Best multi-currency business accounts in the UK [2025]
If you're a UK business owner, getting a multi-currency business account allows you to receive payments from overseas customers conveniently, hold and exchange foreign currencies in one account, and send money internationally for payroll or to foreign suppliers.
However, many UK banks don't offer a true business multi-currency account for smaller businesses. Instead you can only hold single currencies in any given account, which can be inconvenient and involve high fees. Specialist providers like Wise and Revolut can be good alternatives.
In this article, we'll cover what you need to know about opening a multi-currency account, including the best options in the UK, the costs involved, and how to open one.
Key points: Business multi-currency accounts in the UK
Provider/Bank | 💡 Great for |
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Holding and exchanging 40+ currencies with the mid-market rate and low fees | |
Multi-currency account solution with different account tiers so you can pick the one which best matches your business need | |
Airwallex Account | Holding 20+ currencies, with ways to receive customer card payments from 180+ countries |
HSBC Global Wallet | Hold and transact in 9 global currencies, and receive payments in 6, with a linked HSBC business bank account |
Can a UK business have a foreign bank account?
Yes. You can open a business multi-currency account in the UK, with a specialist provider, or with a small number of familiar banks.
It's helpful to know that many UK banks do not offer multi-currency business accounts for smaller companies – instead their multi-currency features are aimed at large corporations looking for services like global treasury management.
For small businesses the key international products usually available are single currency foreign currency accounts for saving and investing.
The good news is that aside from banks, there are also plenty of specialist alternatives such as Wise and Airwallex, which have powerful international accounts for businesses in the UK, supporting multi-currency holding and more. This guide walks through some of your top options, so you can decide which works best for you.
What is the best multi currency account for business?
There are quite a few different options in the UK for multi-currency business accounts – which means you'll need to do some research to get an idea of what might suit your specific needs.
To give you a flavour, we've picked out a few different options to start you off – including one bank – HSBC – and specialist alternatives Wise or Airwallex.
Here's an overview:
Provider/Bank | Opening or monthly fee | Currencies supported | Debit or expense card | Exchange rates |
---|---|---|---|---|
No opening or monthly fee | 40+ for holding and exchange
Receive 20+ currencies with local and SWIFT details | Available – Wise card for business | Mid-market rate, with conversion costs from 0.48% | |
10 GBP - 90 GBP/month | 25+ currencies for holding and exchange | Available - Revolut Business card | Weekday exchange with the Revolut rate to plan limit, then a fee of 0.6% begins. Additional fee of 1% for weekend conversion | |
Airwallex | 0 GBP - 999 GBP/month | 20+ currencies for holding and exchange
Receive 20 currencies with local account details | Available - Airwallex borderless cards | 0.5% – 1% markup applies depending on the currency involved |
HSBC Global wallet | No additional fee, you may pay fees for your HSBC GBP account | Hold and transact in 9 global currencies, and receive payments in 6 | Use your HSBC business account card | Exchange rates may include a markup |
Details correct at time of writing – 28th April 2025
Wise Business account
💡 Great for: Holding and exchanging 40+ currencies with the mid-market rate and low fees |
Wise Business offers multi-currency accounts which support 40+ currencies for holding and exchange, and currency conversion with the mid-market rate and low fees.
You can also receive payments with local and SWIFT account details in 20 currencies, and issue debit and expense cards to make overseas spending and cash withdrawals easier.
Cards are offered as virtual and physical cards, for Chip and PIN, contactless and mobile payments, as well as cash withdrawals. Other perks include batch transfers, accounting integrations, multi-user access, and a powerful API to streamline workflow.
Low cost payments – Send to 140+ countries with the mid-market rate and low fees
Get paid by others – Receive payments from customers and clients with low or no fee
Low cost – No ongoing account management cost
Wise pros | Wise cons |
---|---|
✅ Hold and exchange 40+ currencies ✅ Easy to use on phone or laptop ✅ Receive foreign payments and send to 140+ countries ✅ Extras like accounting integrations to save time and cut admin | ❌ Variable transfer fees ❌ Some service charges apply |
Wise fees
Features | Wise pricing |
---|---|
Account fees | 45 GBP opening fee No monthly fee |
Currency conversion | Mid-market rate, with conversion costs from 0.48% |
Supported currencies | 40+ for holding and exchange Receive 20+ currencies with local and SWIFT details |
Sending & receiving international transfers | Send from 0.48% Receive transfers to Wise in 20+ currencies, for free with local details and low fees for SWIFT and wire payments |
Limits | Usually no limit on the amount you can hold Sending limits usually 1 million GBP per transfer – varies by currency |
Details correct at time of writing – 28th April 2025
📚 Learn more – How to open a Wise Business Account 💼 and Wise Business Account Review UK 🇬🇧 |
Revolut business account
💡 Great for: Multi-currency account offered on various different tiers to suit businesses of different sizes and stages |
Revolut Business has 3 different set plans for UK businesses, and also offers the option to custom make your plan as an enterprise level customer. All accounts offer weekday exchange with the Revolut rate to plan limit, with fair usage and out of hours fees depending on how you transact. You'll also get cards for you and your team, and ways to get paid by others without being forced to convert currencies. Depending on the plan you pick you could get other international features like no fee international payments.
