International Payments FAQs

• Making an international payment

  AIB Internet Banking

  Due to international payments legislation, it is important that relevant information is included on ALL international payment instructions i.e.

  1. full details of the payer and beneficiary (payee) e.g. name and address of both;

  2. reason for the payment e.g.  invoice number & goods description, salary, house purchase, school fees etc.

  to allow the processing of the payment and to avoid delays and possible rejection in the case of incomplete or insufficient information.

  Additional information may be included in the “Additional Information” field.

  For any queries relating to International Payments on AIB Internet Banking, please contact 0818 724 724 or if calling from outside the Republic of Ireland, please contact + 353 1 771 2424.

  AIB Mobile Banking  (Transfers only for SEPA Zones)

  1. Log into AIB Mobile app.

  2.Click the Pay & Transfer menu. 

  3. In the Pay and Transfer menu select ‘Pay another account”.

  4.Select the account to debit.

  5. Select ‘Pay Someone New’

  6. The country of Payment prefills to ‘Ireland’ so use drop down to select country of payee’s bank and enter the Payee Details - ‘Full Name’ and ‘IBAN’ and select ‘Continue’.

  7. Follow the instructions on screen to complete your request.

• SEPA & International payments explained

  When you want to send a payment to your friend in another bank there are two options:

  1. An International payment

  2. A Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Payment

  An International payment is sent through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) network and a SEPA payment is sent through the SEPA Scheme.

  More information on SEPA.

• Who pays the cost associated with making an International Payment?

  The costs of making an International Payment are incurred on both the sending and receiving side of the transfer.
  
  Depending on the payment currency, destination and the channel used the cost of an International Payment may be charged either to the Sender or is shared between the Sender and the Receiver.

  Under EU legislation the charges must be shared by both parties where the payment is effected in any currency within the European Economic Area (EEA) . For example, any payment from a customer's account with AIB Bank destined for Belgium will only permit the Sender to make the payment on the basis that the AIB customer pays AIB's charge and the Receiver in Belgium pays the Receiver's bank charge.

  The charging options available to AIB Customers on Outgoing International Payments are detailed in the table below.

  Note: Customers using AIB Internet Banking can only send payments on a 'Shared' charging option. If you require the Sender charging option please complete the Paylink Application form available in your local AIB branch or on www.aib.ie.
   

  Charging Option	Impact on the Sender	Comment	Can I use this option to make payments to EEA Country	Can I use this option to make payments to non-EEA Country
  SHARED ('SHA')	This is where the Sender opts to pay their bank's charge and the Receiver pays the charges of all other banks.	The Sender pays AIB's charge and any other bank charges may be deducted from the payment amount before it is paid to the Receiver. This means that the full amount of the payment may not be credited to the Receiver's account.	Yes	Yes
  SENDER ('OUR')	The Sender opts to pay their bank's charge and the charges of all other banks.	The Sender's account will be debited with the AIB charges initially and with all other bank(s) charges when notification is received from the bank(s) involved, which could be some time after the payment was actually executed. Please note that the charges of Intermediary (Agent) Banks and/or the Receiving Bank may be higher than similar charges applied in Ireland.	No	Yes

  
  Please note that in the following cases, payments must be made on a 'Shared' charging basis:

  • Paylink Euro payments

  • Paylink payments in any currency to an EEA destination and

  • All International Payments made using the AIB Internet Banking/Kiosk service
    

  *EEA = EU Member States and Iceland, Monaco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino.

• How much does an International Payment cost on AIB Internet Banking?

  The cost of an International Payment is based on AIB's charge and the charges of other banks involved in the transfer, such as Intermediary (Agent) banks and the Receiving bank.
  
  All International Payments submitted using the AIB Internet Banking channel are made on a "Shared/SHA" charging basis. This means that you, the Sender of the payment pays the AIB charge and the Receiver of the payment pays all the other bank charges (i.e. the Receiving bank and any Agent Bank charges) which may be deducted from the amount before it is credited to the Receiver's Account. This means that the full amount of the payment may not be credited to the Receiver's account.
  

