How to avoid hidden fees when funding your global portfolio

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for reference purposes only. Wise does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and all information on this page should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. Remember that investments, even in low-risk funds, are never guaranteed and your capital is at risk.

Sending money to your international investment platform? Don't let hidden exchange rate markups shrink your returns.

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate - AKA close to the rate you see on Google. You only pay a low, transparent fee* for conversion. That means more of your money goes into your portfolio and not into hidden charges.

Selling shares or RSUs in another currency doesn’t need to be complicated with a multi-currency account. Read on to discover how Wise could help international investors save on conversion fees to make their money work smarter and harder.

Invest globally, without the hidden fees

For regular international investors and RSU holders, timing your currency exchange when you’re looking to sell can be as crucial as timing your investment.

And maximising your returns on international investments begins before you even buy a share.

By strategically holding your international funds in a Wise account until you are ready to invest, you can take advantage of favourable exchange rates and maximise the capital that reaches your global portfolio.

For GBP, EUR and USD in your account you can also opt to turn on Wise Interest which could earn a return on your money while you hold your funds. You can transfer up to 10,000 GBP (or equivalent) each day from Interest currencies (anything more will add a 2 working day processing time) and you can send and spend your money whenever you want, including your gains. Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed.

This simple step ensures that more of your money is put to work, helping you build a stronger global portfolio.

Turn on Wise Interest 💰

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

Reasons to use Wise for funding your international investment platforms

1. Hold & convert

Keep and hold your money in 40+ currencies in your Wise account and convert only when the rate is right for you.

2. Set rate alerts

Set up rate alerts and we'll notify you via email or push notification in real-time when your desired exchange rate is met so you choose when the best time to buy or sell is.

3. Invest smarter

Fund your chosen platform with confidence and make your money work harder knowing that you got a favourable exchange rate.

How the Wise rate alert feature can aid international investors

The Wise rate alert feature notifies you with live information so you can stay ahead of currency fluctuations.

Manage your rate alerts

1. Head to the Wise app and login
2. Navigate to your profile at the top
3. Go to ‘Notifications’ and edit your exchange rate alerts from there.

You can also manage your alerts by opening any of our Rate Alerts emails. Simply click the link on the ‘Manage Alerts’ section for access. From there, you can unsubscribe from alerts or create new alerts any time you like.

📚 Setting up rate alerts

Set up auto conversions at your chosen rate

To make the conversion process even more efficient if you’re holding global portfolio funds in your account, you can set up Auto-Conversions to automatically convert your money between two currencies once they reach your desired exchange rate.

Simply choose the currencies you want to convert between, set the desired exchange rate at which you’d like to convert, pick the amount of money to exchange, and get back to scaling your business.

📚 How Wise Auto Conversion works

The smarter way to fund your global portfolio

If you invest regularly, whether you’re buying shares or selling your RSUs, consider holding your money in a Wise account until you decide to invest it in your chosen platform to make your money work harder.

That way you can make the most of the exchange rate and ensure more of your money goes into funding your global portfolio.

Selling RSUs and converting between USD and GBP? Read our article below to learn more.

📚 Save on currency fees on RSU payouts

What else can you do with a Wise account?

Want to get the most out of your Wise account?

Here’s how to get the benefit of our low transparent fees* at the mid-market rate:

• Get a Wise card and avoid exchange rate markups when you spend abroad and withdraw cash
• Use your Wise card to spend online in 40+ currencies in 150+ countries
• Convert and send money to friends and family in over 140+ countries.

Take it one step further:

• Discover how to hold money in over 40+ currencies
• Turn on Wise Interest and you could earn a 3.73% return on GBP, 1.76% on EUR and 4.07% on USD by investing in government guaranteed assets. Invest your GBP, EUR and USD from as little as £1, $1 or 1€.** Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed.
• Receive payments with local account details in 8+ currencies including USD, Euro and more.

Learn about Wise Interest 💰

**Note - these rates are for UK customers only and are correct at time of writing on 06-Aug-2025. Fees do not include annual fees. For GBP, the annual fee is 0.55% and includes what you pay Wise (0.45%) and what you pay the fund manager (0.1%). This means you'll pay an annual fee of 5.50 GBP if you hold 1,000 GBP in Interest.

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.