Bank of the West International Wires in 2024: Charges, Exchange Rates, and Alternatives
Byron Mühlberg
Guide
Monito's Managing Editor, Byron has spent several years writing extensively about financial- and migration-related topics.
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Read moreRecently absorbed into BMO Harris Bank in 2023, Bank of the West offers a wide range of retail, business, and investment services to American customers, including foreign exchange and remittance services.
Although Bank of the West gives you excellent banking services all around, when it comes to making international wires from the USA in particular, the bank can be surprisingly pricey. When sending an international payment online (either through your Online Banking or the Mobile Banking), the following costs will apply per transaction:
- A $50 service fee,
- A 5% to 7% exchange rate margin.
In the end, this means that whenever you make an outgoing payment from the United States with Bank of the West, you'll pay very significant amount, leaving anyway between 5% to 7% or more of the entire value of the transfer chomped up by charges. Save money now by finding the cheapest and fastest alternative with Monito's live comparison engine below. 👇
Bank of the West transfers are pricey. Compare digital alternatives instead:
Key Facts About Bank of the West International Wires
🏦 Bank of the West int'l transfer fees | 5% - 7% or more |
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💸 Int'l transfer fees via Monito | 0.3% - 2% |
⏱ Bank of the West global transfer time | 2 - 5 business days |
⚡Transfer time via Monito | 1 - 2 business days |
💵 Bank of the West payment method |
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💸 Payment methods via Monito |
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Bank of the West International Wire Fees
Bank of the West international wires are processed as international wires. This means that, as a customer of Bank of the West, you'll need to use your online or mobile banking account to instruct a transfer, and Bank of the West will wire your funds over SWIFT to reach its destination in a foreign country and currency.
Banks generally make money from you on SWIFT transfers by levying commissions, fixed charges, or a combination of the two on the amount you send. This is also the case with Bank of the West, which charges a service fee of $50 for every international wire you make with them.
Correspondent Bank Fees
In addition to this service fee, you might also be charged a correspondent bank fee (not by Bank of the West but by a third-party bank) which can range anywhere between $10 and $100.
This fee (also called an 'agent charge') isn't incurred every time you transfer money abroad, but it might happen if Bank of the West cannot transfer your funds directly into your beneficiary's bank account and needs to rely on a correspondent or intermediary bank to get the job done.
Avoid OUR payments. If you're choosing between SHA, BEN, and OUR, try to avoid OUR payments if possible. These instructions can let third-party banks levy fees from your transfer even after it has already been sent.
Bank of the West Exchange Rates
In addition to the abovementioned costs, Bank of the West will include another (less transparent) fee in your transfer. These fees, known as FX margins, are charged when banks or other currency exchange providers offer poorer exchange rates than the 'real' exchange rate (called the mid-market rate), thereby making a small profit on every dollar converted into a foreign currency.
While Bank of the West FX margins may not appear very high (typically between 5% and 7% of the total transfer amount, according to our analysis), these costs can stack up quickly.
It's worth noting that — as with other American banks — Bank of the West charges lower FX margins if you're sending a dollar transfer to a major world currency like the British pound, US dollar, euro, or Singaporean dollar. On the other hand, its FX margins for conversions to less-traded world currencies like Indonesian rupiahs or Nepali rupees tend to be much higher.
Bank of the West International Wire Alternatives
According to our analysis of thousands of comparisons from the USA here on Monito, the following money transfer service offers the cheapest money transfers from the USA to various countries worldwide. If you plan to send money to a specific country, be sure to double-check in advance whether the provider below facilitates transfers there and whether it's the best deal in your specific case.
Remitly
Remitly is a low-cost and trusted online money transfer provider supporting transfers from the USA to dozens of countries and currencies worldwide.
- Remitly Charges: $3.99 fee if sending under $1,000
- Remitly Exchange Rates: 0.5% and 2%
- Available Destinations From the USA: Canada, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey, Colombia, Nigeria, the European Union, and many more.
As you can see, Remitly is a great way to send money abroad from the USA and is usually significantly cheaper than Bank of the West on a per-transfer basis. However, even Remitly with its great pricing isn't always the cheapest provider from the USA, and the best deal varies depending on the market, your destination country, and many other factors. To find the best deal in real time, simply compare providers in real time below! 👇
Find your best deal in real-time:
FAQ About Bank of the West International Wires
How long do Bank of the West international wires take?
Depending on the country and currency you're sending your money to, an international wires via Bank of the West will take 2 - 5 business days to arrive in your beneficiary's bank account.
What are Bank of the West's international wire charges?
When sending an international wire via Bank of the West, the following charges apply per transaction:
- A $50 service fee,
- A 5% to 7% exchange rate margin.
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