WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
Wise Business and WorldFirst side by side in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index and Global Trade Banking 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 4.2 (85), ranking 1 and 3 of 11. WorldFirst also scores higher in every segment. In the Global Trade Banking Index, Wise Business scores higher overall: 3.8 out of 5 (75 out of 100) against 3.5 (71), ranking 1 and 2 of 26. Wise Business also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| Score out of 100 | 85 | 93 |
| Overall rank | 3 of 11 | 1 of 11 |
| For SMEs and exporters (out of 100) | 84, rank 3 | 93, rank 1 |
| For payment and e-money firms (out of 100) | 88, rank 3 | 94, rank 1 |
| For marketplaces and platforms (out of 100) | 84, rank 3 | 93, rank 1 |
| Type | Multi-currency business account | Multi-currency business account |
| Score | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Score out of 100 | 75 | 71 |
| Overall rank | 1 of 26 | 2 of 26 |
| For importers (out of 100) | 74, rank 1 | 72, rank 2 |
| For exporters (out of 100) | 83, rank 1 | 76, rank 2 |
| For wholesalers and distributors (out of 100) | 69, rank 1 | 64, rank 3 |
| Type | E-money institution (FCA) | E-money institution (FCA) |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | 3/5 40+ currencies published; no country count for business payments. | 5/5 210+ countries and regions and 100+ currencies published. |
| Published pricing | 3/5 Set-up and receiving fees published exactly; sending and conversion fees published only as "from 0.24%". | 4/5 Exact payment fees by currency and route published; standard FX rate published only as "up to 0.50%". |
| Payment speed | 5/5 Share of payments arriving within 20 seconds and within 24 hours published. | 5/5 Share of payments arriving the same day published. |
| Collection accounts | 5/5 Account details in 22 currencies published. | 5/5 Free receiving accounts in 20+ currencies published. |
| Integration | 5/5 API with sandbox, batch payments, accounting connections and self-serve sign-up. | 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 by country 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
| Criterion | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Getting paid | 5/5 Receiving details in 22 currencies; domestic receipts in USD, EUR, GBP and six other currencies are free. | 5/5 Local account details in 11 currencies including CNH, MXN and JPY, extra accounts in 8 more, and receiving is free. |
| Paying suppliers | 4/5 Transfers in more than 40 currencies with the fee shown before sending, from 0.24%; SWIFT fees are quoted per currency rather than as one published figure. | 5/5 Published per-corridor fees as low as £0.27 (EUR SEPA) and £0.77 (USD to the US), to 210+ countries. |
| FX cost | 5/5 The lowest published major-currency margin among the providers that state one: from 0.24% above mid-market. | 4/5 Up to 0.50% on major currencies, with a 0.30% rate for six months; the ceiling is published, the floor is not. |
| Financing | 0/5 No lending, cards on credit or trade finance. | 1/5 Forward contracts and a cashback debit card; no lending or trade finance. |
| Access and onboarding | 4/5 Business accounts for companies registered in a long published list including Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong and China (Mexico is not on Wise's list of countries where accounts can hold money); USD details are not available to businesses with addresses in Nigeria, Pakistan, Türkiye, China or the UAE. | 2/5 The UK site is for UK businesses and publishes no list of accepted countries of registration, so access for the countries in this index is unconfirmed. |
| Protection and standing | 4/5 FCA e-money institution; funds safeguarded in cash, government bonds and money market funds; the regulation page lists every licence it holds. | 4/5 FCA e-money institution, part of Ant International with 70+ licences by its own count; safeguarding stated in its terms. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Global Trade Banking Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 21 and 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | "Pay in 40+ currencies" (ways to pay page). No country count for business payments on the pages read. | "Pay suppliers in 100+ currencies, across 210+ countries and regions." |
| Pricing | One set-up fee: "All in for 50 GBP"; account details in 22 currencies: 50 GBP. Sending and converting: "Fee varies by currency", "From 0.24%". Receiving: domestic payments free; USD wire and Swift 6.11 USD, GBP Swift 2.16 GBP, EUR Swift 2.39 EUR per payment. Volume discount above 20,000 GBP a month. | 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 | "70% arrive in 20 seconds and 95% in under 24 hours", "Accurate as of Q3, 2025". | "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 | "Getting account details to receive in 22 currencies"; domestic receipts free in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, PHP, SGD and USD. | "Receiving accounts in 20+ currencies, including USD, GBP, EUR, PLN, TRY, JPY and CNH", free; payouts collected from "130+ platforms". |
| Integration | Open API with a free sandbox account; batch payments of "up to 1,000 transfers at a time" by CSV upload; accounting software connections; online sign-up. | Accounting software integration; enterprise "API toolkit" with API references; online sign-up for a free account. |
| Regulatory standing | Wise Payments Limited: FCA EMI, Firm Reference 900507. Licence page by country includes ASIC AFSL 513764, National Bank of Belgium payment institution, FINTRAC MSB M15193392, HK MSO 25-03-03263 and Kanto Local Financial Bureau registration 00040. | 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 Wise Business: nothing in this profile is marked as not published or not stated.
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: wise.com/gb/business, wise.com/gb/pricing/business, wise.com/gb/business/ways-to-pay, wise.com/gb/business/api, wise.com/help/articles/2932693/…; and worldfirst.com/uk, worldfirst.com/uk/pricing, worldfirst.com/uk/compliance/….
| Fact | Wise Business | WorldFirst |
|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No monthly fee; one-off £50 for receiving details in 22 currencies | None: no set-up, subscription or maintenance fee |
| FX margin | From 0.24% above the mid-market rate; volume discount above £20,000 a month | Up to 0.50% on majors; 0.30% for the first six months; custom above £100,000 a month |
| Receiving | Free domestic receipts in USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SGD and others; incoming USD wire 6.11 USD | Local details in GBP, USD, EUR, CNH, HKD, JPY, MXN and others; receiving free |
| Paying suppliers | Fee from 0.24%, varies by currency; 40+ currencies | USD to the US £0.77; USD to mainland China £11.55; EUR by SEPA £0.27; 100+ currencies to 210+ countries |
| Stablecoins | Not supported; crypto businesses not accepted | Not published; crypto is a restricted activity |
| Finance | None; business debit card only | Forward contracts and a debit card; no credit |
| Onboarding | Online; further review up to 10 working days | Online; time to approval not published |
| Protection | Safeguarded e-money; no FSCS | Safeguarded e-money; no FSCS |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 | 21 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Wise Business: nothing in this profile is marked as not published or not stated.
Not published or not stated by WorldFirst: stablecoins and onboarding.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: wise.com/gb/pricing/business, wise.com/help/articles/2932693/…, wise.com/help/articles/2813542/…, wise.com/help/articles/2810318/…, wise.com/gb/pricing/receive; and worldfirst.com/uk/pricing, worldfirst.com/uk/legal, worldfirst.com/uk/receive-payments, worldfirst.com/uk/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Small businesses wanting fast payments and a full public API.
Exporters and online sellers paying suppliers in Asia, especially China.
Transparent FX and receiving in 22 currencies.
Importers paying Asian suppliers, no account fees.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.