Hold and exchange – Accounts support 25+ major currencies
Cut conversion costs – Receive in foreign currencies and you won't need to convert payments in foreign currencies to GBP if you don't want to
Get payment cards for you and your team - Making spending and withdrawing cash easy around the world
Revolut pros | Revolut cons |
---|---|
✅ 25+ supported currencies to receive, hold and exchange ✅ Easy digital ways to make payments and manage transactions ✅ Receive payments in foreign currencies ✅ Card services offered on all account tiers | ❌Monthly fees apply on all accounts ❌ Additional transaction or fair usage fees may apply depending on how you transact |
Revolut fees
Features | Revolut pricing |
---|---|
Account fees | 10 GBP - 90 GBP/month |
Currency conversion | Weekday exchange with the Revolut rate to plan limit, then a fee of 0.6% begins. Additional fee of 1% for weekend conversion |
Supported currencies | 25+ supported currencies |
Sending & receiving international transfers | 25+ supported currencies Use local account details in GBP and EUR, and SWIFT details to receive in other supported currencies |
Limits | Usually no limit on the amount you can hold Sending limits vary by currency |
Details correct at time of writing – 28th April 2025
Airwallex business account
💡 Great for: Holding 20+ currencies, with ways to receive customer card payments from 180+ countries |
Airwallex has multi-currency business accounts which are optimised for online sellers and people taking customer card payments. You can open local accounts to receive payments in 20+ currencies, and there are ways to get paid by PSPs and platforms, as well as through card payments in different currencies.
You can get virtual and physical debit cards to make business spending easier, although no ATM withdrawals are allowed.
Receive and hold – Receive and hold 20+ currencies in one account
Get paid from overseas – Take bank and card payments from all over the world
Issue debit and expense cards – Instant virtual cards and the option for physical cards for in person spending
Airwallex pros | Airwallex cons |
---|---|
✅ No costs to open account ✅ 20+ currencies supported for receiving, holding and exchange ✅ Issue your own debit cards to your team ✅ Take payments online easily | ❌ 0.5% – 1% currency conversion costs apply ❌ Cards can not be used in an ATM |
Airwallex fees
Features | Airwallex pricing |
---|---|
Account fees | 0 GBP - 999 GBP monthly fee |
Currency conversion | 0.5% – 1% markup applies depending on the currency involved |
Supported currencies | 20+ currencies for holding and exchange
Receive 20 currencies with local account details |
Sending & receiving international transfers | Transfers are often free, but 10 – 20 GBP charge applies for SWIFT payments |
Limits | Some accounts have holding limits – view your Available deposit limit in the app in the Account Capabilities tab
Variable payment limits apply depending on the currency |
Details correct at time of writing – 28th April 2025
HSBC Global Wallet business account
💡 Great for: Hold and transact in 9 global currencies, and receive payments in 6, with a linked HSBC business bank account |
The HSBC Global Wallet Account supports 9 major currencies holding and exchange, with 6 of these also offering ways to receive local transfers conveniently. This allows you to easily take customer payments or use your local details in foreign currencies to connect to marketplaces and PSPs. You'll also need an HSBC business bank account in GBP before you can add in the Global Wallet, and you may find there are fees to pay for this underlying account, depending on which you select. The wallet is intended as an add on service, and as such doesn't come with its own debit card, but you can use it as a way to move your funds between currencies for sending payments and withdrawing to GBP later.
