Santander Large Transfers 2025 Guide: the How-to, Limits & Fees 

Santander personal and business account holders can send payments locally and internationally, online, in app, in branches and by phone. The Santander transfer limit which applies to your account can vary depending on whether you’re a personal or business customer, and the limits you have set in your own online and mobile banking service.

This guide explores the Santander bank transfer limit and also looks at alternative options like Wise which has progressive reductions on fees when sending over 20,000 GBP in a month, and OFX which has no transfer fee and no maximum cap on the send amount.

Quick summary: Santander transfer limits

• Santander personal customers in the UK can send up to 25,000 GBP per payment, to a maximum of 100,000 GBP per day

• Santander business customers can send up to around 100,000 GBP per payment, to a maximum of 1,000,000 GBP per day

• Santander international transfers for personal customers cost up to 25 GBP and can take 0 to 4 days to arrive

• The Santander exchange rates are likely to include a markup when you send money abroad

• You may find you can get a simple and cheap transaction experience if you choose an alternative provider like Wise or OFX instead of using your bank

  Santander large transfers pros	Santander large transfers cons
  ✅Send up to 100,000 GBP per day as a personal customer  ✅ Manage your transfer limits yourself in online banking ✅ Safe and familiar service, with in person support where needed ✅ Send payments online, in app, in person and by phone	❌ Santander exchange rates are likely to include a markup ❌ Incoming and outgoing wire payments may be subject to fees ❌ No discounts on high value transfers

Santander supports simple and secure customer payments to many countries and currencies, by phone, in a branch, online or in the app. Some fees may apply to your Santander payment - which can include fees added to the exchange rate and third party changes.

As well as Santander, it’s worth comparing services like Wise and OFX which support high value payments, with fair exchange rates and low overall costs. Wise also reduces the fee you pay, when you’re sending a higher value transfer. More on that later.

Alternatives to Santander with higher transfer limits

If you need to send a high value payment it’s worth comparing your options on convenience and cost. You might find that an alternative could offer you a better exchange rate, lower costs, or a quicker delivery time.

Here we’ve picked out OFX, Wise and Xe Money Transfer as some specialist services you might want to look at, which can support high value payments online and in app, with good exchange rates and low overall costs. Here’s how they measure up:

*Other limits may apply, depending on the payment method and destination country

*Details correct at time of research - 5th February 2025

Wise money transfer

Wise offers high value payments for individuals and businesses, to 160+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low fees from 0.33%. Send up to 1 million GBP in a single payment, with limits varying based on the way you choose to pay for your transfer.

Wise is a secure provider which also offers volume discounts on fees, so the costs could be reduced if you use the service regularly or if you’re sending a large amount.

If you send more than the currency equivalent of 20,000 GBP a month you could get an automatic discount of up to 0.17%. There’s no need to pre-arrange the fee. Here’s how the Wise high value payment discounts break down:

OFX

OFX allows customers to send money in 50+ currencies, all over the world. OFX does not charge UK customers any transfer fee, although there is a fee included in the exchange rate that’s used to process your payment.

There’s no upper limit on the amount of money you can send with OFX. If you’re sending a high value payment you may need to talk it through with OFX using their 24/7 call line, to make sure you have all the right information and documentation to support your transfer. Some banks have a daily or per transfer limit on the amount you can send. If your bank imposes a limit, OFX can accept partial payments for a transfer - so you can make several bank transfers to pass OFX the full amount required for processing.

Xe money transfer

With Xe Money Transfer you can send a payment online or in app to 130+ countries from the UK, for personal or business use. Xe has a fixed limit of 350,000 GBP or the currency equivalent per personal payment. This limit does not apply on business transfers.

Xe does not market volume discounts on fees or exchange rates, but if you’re using the service for a big transfer it may be worth calling them to check if there’s a good deal to be had.

Can you send high value international transfers with Santander?

Yes. You can send payments as a personal customer to 25,000 GBP per transaction, or 100,000 GBP a day.

You can adjust your Santander transfer limits in the app or online banking service, up to this maximum level. If you’re sending a very high payment, Santander may ask for additional documents, or freeze the transaction until they can check with you that the payment is legitimate.

Santander high amount transfer fees

Santander transfer fees may include an upfront transfer cost, as well as some fees which may be added into the exchange rate or paid to intermediaries which support the payment processing. Here’s a summary of the most common costs. Bear in mind that different account types may have their own fee schedules so you’ll need to double check the details for your own account carefully:

*Correct at time of research - 5th February 2025

Santander exchange rate for international transfers

Santander may add a variable exchange rate markup onto the rate you're offered to convert your GBP to the currency needed for deposit into your recipient’s account. This is a fee but it can be difficult to see before you initiate your payment.

Bank exchange rate margins may be around 3%, which quickly mounts up when higher value payments are involved. Here’s how the exchange rate markup builds up with a 3% margin used for different transfer values:

• Sending 1,000 GBP - the exchange rate markup adds 30 GBP to the total

• Sending 5,000 GBP- the exchange rate markup adds 150 GBP to the total

• Sending 50,000 GBP - the exchange rate markup adds 1,500 GBP to the total

Compare the exchange rate you’re quoted by Santander against the mid-market rate you can find online, to see the markup which has been applied to your specific transfer.