  Please note that under EU legislation Intermediary (Agent) banks may not deduct any charges from EEA Currency payments to EEA* destinations. The full amount of the payment must be transferred to the Receiver's Bank. The Receiver's Bank may, subject to agreement with the Receiver, deduct their fee from the payment amount before they credit the Receiver's Account.

  Intermediary (Agent) Banks or the Receiver's Bank may charge where amendments/investigations/cancellations to payment instructions are requested.
  
  *EEA= EU Member States and Iceland, Monaco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino.

  AIB charges for International Payments are detailed under the Frequently Asked Question "What is a Paylink?" and "What is a Paylink Euro?" . For more information on International Payments please refer to the Schedule of International Transactions Charges (PDF) brochure, available in your branch or on this site.

  In addition to the international payment charge, account transaction fees will apply.

• Why did a payment coming from another country get rejected?

  Your payment could be rejected if information is missing or entered into the wrong place by the sender.

  The sender needs your Business Identifier Code (BIC) and International Bank Account Number (IBAN), or your BIC, National Sort Code (NSC) and Account Number.

  Examples of your account details will look like:

  BIC – AIBKIE2DXXX

  IBAN – IE12AIBK93000012345678

  NSC & Account Number – 930000 12345678

  If this is not the cause of the problem, ask the sender to also contact their bank and check why your payment got rejected.

Destinations & Currencies for International Payments

• Where can I send Paylink Euro payments to?

  Paylink Euro payments may be sent to any Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) zone country. The Republic of Ireland is excluded for International Outgoing payments on AIB Internet Banking. A full listing of applicable SEPA zone countries is provided in the following table:

  Austria	Belgium	Bulgaria
  Croatia	Cyprus	Czech Republic
  Denmark	Estonia	Finland
  France	Germany	Greece
  Hungary	Iceland	Ireland
  Italy	Latvia	Liechtenstein
  Lithuania	Luxembourg	Malta
  Netherlands	Norway	Poland
  Portugal	Romania	Slovak Republic
  Slovenia	Spain	Sweden
  Switzerland	UK (including Northern Ireland)

  
  There are a number of additional SEPA zone territories where Paylink Euro may be sent. They include Åland Islands, Andorra, Azores, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, San Marino and Vatican City. These tend to change periodically.

• What currencies are available to make International payments?

  The following are the currencies currently available on AIB Internet Banking for making international transfers:
   

  Code	Currency	Standard	Urgent
  AED	United Arab Emirates Dirham	Yes	N/A
  AUD	Australian Dollars	Yes	Yes
  CAD	Canadian Dollars	Yes	Yes
  CHF	Swiss Francs	Yes	Yes
  CZK	Czech Koruna	Yes	Yes
  DKK	Danish Krone	Yes	Yes
  EUR	Euro Unit	Yes	Yes
  GBP	Pound Sterling	Yes	Yes
  HKD	Hong Kong Dollars	Yes	Yes
  HUF	Hungarian Forints	Yes	Yes
  INR	Indian Rupee	Yes	N/A
  ILS	New Israeli Shekel	Yes	N/A
  JPY	Japanese Yen	Yes	Yes
  MXN	Mexican Peso	Yes	N/A
  NOK	Norwegian Krone	Yes	Yes
  NZD	New Zealand Dollars	Yes	Yes
  PHP	Philippines Peso	Yes	N/A
  PLN	Polish Zlotys	Yes	Yes
  QAR	Qatari Rial	Yes	N/A
  SAR	Saudi Riyals	Yes	N/A
  SEK	Swedish Krona	Yes	Yes
  SGD	Singapore Dollars	Yes	Yes
  THB	Thai Bahts	Yes	N/A
  TRY	Turkish Lira	Yes	Yes
  USD	US Dollars	Yes	Yes
  ZAR	South African Rands	Yes	Yes

• What are the currency cut-off times for Outgoing International Payments on AIB Internet Banking?

