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iBanFirst is a Belgian payment institution with an FCA e-money authorisation (1001629) for the UK. It holds 25 currencies on named IBANs, including MXN, CNY, HKD, TRY and AED, with local IBANs in eight European countries.
iBanFirst scores 2.0 out of 5 (40 out of 100) in the Buckingham Intelligence Global Trade Banking Index 2026 and ranks 20 of 26. It is strongest for EEA and UK companies exchanging €200,000 or more a year, and its best criterion is getting paid at 4 out of 5. Not published or not stated on the pages read: FX margin, paying suppliers and FX cost.
Scores from the Global Trade Banking Index 2026.
No award in the Global Trade Banking Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For importers | 35 | 20 of 26 |
| For exporters | 47 | 18 of 26 |
| For wholesalers and distributors | 37 | 21 of 26 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
EEA and UK companies exchanging €200,000 or more a year.
What iBanFirst publishes on its own pages, read on 21 October 2026.
iBanFirst is a Belgian payment institution with an FCA e-money authorisation (1001629) for the UK. It holds 25 currencies on named IBANs, including MXN, CNY, HKD, TRY and AED, with local IBANs in eight European countries. Opening and maintenance are free for businesses exchanging €200,000 or more a year; the FX spread is set at account opening and not published.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Account fee | Free; 0.2% on inflows if FX is under €200,000 a year |
| FX margin | Not published; set when the account opens |
| Receiving | Named IBANs in 25 currencies; local IBANs in UK, BE, FR, DE, LU, IT, ES, NL |
| Paying suppliers | Fees not published; BRL, COP, NGN and PKR send-only |
| Stablecoins | Not published |
| Finance | None published |
| Onboarding | Not published |
| Protection | Safeguarded; no deposit scheme |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 |
Who can open an account, by country of registration
| Country | Published position |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes |
| United States | No |
| Mexico | No |
| Brazil | No |
| Colombia | No |
| Hong Kong | No |
| China | No |
| Türkiye | No |
| UAE | No |
| Nigeria | No |
| Pakistan | No |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: ibanfirst.com/fees, info.ibanfirst.com/hubfs/Fees/…, ibanfirst.com/legal, ibanfirst.com/faq, ibanfirst.com/platform/…, ibanfirst.com/solutions/….
Each score with the evidence behind it.
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
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Business | 3.8 | 1 of 26 | Transparent FX and receiving in 22 currencies |
| WorldFirst | 3.5 | 2 of 26 | Importers paying Asian suppliers, no account fees |
| Airwallex | 3.5 | 3 of 26 | Free local supplier payments to 120+ countries |
| Statrys | 3.1 | 4 of 26 | Hong Kong, Singapore and BVI companies trading with Asia |
| XTransfer | 3.1 | 5 of 26 | Trade with China and emerging-market collection |
| Aspire | 3.0 | 6 of 26 | Singapore, Hong Kong and US-nexus companies trading in Asia |
| Currenxie | 3.0 | 7 of 26 | Asian and Mexican traders collecting in nine currencies |
| Payoneer | 3.0 | 8 of 26 | Marketplace sellers and exporters in 190+ countries |
| Mercury | 2.8 | 9 of 26 | US-registered companies with founders abroad |
| Ebury | 2.8 | 10 of 26 | Mid-size traders needing supplier finance with their FX |
| Verto | 2.7 | 11 of 26 | African exporters collecting in NGN, KES and ZAR |
| 3S Money | 2.7 | 12 of 26 | Non-resident companies from 190+ countries wanting UK and EU IBANs |
| Slash | 2.5 | 13 of 26 | Non-US wholesalers spending in dollars and receiving USDT |
| Revolut Business | 2.5 | 14 of 26 | UK, EEA and US companies wanting cards and FX allowances |
| Shield | 2.5 | 15 of 26 | Wholesalers in Latin America paid in USDT |
| OFX | 2.4 | 16 of 26 | FX-heavy traders wanting a dealer on the phone |
| Tazapay | 2.4 | 17 of 26 | Exporters collecting from buyers in 85+ markets |
| Wio Bank | 2.4 | 18 of 26 | UAE trade licence holders wanting a bank with lending |
| HSBC UK | 2.3 | 19 of 26 | UK traders needing letters of credit and trade finance |
| Conduit | 1.9 | 21 of 26 | Companies in 100+ countries settling trade in stablecoins |
| Bitso Business | 1.8 | 22 of 26 | Latin American traders settling on Pix, SPEI and ACH |
| Flutterwave | 1.7 | 23 of 26 | African exporters receiving USD, GBP, EUR and AED |
| Equals Money | 1.7 | 24 of 26 | UK businesses wanting cards and 40 currencies in one account |
| Moneycorp | 1.7 | 25 of 26 | UK and Irish traders wanting dealer-led FX |
| Nium | 1.6 | 26 of 26 | Platforms and fintechs embedding payouts, not yet small traders |
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
Head-to-head comparisons cover pairs within the top five of each ranking. iBanFirst is compared with its alternatives in the table above.
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