Paying an Overseas Contractor via SWIFT

Last reviewed: · Curated by Ohmyfin Organisation editorial.

You hired a developer / designer / consultant in another country. You need to pay them reliably and prove the payment for tax and compliance.

Free for individuals worldwide · 10 lookups per day, no signup required.

Details

You hired a developer / designer / consultant in another country. You need to pay them reliably and prove the payment for tax and compliance.

How to handle it: Issue a contractor agreement, get their bank details (BIC, IBAN/account), wire monthly via SWIFT MT103. Provide the UETR with each payment so the contractor can verify and reconcile. Keep a record of UETR + invoice + contract for tax / audit.

Whatever route you take, every SWIFT payment carries a 36-character UETR (Unique End-to-end Transaction Reference). Paste the UETR into the Ohmyfin tracker to see the latest available SWIFT status in seconds — settled, in flight, pending compliance, or rejected.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

What is a UETR and why do I need one?

The UETR is the SWIFT-network identifier for your payment, mandatory on every payment since November 2018. It is the only way to track a payment in real time across all the correspondents in the chain.

How long should this kind of SWIFT payment take?

SWIFT GPI same-currency payments often settle in minutes. Cross-currency typically 4–24 hours. Compliance-heavy corridors can take 2–5 business days.

Is Ohmyfin tracking free?

Yes — free public tracking with 10 free scans per IP per day for individuals worldwide and 100 free credits when you sign up.

Can I cancel or recall the payment if needed?

Cancellation works only before the receiving bank credits the account. Recall (after credit) needs the beneficiary's consent. See /help/how-to-cancel-swift-payment and /help/how-to-recall-swift-payment.

Get 100 free credits — track unlimited SWIFT payments

No card needed. Free for ordinary users — 5 IP-based lookups per day, plus 100 credits instantly when you sign up with email. Use them on any international wire across 11,000+ banks.

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