  A cut-off time is the latest time on any business day that AIB can effect a payment in a particular currency for the payment execution timeframe indicated in our product descriptions. E.g. An Urgent payment in GBP received by AIB via AIB Internet Banking channel before 15.00 hours can be processed for execution to the Receiver for same business day i.e. the minimum execution timeframe will be same business day. If it is received after 15.00 hours it may be processed for execution on the next business day i.e. the minimum execution timeframe will be 1 business day.

  *Euro (standard) payments in Euro to a SEPA zone country up to a maximum of €10,000 (Personal Users) and €30,000 (Business Users) made before 2.00pm on a Business day may be credited to the Beneficiary bank the Same Business Day.

  Payments up to a maximum of €10,000 (Personal Users) and €30,000 (Business Users) made after 2.00pm on a Business day will be credited to the Beneficiary bank the Next Business Day

  The cut-off times for outgoing International Payments initiated on AIB Internet Banking are listed below.

  Please be aware that these cut-off times are meant as a guide and may change, in particular over the Christmas & New Year period.

  A Business day means a day (other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday) on which we are generally open for business in Ireland and, where in relation to execution timeframes in respect of a payment to an account with another bank, a day on which the payee's bank is also open for business.

  Whilst AIB will process your payment requests on receipt, please note that due to local banking practices in certain regions of the world such as Africa, South America, Caribbean and areas of the Middle East and Asia, delivery times and service standards may vary.
   

  Code	Currency	Euro Standard Cut-Off Time to SEPA zone Country	Euro Urgent Cut-Off Time to SEPA zone Country
  EUR	Euro Unit	14:00	15:00
  Code	Currency	Standard Cut-Off Time	Urgent Cut-Off Time
  AED	United Arab Emirates Dirham	13:30	N/A
  AUD	Australian Dollars	15:30	14:30
  CAD	Canadian Dollars	16:00	14:00
  CHF	Swiss Franc	16:00	15:00
  CZK	Czech Koruna	16:00	15:00
  DKK	Danish Krone	16:00	15:00
  EUR	Euro Unit	16:00	15:00
  GBP	GB Pound Sterling	16:00	15:00
  HKD	Hong Kong Dollars	15:30	12:30
  HUF	Hungarian Forints	16:00	15:00
  ILS	Israeli New Shekel	13:30	N/A
  INR	Indian Rupee	13:30	N/A
  JPY	Japanese Yen	15:30	14:30
  MXN	Mexican Peso	15:30	N/A
  NOK	Norwegian Krone	15:30	15:00
  NZD	New Zealand Dollars	16:00	14:30
  PHP	Philippines Peso	11:30	N/A
  PLN	Polish Zlotys	16:00	14:30
  QAR	Qatari Rial	13:30	N/A
  SAR	Saudi Riyals	13:30	N/A
  SGD	Singapore Dollars	15:30	12:30
  SEK	Swedish Krona	15:30	15:00
  THB	Thai Bahts	15:30	N/A
  TRY	Turkish Lira	15:30	13:30
  USD	US Dollars	16:00	15:30
  ZAR	South African Rands	15:30	14:30

  
  Note: AIB’s minimum execution timeframes** for payments are indicative only. AIB does not guarantee that the payment will reach the receiving bank within the indicated minimum execution timeframe. Delivery times may vary. AIB is not responsible for failure for the receiving bank to pass on the payment to the receiver.

  AIB’s maximum execution timeframes for payments represent the maximum execution cycle permitted by law for payments in EEA currencies within the EEA. The actual execution timeframes are more likely to be reflected by the minimum execution cycles indicated.

  **Execution timeframe is a minimum of same business day and a maximum of 1 business day subject to cut off times for EUR payments.

  Execution timeframes for EEA Currency payments to EEA countries a minimum of 2 business days and a maximum of 4 business days subject to cut off times.

  For more information on International Payments please refer to the Schedule of International Transactions Charges (PDF) brochure, available in your branch or on this site.

• What are the cut-off times for Incoming International Payments in AIB?

