Check which details to request from the recipient and what to confirm with your provider before sending the payment.
These examples show the sending amount for a fixed invoice at the indicative market rate, before fees. Open a route to calculate your own amount.
| Sending from | 500 SOS | 2,500 SOS | 10,000 SOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 0.66 GBP | 3.28 GBP | 13.11 GBP |
| United States | 0.87 USD | 4.37 USD | 17.50 USD |
| Australia | 1.27 AUD | 6.37 AUD | 25.48 AUD |
| Canada | 1.24 CAD | 6.18 CAD | 24.72 CAD |
Ask the recipient’s bank for its written instructions for receiving SOS. A provider that pays through a local bank may request different details from a provider using SWIFT. Confirm the account holder, bank identifier, account number and any mandatory payment reference before requesting a price.
Before setting up a beneficiary, find out whether the payment will arrive as a local bank deposit or an international wire. Ask for the receiving bank’s instructions for that method and for SOS. Check whose name should appear on the account, especially when paying a solicitor or a business.
When comparing a bank app with an online transfer service, enter the same total budget in both. Check how you can fund the payment, when the exchange rate becomes binding and whether the provider can tell you the final amount in SOS before you confirm.
For tuition, rent or an invoice, start with the sum the recipient needs to receive. Request a price for delivering that amount and ask who covers any deductions along the way. For a recurring payment, check when the rate is set for each instalment.
For a locally issued IBAN in this destination, the registered prefix is SO and the length is 23 characters without spaces. Compare the full number with the recipient’s bank document. Matching the format alone does not confirm who owns the account.
Give each provider the same total budget, including fees, and ask how much will arrive in SOS. Check whether intermediary or receiving-bank fees can still be deducted. For a fixed invoice, work backwards from the exact amount due and compare the total you would pay.
Ask for the date the beneficiary can use the funds. Confirm the funding deadline in your time zone and whether a weekend, local holiday or identity check changes the estimate. For a first payment, complete any checks before agreeing a delivery date with the recipient.
Check the provider’s transfer limit and your bank’s funding limit separately. Ask which documents are needed for this payment, such as an invoice or proof of the source of funds. For new or amended supplier details, call the supplier on a number already in your records before authorising payment.
For rent, pensions or family support, decide which amount must stay fixed each month: the sum leaving your account or the sum received in SOS. Ask when the rate is set for each payment, how to change the instruction and what happens if the funding date falls on a holiday.
Keep the quoted rate, receipt, payment reference and expected arrival date. If the deadline passes, ask the sending provider to trace the transfer and give the recipient the reference for their bank. If any account detail is wrong, contact the provider immediately before sending further funds.
Official sources Swift · IBAN Registry ↗ World Bank · Remittance Prices Worldwide ↗
