How GBP is used on Wise: details and requirements

Wise is a simple, convenient service for personal and business transactions, mostly used in Europe but also popular abroad. It supports a plethora of different currencies, including the British pound. For each type of money, there are specific conditions and requirements, and GBP is no exception.

Setting up a Wise account

In order to effectively utilize GBP on Wise, you must first create a Wise account. Here are the essential steps and prerequisites for creating your Wise account, as well as the mandatory verification and identity checks:

Account creation

To initiate the process, navigate to the Wise website or mobile app and proceed to sign up for a free Wise account. During this initial stage, you will be prompted to provide basic details, such as your name, email address, and password.

Identity verification

Wise is obligated by financial regulations to conduct identity verification for all of its users. This procedure is mandatory for utilizing GBP on the platform. To fulfill this requirement, you need to follow Wise's instructions meticulously to submit identification documents, which may include your passport or driver's license, along with any other requested information.

Verification process

Upon submitting your documents and necessary data, Wise's verification team will carefully review the information provided. The duration of this verification process can vary, generally ranging from several hours to a few days, contingent upon the completeness and accuracy of your submission.

Approved account

Once your account successfully passes through the verification process, you will receive a confirmation notification from Wise. This signifies that your GBP account on Wise is now accessible and ready for use.

Specifics of a GBP account

For the most part, a Wise account in GBP follows the same logic as any other account, be that in USD or EUR. However, there are several unique provisions you should look out for:

• Withdrawing the money to your bank account will reduce the transfer amount by 12 — 18 EUR, depending on the bank.
• Sending money from the EU to the UK may require an additional fee of 0.45 EUR + 0.56% as per European regulations.
• Upon receiving transactions in other currencies to your GBP account, the sum will be converted to pounds. There are no extra fees for such operations, and the exchange rate is exactly as set by the Central Bank for the day.

In other ways, a GBP account will largely be identical to any other monetary account. What’s also worth mentioning is that Britain is one of the few countries where users can request a Wise card — a bank card tied to your Wise account. It’s currently available in the country, but whether it’ll be accepted in a particular store or not depends on the store. It is accepted for all online purchases, though.

Sending and receiving GBP

Wise offers a straightforward process for sending and receiving pounds. The exact processes are simple and streamlined, so there’s little room for confusion. Regardless, here are the instructions for sending, receiving, and making international transfers in British pounds.

Sending

1. To initiate a GBP transfer, you would log in to your Wise account and select the ‘Send Money’ option.
2. Next, you need to specify the recipient's details, including their GBP bank account information.
3. Wise will then calculate and display the precise transfer fees and exchange rates for full transparency.
4. Once you confirm the transaction, you can fund it from your GBP currency account on Wise or via other available payment methods.

Receiving

1. To receive GBP to your Wise account, you should provide the sender with your Wise GBP account details, including your account number and sort code (for UK accounts).
2. Funds received in GBP will be securely credited to your Wise GBP currency account.
3. You can hold, convert, or transfer these funds as needed, all from within your Wise dashboard.

International transfer services

Wise is renowned for its cost-effective international transfer services. When you use Wise to send GBP abroad, you typically benefit from favorable exchange rates and lower fees compared to traditional banks. Their transparent fee structure ensures that you know exactly how much your transfer will cost, without hidden charges.

Additionally, Wise offers multi-currency accounts and borderless banking, making it an ideal choice for international business and personal transactions.

Is Wise good?

There is a variety of payment solutions also available in the UK besides Wise. The latter is a convenient enough service with good exchange rates, high-speed transactions, and multicurrency account functionality. It is good, and there is no reason not to use it, especially because confirming the account takes just an ounce of your time.

It is better than PayPal when it comes to the exchange rate, and certainly superior to traditional banking services, considering that Wise has all the same conditions but with deeper functionality.

The other option you might consider is crypto. It’s now possible to move pounds in the form of crypto fairly simply, especially if you opt for decentralized exchanges, which are immensely automated. You can store your money in USDT or opt for a recently introduced GBPT. Both are stablecoins for USD and GBP respectively.

Summary

Wise accommodates British users very well. Not only it is good for storing, sending, and receiving GBP (even if with complications), but your pounds can also be converted at any point into another type of money. This creates an incredibly convenient and flexible payment solution. Moreover, there is the Wise card bonus, which allows the British to pay for goods and services with more comfort.