  Cut-Off Times for receipt of payments from Sepa Zone(1) and Other EEA Currencies (Subject to value date requested on the payment)

  Currency Code	Currency Name	Cut-off time for receipt of payment (GMT)
  EUR	Euro	15:45
  GBP	Sterling	16:00
  CHF	Swiss Franc	15:30
  CZK	Czech Koruna	15:30
  DKK	Danish Krone	15:30
  HUF	Hungarian Forint	15:30
  NOK	Norwegian Krone	15:30
  PLN	Polish Zloty	15:30
  SEK	Swedish Krona	15:30

  *Cut-off times do not apply to Instant Credit Transfers, as an Instant Credit Transfer can be processed on any Calendar Day.

   

  Cut-Off Times for receipt of payments in non-Sepa currencies (Subject to value date requested on the payment)

   

  Currency Code	Currency Name	Cut-off time for receipt of payment (GMT)
  AED	UAE Dirham	14:00
  AUD	Australian Dollar	15:00
  CAD	Canadian Dollars	14:30
  HKD	Hong Kong Dollar	13:00
  ILS	Israeli Shekel	14:00
  INR	Indian Rupee	14:00
  JPY	Japanese Yen	15:00
  KWD	Kuwaiti Dinar	14:00
  MXN	Mexican Peso	16:00
  NZD	New Zealand Dollar	15:00
  OMR	Omani Rial	14:00
  PHP	Philippine Peso	12:00
  QAR	Qatari Rial	14:00
  SAR	Saudi Arabian Riyal	14:00
  SGD	Singapore Dollar	13:00
  THB	Thai Baht	16:00
  TRY	Turkish Lira	14:30
  USD	US Dollar	16:00
  ZAR	South African Rand	15:00

   

  (1)  SEPA zone = EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein Norway and Switzerland. There are a number of additional SEPA zone territories. Other EEA currencies, supported by AIB, are: CHF - Swiss Franc,  CZK – Czech Koruna,  DKK –Danish Krone, HUF – Hungarian Forint,  NOK – Norwegian Krone,  PLN – Polish Zloty,  SEK – Swedish Krona.

  Please note that currency payments received after the cut-off time for that currency will receive value 1 day later than the value applied to payments received prior to cut-off time.

• What exchange rate is applied to an International Payment?

  An exchange rate is applied to an International Payment, when the currency of the payment is different to the currency of the debit or credit account. Standard exchange rates  which are applicable on the relevant business day quoted are available to view online at AIB website. These variable exchange rates change are subject to change at any time.

• What information do I need to make an Outgoing International Payment?

  In order to ensure that your outgoing international payment is made correctly you should have the following minimum information:
  

  (a)The name and address of the Receiver to whom you are transferring the funds.

  (b)Either the BIC or the full name and address of the foreign bank    branch at which the Receiver maintains their bank account.

  (c)The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) or normal bank account number of the Receiver's Account with the foreign bank.

  (d)The national bank code (where available) of the bank branch at which the Receiver's Account is maintained. This is not required if an IBAN is provided.
  

  Please ensure that the information provided is accurate and complete. Failure to provide the correct information may result in your International Payment being returned to your account for a lesser amount due to foreign bank fees and charges and/or exchange rate losses.

  Further detailed information on country specific formatting requirements.

  IBAN is mandatory for all International euro payments to SEPA zone countries. For incoming and outgoing non SEPA International Payments, AIB recommends using the IBAN and BIC where they are available. 

• The country I want to send money to is not appearing in the Country drop-down list? What do I do next?

  We are unable to send payments to certain destinations. If the country you wish to send a payment to does not appear in the Country drop-down list in the payment input screen, please contact your local branch for more information.

Reusing Payments

• Reusing Payments

  You may re-use the payment details for a previously made International Payment on the basis that the status of the payment is 'COMPLETE'.

  The status of your International Payments may be viewed in the Payment Log. If the international payment details that you wish to re-use have a 'COMPLETE' status you may select the 'RE-USE' button.

  You will be required to input the following information:

  • account you wish to debit to make the International Payment - this is a mandatory field

  • message to receiver

  • amount of the payment - this is a mandatory field

  • message to appear on your statement

Other Information

• What are the payment product codes?

