How to use Wise in Australia

If you’re looking for ways to send a payment to someone overseas, need to receive money from others in foreign currencies, or want easier and cheaper international card spending, you may have heard of Wise.¹

Wise is a specialist in international money transfers and powerful multi-currency accounts for individual and business customers. If you're new to Wise and wondering how Wise works, this guide has you covered.

Table of contents
What is Wise? Wise Business How to receive money with Wise How to send money with Wise How to use your Wise card Wise fees in Australia How to open a Wise account

What is Wise?

Wise was founded in London in 2011 and has since grown to offer services in most countries around the world, with 16 million+ customers, sending billions of dollars annually.

Wise customers in Australia can open a multi-currency account, get physical and digital payment cards, send money to 160+ countries, and receive money with ease in a selection of currencies. We’ll dive into how Wise Australia works in detail next.

In Australia, you can use Wise to:

• Hold and exchange over currencies with Wise multi-currency account.
• Send money to 160+ countries.
• Receive payments in various currencies with local account details.
• Spend and withdraw cash globally with the Wise Card.
• Earn a variable return on AUD and USD by putting your money in a fund with Wise Interest.

Is Wise safe?

Yes. Wise is trusted globally by over 16 million people and businesses, and offers services in many countries and regions around the world. In Australia, Wise is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL number 513764).

Send money with Wise

With the Wise Send Money service² you can send payments to bank accounts in countries. You’ll be able to arrange your transfer online or in the Wise app, with no need to visit a physical branch. Simply confirm the amount and currency you need to send, and your recipient’s details. You can then pay by bank transfer, card, or PayID. If you hold a currency in your Wise account, you can also use this to make your transfer³.

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with fees from 0.63% to convert and send your funds to the recipient’s bank⁴. Plus, Wise payments are speedy. 50%+ of Wise payments arrive instantly, and almost all are there on the same day⁵.

If you're sending a big amount - Send over 20,000 GBP or equivalent within a month with Wise⁶, and you'll get even lower fees - as low as 0.1% - for all your transfers that month. There’s also a dedicated high value transfer team who can help you with any additional verification support you may need.

Hold currencies with Wise multi-currency account

Personal customers can open a Wise Account for free, online or in the Wise app, to hold and exchange 40+ currencies, and get paid conveniently in 8+ currencies⁸. All currency exchange uses the mid-market rate with transparent fees, and you’ll be able to easily manage and review your currencies in the Wise app.

Receive payments with Wise

Wise accounts offer local and SWIFT account details to get paid from others in a selection of foreign currencies, with low or no fees. We’ll dig into how to receive money from Wise in more details later - but the good news is that your account will come with everything you need to receive payments in currencies including AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, SGD, TRY - ideal if you're receiving remittances from loved ones overseas, or getting paid by an overseas employer.

Simply receive the payment in the sender’s currency - SGD for example - and convert it to AUD when you’re ready, to withdraw to your bank or preferred wallet in Australia.

Spend and withdraw cash with Wise Card

Once you’ve registered a Wise Account, you can also choose to order a Wise card for a one time fee⁹. You’ll be able to use your Wise card to spend in 150+ countries and make some free ATM withdrawals every month. See how that works here. Once you’ve exhausted your free ATM withdrawal allowance a small fee applies.

Just top up your account in AUD and then you can either convert to the currency you need for overseas spending in advance - or let the card’s auto convert feature do it for you at the point of payment. All currency conversion uses the mid-market exchange rate and it’s free to spend any currency you have in your account using your Wise card.

Once you’ve ordered a Wise debit card you can also generate a Wise digital card - a virtual card that lives on your phone and can be handy for mobile and online payments.

Wise Business

If you have an Australian registered business, a smart international account from Wise Business offers easy and cheap ways to hold, send, spend and exchange currencies¹¹. Plus you’ll be able to receive payments in a selection of currencies with local bank details you can add to invoices or use to get paid through PSPs like Stripe, or marketplaces like Amazon.

Wise Business accounts have many of the great features of a Wise personal account - including options to switch from one currency to another with the mid-market rate and fees from 0.63%⁴.

Plus, to help making managing your business easier you can also get features like:

• Send money to contractors and suppliers in 140+ countries
• Order debit and expense cards for you and your team
• Batch payment solutions to pay up to 1,000 people in a few clicks
• Cloud accounting integrations
• A powerful API to automate workflow
• Multi-user access, to let you set and manage permissions so your team can get all the tools and information they need to do their jobs

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How to receive money with Wise

When you open your Wise account you can also get local account details to receive money from overseas right to your Wise Account. Account details are available in 8+ major currencies, allowing people overseas to pay you easily. There’s no fee to receive most incoming payments, with some exceptions.

Just share these account details with your employers, friends and anyone else sending you money, and they’ll be able to arrange a payment using their preferred local transfer method.

As an alternative you can also share your Wisetag link or email address if you’re being sent money by another Wise user. That means you don’t even need to worry about finding your Wise account details. Just ask the sender to transfer using Wise and your money could be with you in no time.