Is Santander safe for large amount transfers?

Yes. Santander is safe to send money with - even when sending large amounts.

Santander is a huge banking organisation which is properly regulated in the UK and in other countries where it offers services. Santander also uses strong digital security measures to keep customers, their accounts and their data safe.

Santander transfer limits

You can send international high value payments online with Santander as follows:

Santander personal customers

• Maximum of 25,000 GBP per payment

• Maximum of 100,000 GBP per day

If you need to send a higher value overseas payment you’ll need to call the bank to discuss your options. Or take a look at OFX, Wise and Xe Money Transfer which can support high value payments online and in app - more on that in a moment.

You can send UK based GBP payments using CHAPS with no upper limits.

How long do large transfers take with Santander?

Let’s take a look at some example transfer times depending on the payment type you’re making with Santander:

*In branch and phone cut off times may vary

How to send a large amount transfer with Santander

You can send a payment with Santander online, in the app, in a branch and by phone. In a branch and by phone the team member will help you through the process. For a digital payment, you’ll take the following steps:

1. Log into Santander Online Banking

2. Go to the 'Payments & Transfers' tab

3. Click 'International payments' in the left-hand menu

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the details of the payment

You may need to confirm the payments with a One Time Passcode (OTP) which is sent to your registered mobile phone, to increase security and help prevent fraud.

Information needed to send large amounts of money with Santander

The exact information needed to send a high value payment with Santander might depend on where you’re sending money to. Generally you’ll always be asked for the following:

• The recipient’s full name

• The recipient’s account number or IBAN

• The recipient’s bank BIC/SWIFT code

• Any routing code or other information required by the destination country

You may also need to provide additional information based on the destination, as well as supporting documents proving the source of the funds.

Is it possible to increase Santander transfer limits?

You can increase the limit on Santander transfers, up to the maximum that’s offered for your account, by logging into your online or mobile banking service.

How to increase Santander transfer limits

Here’s how to increase Santander transfer limits online or in the app:

1. Log into your Online Banking

2. Tap “Pay & transfer”, then ‘Payment limits' under 'Manage'

3. Tap on the existing limit and enter the payment limit you want

4. Confirm if the payment increase is a one off or permanent

5. Answer the safety questions which are designed to stop fraud

6. Authenticate the change to your payment limit with your PIN

How to receive large transfers with Santander

Santander doesn’t publish its limits for receiving transfers, but most banks set very high incoming payment limits, or don’t have any limit at all.

If someone is sending you a payment to a Santander account you must give them your Santander International Bank Account Number (made up of your account number and sort code), and the Santander SWIFT number - ABBYGB2LXXX.

Alternatives to Santander for receiving large payments

Receiving a large value payment to your Santander account is hassle free but may not be the fastest or cheapest option. If your sender is overseas, for example, you may find you get less than you expect because of third party charges involved in sending the payment via SWIFT.

You may avoid some of these costs if you choose to receive your payment to a specialist account which lets you receive payments in a foreign currency instead:

Wise Account review: Receive money with local and SWIFT account information in 8+ currencies, with quick payment options and low or no fees. Hold, send, or spend your money as you choose, with mid-market exchange rates

OFX Business Account review: Receive business payments in 7 major currencies to your OFX account, which you can use for future payments or withdraw to your UK bank later. There’s no OFX fee to receive a payment in a foreign currency with your local account information

Santander business payments limits

You can send international high value payments for your business with Santander as follows:

Santander business customers

• Maximum of around 100,000 GBP per payment

• Maximum of 1,000,000 GBP per day

Santander customer support for high amount transfers

Santander can provide customer service face to face in a branch if you have any questions about your transfer.

You can also call the support team on 0330 9 123 123, or open an in app chat by logging into your mobile banking service.

Conclusion: Does Santander have transfer limits?

Santander has transfer limits which allow you to send up to 25,000 GBP per transfer overseas as a personal customer. Business customers can send close to 100,000 GBP per payment. If you need to send a high value payment within the UK you can do so with CHAPS, with no upper payment limit.

If you’re shopping around for the best value on incoming and outgoing international transfers with high limits, you may want to consider alternative services like Wise and OFX. Both offer ways to receive incoming transfers, and options for high value payments which can be arranged securely with low overall costs and a great exchange rate.

Santander transfer limits FAQs

How much can I transfer with Santander internationally online?

Santander personal customers can send up to 25,000 GBP per transfer overseas, while business customers can send close to 100,000 GBP per payment. If you need to send a high value payment within the UK you can do so with CHAPS, with no upper payment limit.

What is the maximum amount you can transfer abroad with Santander?

Personal customers can send up to 100,000 GBP a day overseas, while business customers can send up to 1,000,000 GBP a day. Smaller limits apply on the maximum transaction amount, so you will need to send several payments to hit this limit.

How can I increase the Santander maximum transfer limit?

You can increase the limit on Santander transfers, up to the maximum that’s offered for your account, by logging into your online or mobile banking service.