Comparison · 2026 edition
Nium vs WorldFirst: cross-border payments compared 2026.
Nium and WorldFirst side by side in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
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Nium and WorldFirst side by side in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index, WorldFirst scores higher overall: 4.7 out of 5 (93 out of 100) against 3.2 (64), ranking 1 and 5 of 11. WorldFirst also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Nium | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.2 | 4.7 |
| Score out of 100 | 64 | 93 |
| Overall rank | 5 of 11 | 1 of 11 |
| For SMEs and exporters (out of 100) | 56, rank 6 | 93, rank 1 |
| For payment and e-money firms (out of 100) | 70, rank 4 | 94, rank 1 |
| For marketplaces and platforms (out of 100) | 66, rank 5 | 93, rank 1 |
| Type | Cross-border payments infrastructure | Multi-currency business account |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Nium | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | 5/5 190+ countries and 125+ currencies published. | 5/5 210+ countries and regions and 100+ currencies published. |
| Published pricing | 0/5 Not published on the pages read. | 4/5 Exact payment fees by currency and route published; standard FX rate published only as "up to 0.50%". |
| Payment speed | 2/5 "Real-time" settlement stated without delivery times. | 5/5 Share of payments arriving the same day published. |
| Collection accounts | 3/5 Collection in 100+ currencies stated without a count of local account details. | 5/5 Free receiving accounts in 20+ currencies published. |
| Integration | 4/5 API, sandbox and self-serve portal sign-up; no batch file or accounting connections published. | 4/5 API, accounting integration and self-serve sign-up; no test environment or batch payments confirmed on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | 5/5 Licences in more than ten regions published with regulator and licence numbers. | 5/5 Licences in five regions published with regulator and licence numbers. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Nium | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | "Send funds to 190+ countries in local currencies and methods"; "Real-time conversion across 2,000+ currency pairs and 125+ currencies". | "Pay suppliers in 100+ currencies, across 210+ countries and regions." |
| Pricing | Not published on the pages read. | Account: "Free" to open, no subscription. Payments: USD to United States £0.77, to Mainland China £11.55, other destinations £7.69; EUR via SEPA £0.27; GBP to UK £0.31; all other currencies £4.62 to £23.00. FX: standard rate "Up to 0.50%"; new customer rate 0.30% for six months. |
| Payment speed | "Add real-time global settlement without rebuilding your core infrastructure." No delivery times or shares published. | "95% arrive on the same day"; priority transfers to China "arrive within 4 business hours"; payments to other World Accounts free and instant. |
| Collection accounts | "Hold, convert, and collect in 100+ currencies from one account." No count of local account details published. | "Receiving accounts in 20+ currencies, including USD, GBP, EUR, PLN, TRY, JPY and CNH", free; payouts collected from "130+ platforms". |
| Integration | API documentation; "Sign up for the Nium Web Portal" and "start building with Nium Sandbox today"; beneficiary account validation "across 50+ countries". | Accounting software integration; enterprise "API toolkit" with API references; online sign-up for a free account. |
| Regulatory standing | Licence page: Nium Fintech Limited, FCA reference 901024, and Nium Payments UK Limited, FCA 900800; UAB Nium EU, Bank of Lithuania EMI licence no. 14; NIUM Pte. Ltd., MAS Major Payment Institution PS20200276; ASIC AFSL 464627; HK MSO 16-01-01797; Kanto Local Finance Bureau licence 00073; FINTRAC M15669293. | World First UK Ltd: FCA EMI, Firm Reference 900508. World First Netherlands B.V.: DNB EMI, relation number R161090. World First Pty Ltd: ASIC AFS Licence 331945. World First Asia Ltd: HK MSO Licence 14-02-01352. MAS Major Payment Institution licences in Singapore. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Nium: pricing, payment speed, collection accounts and integration.
Not published or not stated by WorldFirst: nothing in this profile is marked as not published or not stated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: nium.com, nium.com/global-coverage, nium.com/licenses; and worldfirst.com/uk, worldfirst.com/uk/pricing, worldfirst.com/uk/compliance/….
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Payment firms and platforms building payouts through an API.
Exporters and online sellers paying suppliers in Asia, especially China.
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