Example: how to create a currency account in Wise

If you’re wondering how to receive money with Wise, the first step is to add a currency. The process is the same for all currencies Wise offers bank details for - if you need to receive GBP, EUR, or SGD for example.

Add a Currency and get your local account details in just a few taps:

1. Go to Home
2. Scroll to the far right and choose Open
3. Select Currency
4. Choose one of the currencies that has account details
5. Once you have the currency opened, click on Receive on the website, or More on the app
6. Select Get account details

Give these account details to the sender to receive your money with no hassle.

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How to send money with Wise

Sending money with Wise is straightforward and designed for speed and cost-efficiency.

Sending money with Wise from Australia:

1. Log into your Wise account via the app or website.
2. Select "Send Money": Choose your starting currency (e.g., AUD) and the recipient's currency and amount.
3. Enter Recipient Details: Provide the recipient's bank details (account number, BSB for AUD transfers, SWIFT/BIC for international transfers, etc.).
4. Review and Pay: Review the transfer details, including the exact fee and the mid-market exchange rate. You can pay for your transfer using a preferred Australian method like a bank transfer, PayID, or debit/credit card. If you hold a currency in your Wise account, you can use that too.
5. Track Your Transfer: Both you and your recipient can track the transfer's progress in real-time. Many Wise payments arrive instantly, and almost all are there on the same day.

If you need to convert currencies to send your payment, you’ll also be able to see the exchange rate and any relevant fee before you confirm.

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How to use your Wise card

You can get a Wise card for a one time charge of 10 AUD, with no ongoing costs, and some free ATM use monthly before any charges begin. Tap and pay in stores both locally and overseas, pay online here and abroad, and make the most of your money no whatever currency you hold in your account.

ATM Withdrawals

You can also use your Wise card to make ATM withdrawals abroad. Wise allows for 2 free ATM withdrawals per month, up to a total of 350 AUD. After that, a fee of AUD$1.50 per withdrawal applies, plus an additional 1.75% on any amount withdrawn over AUD$350.

You can use your card at most ATMs that support Visa or Mastercard.

Tips for Using Your Wise Card Overseas:

• Always Choose Local Currency: When an overseas ATM or merchant asks if you want to be charged in AUD or the local currency (e.g., USD in the US), always choose the local currency. This ensures Wise performs the conversion at the mid-market rate, avoiding potentially higher fees from the ATM operator or merchant.
• Monitor Your Limits: You can view and adjust your daily and monthly spending and ATM withdrawal limits directly in the Wise app or on the website.

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Wise fees in Australia

Wise is working to keep costs down for customers - but there are a few key fees you’ll want to know about if you’re thinking of getting a Wise account. Here are the most important costs to consider:

Feature	Fee
Send international payments	Fee from 0.63%
Open your Wise multi-currency account	Free for personal customers
Hold 40+ currencies	Free
Get local account details	Free
Order a Wise debit card	10 AUD for personal customers
Spend using your card	Spend currencies you hold using your card - Free Spend currencies you do not hold using your card - fee from 0.63%
ATM withdrawals	First 2 ATM withdrawals up to 350 AUD/month - Free Additional ATM withdrawals - 1.75% + 1.50 AUD/withdrawal
Receive money in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, SGD, TRY, USD	Free
Receive USD wire and Swift payments	6.11 USD

* As seen on 2 July 2025

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

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How to open a Wise account

You can open a Wise Australia account online or in the Wise app. As with all financial institutions, you’ll need to complete a verification step to get your account registered. However, as Wise is a mobile first provider, the entire application, verification and onboarding process can be done with just your phone. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Open the Wise homepage or app
2. Click Register and create an account with your email, Facebook, Google or Apple ID
3. Follow the prompts to enter your personal and contact details
4. Get verified - we’ll cover how, next
5. You’re ready to order your debit card, add money, and start using your account

Verifying your Wise account in Australia

Verification is an important step in keeping your Wise account safe - and a legal requirement. For a Wise personal account you’ll normally be asked to upload a clear image of the following documents to complete verification:

• Proof of your identity - like an Australian passport or driver’s licence
• Proof of address - like a bank statement or utility bill (not mobile phone) in your name, dated within the last 3 months

In conclusion

Wise Australia offers a strong selection of products and services to personal and business customers in Australia. You can hold, receive, send, spend and exchange currencies with just your phone - and you’ll get the mid-market rate with low fees for the services you need.

Use this guide to figure out if Wise can help you manage your money across borders, with lower overall costs.

🚀 Sign up for Wise today

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FAQ

How to contact Wise

You can get 24/7 help with guides, FAQs and more, on the Wise help pages¹³. Or if you have a more specific question, you can log into your Wise account online or in the Wise app to chat to the support team and get all the contact details you need for your specific query.

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Sources:

1. Wise Australia
2. Wise Send Money
3. Wise guide to AUD transfers
4. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
5. The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.
6. Wise large amount transfers
7. Volume discounts
8. Wise Account
9. Wise card
10. Wise Jars
11. Wise Business
12. Wise pricing
13. Wise help pages