How do banks charge for SWIFT payments?

Last reviewed: · Curated by Ohmyfin Organisation editorial.

SWIFT payments have three fee components: the sender's outbound wire fee (USD 15-50), the correspondent banks' lifting fees (USD 5-30 each, typically 1-3 in the chain), and the beneficiary bank's incoming wire fee (USD 5-25). The 'charges code' (OUR/SHA/BEN) on the payment determines who pays which.

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Details

OUR — Sender pays all fees. The beneficiary receives the full amount. Most expensive for the sender; cleanest for the beneficiary. Used for invoice payments where the supplier expects the exact invoiced amount.

SHA (Shared) — Sender pays their bank's fee; correspondents and the beneficiary's bank deduct their own fees from the amount. The beneficiary receives less than the sent amount. Default for most consumer wires.

BEN — Beneficiary pays all fees. Funds are sent net of all charges. Used when the sender is forwarding money on behalf of the beneficiary.

SWIFT GPI requires every bank in the chain to report its fee on the GPI tracker — so when you track the UETR on Ohmyfin you can see exactly which correspondent took which fee. Pre-GPI, charges were opaque.

Tip: for important business payments, always use OUR. The few extra dollars in fees prevent disputes about short payments.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

How do banks charge for SWIFT payments?

SWIFT payments have three fee components: the sender's outbound wire fee (USD 15-50), the correspondent banks' lifting fees (USD 5-30 each, typically 1-3 in the chain), and the beneficiary bank's incoming wire fee (USD 5-25). The 'charges code' (OUR/SHA/BEN) on the payment determines who pays which.

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Yes. Ohmyfin tracking is free for individuals worldwide — 10 lookups per IP per day with no signup, plus 100 free credits when you create an account. We never charge ordinary users.

Do I need a bank login to use Ohmyfin?

No. Ohmyfin queries the SWIFT GPI network directly via the UETR — no credentials at any bank required.

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