Receive payments– Receive money in 6 currencies
Manage currency risk - Hold foreign currencies to hedge against exchange fluctuations
No ongoing fees - transaction fees apply, but there's no monthly charge for this account
HSBC Global Wallet pros | HSBC Global Wallet cons |
---|---|
✅Receive payments in 6 currencies ✅ 9 supported currencies to hold and exchange ✅5 GBP flat transfer fee ✅ Use alongside an HSBC GBP business bank account | ❌ Exchange rates may include a markup ❌ No debit card |
HSBC Global Wallet fees
Features | HSBC Global Wallet pricing |
---|---|
Account fees | No opening or monthly fee for this account - you will also need a GBP account which may have a fee |
Currency conversion | Exchange rates may include a markup |
Supported currencies | Hold and exchange 9 currencies |
Sending & receiving international transfers | Receive in 6 currencies 5 GBP transfer fee – exchange rate markup may also apply |
Limits | Confirm limits with HSBC as they may depend on your GBP account usage as well |
Details correct at time of writing – 28th April 2025
What is a multi-currency business account?
A multi-currency business account lets you manage your business finances in several different currencies, all in one account.
This means you can receive payments in foreign currencies, send money to others overseas, spend when you travel for business, and purchase goods online with your card in foreign currencies, more conveniently.
Here are a few of the key benefits of getting a multi-currency account for your UK business:
Receive payments from customers and clients in foreign currencies
Hold a balance in foreign currencies – so if you receive a foreign payment you don't need to convert to GBP immediately
Use local account details in foreign currencies with PSPs like Stripe or marketplaces like Amazon to access your income from overseas
Make convenient foreign currency payments to contractors and suppliers, or to cover overseas tax
Some accounts offer a debit card you can use to spend and make cash withdrawals in the UK and abroad
How to open a business multi-currency account in the UK
The way you open your business multi-currency account can vary a lot depending on the provider you pick. You can often open your account online – particularly if you pick an alternative digital service like Wise. Or you may need to call the bank or make an appointment to visit to arrange your account.
Here are the basic steps you will need to follow:
Choose the best provider for your needs
Check you meet any eligibility criteria
Register for your account in a branch, online, or through the provider app
Give your personal, business and contact information
Complete the required verification steps
Fund your account – and you're ready to go
Required information |
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The exact information and documents needed can vary depending on the bank or provide you select – here's a look at some common requirements:
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When is a multi-currency account needed for businesses?
If you trade internationally or use overseas suppliers or contractors, a multi-currency account can be helpful.
Here are a few times you may consider using a multi-currency account:
Get paid by customers overseas – allow customers to pay in their home currencies, either by direct bank transfer or through a platform or PSP
Pay suppliers and contractors – make simple low cost international business payments to cover your costs overseas
Spend in foreign currencies for your business – shop online and when you travel in foreign currencies, with low or no fees
Hold a balance in a foreign currency – there's no need to convert your money back to GBP if you don't want to, lowering the costs of currency exchange
How to choose the right multi-currency business account for your needs
You'll need to shop around to find the right multi-currency business account for your specific needs. Our list of providers can give you a good place to begin your research.
Here are a few things to think about when you're choosing a business account for your international business:
Currencies supported – make sure your chosen account offers all the currencies you're likely to need regularly
Account opening or monthly fees – keeping down ongoing costs means you keep more of your protifs
Currency conversion costs – look out for exchange rate markups which make it more expensive to convert currencies when you send or spend money
Transfer fees – read your account terms carefully to understand the costs of transferring money out of your account when you need to
Debit card availability – if you'll want to use your account to spend overseas, check if you get a card as a standard
Are multi-currency accounts safe to use?
Provided you pick properly licensed and regulated services, which have good security measures built in, a multi-currency business account is safe to use with normal precautions.
Check if your provider has a proper license for the services it offers, and take a look at a site like Trustpilot to see reviews from current customers and learn more about how the account works day to day.
Conclusion: What is the best multi-currency business account?
There's no single best multi-currency business account in the UK. You can find a few options from banks – but not as many as you might hope as generally the services are tailored towards very large corporations.
If you have a smaller business and want a flexible way to manage your money across currencies, you might choose an alternative provider instead, such as Wise, Revolut or Airwallex.
These options offer accounts with no ongoing fees, great exchange rates and simple ways to transfer money to others, just with your phone.
Multi-currency business accounts can help any business which has customers, contractors or suppliers overseas
Using a multi-currency business account can help to cut the costs of currency exchange when you receive and send international business payments
While some banks have multi-currency business accounts, not all are available for smaller businesses
Specialist alternatives like Wise or Airwallex can be a great low cost alternative
If you are looking for a certain currency account for your business, these guides might be helpful: