Our international transfer service
An international transfer is a secure, fast and convenient way to receive and send money. Bank Australia makes and receives International Payments via Convera, formerly Western Union Business Solutions.
Changes to foreign cheques
Please note, Bank Australia no longer provides foreign cheque deposit services to new customers joining the bank on or after 29 May 2023. We're ceasing this service for existing customers from 25 August 2023. You will need to arrange for the funds to be sent to your account via international transfer as outlined below.
Sending an international transfer
Limits and currency
Your transfer must be less than AUD $2,000 and sent in a foreign currency.
To make an international transfer higher than this amount, please contact us. Note that fees apply.
Payment details
You need the following details about the person you’re paying:
- Account name, street address and account number (or IBAN)
- Their bank name, street address and bank code/s
- Depending on the country, you may need further information to complete the payment or it may be requested at a later stage
Do you have the right details?
International transfers are undertaken at the sender’s own risk. Convera and/or their subsidiary companies and/or agents (Bank Australia) accept no liability whatever for any delay, mistake or omission which may occur in its transmission, or misinterpretation when received, or failure to identify the payee.
Please ensure you double check that the account details are correct. Convera and Bank Australia do not cross check the account number with the account name submitted. Convera and Bank Australia are entitled to rely on the account number as your instructions to transfer the money to that bank account.
Bank Australia and Convera advise that it may not be possible to recover funds from an unintended recipient if you provide the incorrect bank account details.
How to send an international transfer
To make the payment, log into internet banking and follow these steps:
- Go to 'Transfer/Pay' and select 'International transfers'
- Choose 'Send money overseas' and follow the prompts to validate account
- For new transfers, select 'Create transfer'. For two or more to sign accounts, locate the payment requiring approval from the list shown or use the magnifying glass to search for transactions older than 7 days.
- Select the country you are sending to, the currency you want the payment sent in, and the amount for an indicative quote (select 'Foreign' if you know the foreign currency amount you wish to send, or select 'AUD' and enter the AUD equivalent)
- Select the account you want the money to come from
- Hit 'Pay now' when you’re satisfied all details are correct
Receiving an international transfer
Good to know
Your first step is to give payment instructions to the person or business sending money to you. These instructions vary depending on the currency being sent.
How to get your payment instructions
In order to get your payment instructions, simply:
- Open the Inward Transfers form
- Follow the prompts to complete the form and get your instructions. You will receive an instruction document that can be sent to the person transferring money to you.
Alternatively, you can log into Internet Banking and follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Transfer/Pay’ and select ‘International transfers’
- Choose ‘Receive money from overseas’
- Follow the prompts to complete the form and get your instructions
How to send payment instructions
Forward the payment instructions to the person transferring money to you.
Ask them to instruct the overseas bank to include the Payment Reference in the bank's reference field.
When received
If possible, email inwardtransfers@convera.com with the transfer receipt or bank’s remittance advice.
Jargon and terminology
Wire
Another name for an international transfer.
Bank codes
A bank code is a series of numbers used to identify banks around the world, for example:
- BSB (Bank-State-Branch)
- BIC (Business Identification Code)
- SWIFT Code (standard format of Business Identification Codes)
- CHIPS (Clearing House Inter-Bank Payment System) – US and Canada only
- NCC (National Clearing Code)
- BSC (Bank Sort Code)
- IFSC (Indian Financial System Code)
In some countries, you may need more than one bank code and/or an International Bank Account Number (IBAN).
IBANs
IBAN stands for ‘International Bank Account Number’.
It’s an account number format adopted by most European and many other countries. IBANs start with a two letter country code and contain between 15 and 34 letters and numbers, depending on the country.
The IBAN is written as a continuous string of alphanumeric characters (ie. no space).
Fees
For all fees and charges please refer to Deposit fees, charges and transaction limits
Other fees may be charged by participating banks involved in the transaction or settlement.
