA Instant where the receiving bank supports it. Everything else on SWIFT. You see the rail, the fee and the arrival time before you confirm.
How we choose a rail
Most providers pick one rail and send everything down it. We match each payment to the rail that fits its currency and destination, on three criteria we publish here. That's the whole policy.
- Fastest arrivalThe route that tends to settle soonest for that currency and destination.
- Highest chance of successThe rail most likely to land first time, so fewer failed, delayed or returned payments.
- The right rail per corridorFaster Payments, SEPA, SEPA Instant or SWIFT, matched to where the money is going.
- SEPA InstantSecondsEuro payments inside the SEPA zone where the receiving bank supports instant settlement.
- SEPAUsually next working dayStandard euro rail inside the SEPA zone, cheapest for this corridor.
- SWIFT1 to 2 daysThe international standard for cross-border routing outside the UK and SEPA rails; higher fee.
Arrival times are the typical figures for each rail, not a promise for a specific payment. The real platform shows the rail, fee and arrival time before you confirm.
The rails, plainly
| Rail | Currency | Typical arrival | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faster Payments | GBP | Seconds | UK domestic sterling payments |
| SEPA Instant | EUR | Seconds | Euro payments where the receiving bank supports instant settlement |
| SEPA | EUR | Usually next working day | Standard euro payments inside the SEPA zone |
| SWIFT | Any | 1 to 2 days | Cross-border payments outside the UK and SEPA rails |
| Alpha Transfers express | BRL | Same day | Our own remittance service to any bank in Brazil. Details |
Arrival times are typical figures for each rail. The exact fee and arrival time for your payment are shown before you confirm. Business pricing depends on currencies, corridors and volumes, so we quote rather than publish a rate card.