Hi there

This is the first time I am about to transfer money from my UK bank account to my Aus bank account.

I had thought it was a straightforward process with HIFX however after sitting for over an hour at the computer, I have now contacted my UK bank (Santander) to be told I have to fax them all the relevant details of the transfer with copies of my passport, driving license and UK address.

Is there not an easier way????????

Santander is pants.

We are with Nationwide and use UKForex.

Initially we set up our Oz account with UKForex and on line with Nationwide I set up UKForex Bank as a single payment.

I go on UKForex and log in and put the amount I want to transfer, if the rate is good I proceed and it says to transfer the money to their UK account, it gives a unique reference number.
Then I go on Nationwide and send a single payment to them and either use this unique reference number or my UKForex account number.

Job done

(I tried a small sum first to make sure it went ok, and it did)

We are with Santander and just asked them to do an international payment, I think if you have internet banking you can do it all online.
Anyway, think it took 3 days to get the money here and they charge £35.

You need to phone and ask for international payments, if you just speak to the call-centre they tell you it cannot be done unless you are in branch with copies of your passport etc. They open at 8.30 uk time.

If we wanted to use Forex, Santander had to transfer money to Forex's Barclays account, then Forex could transfer it over here and it would have taken about a week for the 1st transaction, quicker for subsequent transactions, but we needed our money quick, so went for the first option.

Hope this helps

I've used Ozforex a lot for personal as well as business transactions and they are great.

Generally their charges are much cheaper than the UK or Australian banks for money transfers and the exchange rates are higher.

That's very helpful - thanks alot!

I will give them a call later.

Also UKForex is the same company as OZForex, with UKForex if you transfer £3000 and over there is no fee.

They also have an arm called www.tranzfers.com which deals in smaller amounts

Just be careful on exchange rates offered.

The standard banks offer crap rates, usually tourist rates, where as the specialists offer better rates, usually market spot rates.

The small fees are unimportant when you consider the rates. Also, larger amounts get better rates.

My experience anyway.

I used Moneycorp, they were fine. Im not recommending them, or not recommending them, im just advising a specialist company.

Ozforex / tranzfers are also a specialist company, which lots of people on here recommend - I have to say I've always had fab rates from them and I've been using them for 10 years now.

Interested in your comment about Moneycorp though, surely if their service was fine you would be happy to recommend them?

Same here, all good

Ho Hum, I have better things to do in life than recommend, or not recommend one company over the other.

Go do the research youself.

ya bum.

I did.

I don't need to do research, I already use the company I mentioned above and am very happy with them. I am also happy to recommend them in order to help other posters.


I shall ignore the personal insult for now as you are a relatively new poster and may not have read the rules yet. Such comments are not generally tolerated on here and you would do well to remember that.

Whoopsy daisy.

I havent learnt the prim and proper ways of your socially excepted society.

Ho Hum, If I get banned, ho hum. Real life is significantly more important to me.

I thank you for, your superior looking link to the rules, after all, I would have never known how to behave except for your humble intervention.

I humbly accept, and am humbled by your honourable intervention.

I feel nicely inferior now.

Thank you for your education. I offer you homage !

I tend to use xe.com who have a good transfer process. Never had a problem, all online and the last time we transferred a sum (10,000 GBP) it hit the Aus account the day after it left the UK account - mega quick and far quicker than we anticipated. Good rates too when I did my comparison. That said, rates change all the time so I have a couple of systems set up and just compare them when I am ready to send...