Wise
UK-founded money transfer service with transparent fees and real exchange rates. EU-licensed through Wise Europe SA.
Quick facts
Fees are shown upfront before you send anything, and the exchange rate used is the real mid-market rate rather than a marked-up one hidden inside the transfer.
Transfers can still take a day or two to land for less common currency routes, and phone support is limited compared with a traditional bank.
Why does it score 43?
Incorporated in London, UK – outside the EU/EFTA, which caps the legal score even though EU customers are served through a regulated Brussels entity.
Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, so it isn't scored as an independent company, and its primary listing sits outside the EU/EFTA.
Runs on a mix of infrastructure across the UK, Belgium and the US rather than servers it owns outright.
GDPR-compliant, but the platform isn't open source and there's no independently published security audit on record.
See how they compare
WiseWhat does it replace?
Paypal 
Western Union 
Moneygram 
Visa 
Mastercard 
American Express More European Payments & banking alternatives
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