  A payment product code is a three digit code used to identify our payment products and the payment fee related to it. From the 2 July 2018 you will see these payment product codes on your account ledger and statements. The table below outlines each product code and the type of instruction you used:

  Product Code	AIB Payment Product	Instruction Type
  O03	Paylink Euro Standard	Paper Instruction
  O08	Paylink Euro Standard	Electronic Instruction
  O20	Paylink Euro Urgent	Paper Instruction
  O19	Paylink Euro Urgent	Electronic Instruction
  O02	Paylink Standard	Paper Instruction
  O05	Paylink Standard	Electronic Instruction
  O01	Paylink Urgent	Paper Instruction
  O04	Paylink Urgent	Electronic Instruction
  I12	InPay Euro	*N/A
  I03	InPay Global – For amounts greater than €127	*N/A

   

  *N/A = Not Applicable

  The charges associated with these Product code are outlined in our ‘Schedule of International Transaction Charges (PDF)’ brochure on our website. 

• IBAN Mandatory Countries for International Payments

  The receiver account number must be in IBAN format for all international payments to EEA countries and certain Non-EEA countries. List of IBAN mandatory countries (PDF).

  We recommend that the IBAN is used in conjunction with the BIC of the receiver's bank to ensure correct identification of the receiver's bank branch and their account number within that branch. Further detailed information on country specific formatting requirements.

  Please contact the receiver in these countries to obtain their correct IBAN account information and BIC details before initiating any payments.

  Note: Failure to provide IBAN account information for payments to these countries may result in your payment being delayed, cancelled or returned by the receiver's bank.

• Payments to Mexico - what is a CLABE Account Number?

  A CLABE (Clave Bancaria Estandarizada), is an 18-digit number, to uniquely identify Mexican account holders, to guarantee the correct posting of electronic payments. The CLABE is assigned to each bank account in Mexico.

• Payments to India - what is an IFSC / PIN code?

  An IFSC code (Indian Financial System Code) is an 11 character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a bank-branch in India.

  A PIN (Postal Index number) is a 6 digit postal code which helps to identify the location of the bank-branch in India.

• Making payments to countries with Purpose of Payment Codes

  When making international payments to certain countries, Purpose of Payment (PoP) codes are mandatory. Without this information your payment will be delayed or rejected by the receiving bank. List of these countries and the related codes.

• How long do foreign cheques take to clear?

  The most effective means of sending or receiving money cross border is generally by International Payment. Drafts and cheques (including international euro cheques) not drawn on a bank in the Republic of Ireland cannot be cleared through the Irish clearing system. Clearing rules and clearing cycles differ depending on the country/location of the bank on which the draft/cheque is drawn. Due to the absence of a central European or international clearing system for paper, there is no standard mechanism or time period for clearance of paper items i.e. drafts and cheques.

• Data Protection Notice

  International Payments and certain domestic payments are made by AIB via the Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). SWIFT processes payments on behalf of financial institutions worldwide and is currently the only organisation providing such a service. All transactions processed in Belgium are replicated in a backup system ('mirror site') in the United States of America (US). Maintaining a geographically separated back-up infrastructure to ensure continued operation is in line with international standards and supervisory requirements.

  On foot of official subpoena(s), transaction data held in the US 'mirror site' may be disclosed to US, or other authorities for the purposes of combating terrorism and other serious crime. Therefore, any information you provide to AIB in order to effect a SWIFT payment could potentially be disclosed to US authorities, and by instructing AIB to execute a payment, you are implicitly giving your consent to such a disclosure.

  AIB reserves the right to amend this notice at any time, and you should regularly check for any amendments.

• Useful Contacts

  For any queries relating to International Payments on AIB Internet Banking, please contact 0818 724 724 or if calling from outside the Republic of Ireland, please contact + 353 1 771 2424.

• Further Information on AIB's International Payment Services

  AIB provides a comprehensive suite of International Payment products to facilitate customers in sending and receiving international payments. Further detailed information on international payments.

• What is a Receiver Bank Code?

  A ‘Receiver Bank Code’ is specific to the country. You can get this code from your payee.

  For example, if you make a payment to the UK, the NSC (National Sort Code) is the ‘bank code’ and you need it to make the payment on Internet Banking.

  More information on Receiver bank codes.