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WorldFirst World Account for online sellers

Tim Falk
Tim Falk
Last updated:  

Receive payments in 10 foreign currencies and take advantage of no ongoing fees.

  • Good for a transparent pricing structure and receiving money to the 10 locally based currency accounts.
  • Sign-up process takes a while.

GBP 1,000

Min. Transfer Amount

No limit

Max. Transfer Amount

1 - 2 days

Transfer Speed

Details

Product NameWorldFirst International Money Transfers for Online Sellers
Min. Transfer AmountGBP 1,000
Max. Transfer AmountNo limit
Transfer MethodsOnline, Phone
Transfer Speed
Minimum transfer time
1 - 2 days
Customer ServicePhone, Email
Available CurrenciesAED, AUD, BBD, BGN, BSD, BWP, BZD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EGP, ERN, EUR, FJD, GBP, HKD, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, LKR, MAD, MGA, MUR, MXN, MYR, NGN, NOK, NZD, OMR, PHP, PLN, QAR, RON, SAR, SEK, SGD, SRD, SZL, THB, TND, TRY, TTD, USD, XCD, ZAR
Online Transfer FeeGBP 0
Phone Transfer FeeGBP 0
Exchange Rate UpdatesReal time
Go to WorldFirst's siteMore info

What's in this guide?

  1. How does the WorldFirst World Account work?
  2. Why use WorldFirst instead of PayPal?
  3. What are the WorldFirst World Account's fees?
  4. How do I set up a WorldFirst World Account for my ecommerce store?
  5. In a nutshell
  6. How does the WorldFirst World Account compare to other online seller services?

How does the WorldFirst World Account work?

The World Account is a multi-currency account designed for businesses and online sellers. It allows you to receive online marketplace payments in 10 different currencies and manage all your balances from one dashboard.

You can receive funds in the following 10 currencies:

  • GBP British pound
  • USD US dollar
  • EUR Euro
  • CAD Canadian dollar
  • JPY Japanese yen
  • AUD Australian dollar
  • SGD Singapore dollar
  • NZD New Zealand dollar
  • HKD Hong Kong dollar
  • CNH Chinese yuan

This means you can receive payments from ecommerce marketplaces in Europe, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Japan, China and the UK. You can link your World Account to a wide range of online marketplaces and platforms, including the following:

  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • Rakuten
  • Newegg
  • Lazada
  • Cdiscount
  • Shopify

You can also pay international suppliers in their local currency, and hold your funds in a foreign currency until you’re ready to convert them back to pound sterling. The account can be managed through WorldFirst’s online platform or the WorldFirst mobile app.

Read our review of WorldFirst for international money transfers

Why use WorldFirst instead of PayPal?

PayPal is a popular option for online sellers looking to manage their online payments. However, there are a few costs you’ll need to be aware of:

  • Payment fees. A fee applies when you receive payment for selling an item. For PayPal Wallet transactions, you’ll pay a fee of 2.6% + 20p for UK payments and 3.6% + a fixed fee for international payments.
  • Currency conversion fees. If you’re paid in a foreign currency and you want to convert those funds into pound sterling so you can withdraw them to your bank account, PayPal adds a 2.5% margin on top of its base exchange rate before converting your money to GBP.
  • Disappointing exchange rates. If you want to send an international payment from your PayPal account, you’ll find that PayPal’s exchange rates often don’t match those offered by some specialist transfer companies.

By comparison, WorldFirst doesn’t charge any ongoing fees, any fees for receiving payment in your World Account or any cross-currency transaction fees. And with a foreign exchange margin of between 0.15% and 0.50% based on the amount you transfer each year, using a World Account instead of PayPal could potentially offer big savings for your business.

What are the WorldFirst World Account’s fees?

WorldFirst does not charge any of the following fees:

  • Account opening fees
  • Account management fees
  • Cross-currency transaction fees
  • Fees for receiving payments

However, when exchanging currency using your World Account, such as if you’re repatriating sales revenue to pound sterling, you’ll need to consider WorldFirst’s margin. This is the difference between the rate at which WorldFirst buys currency (the mid-market rate), and the rate it uses when it sells currency to you. The margin that applies to your account varies depending on the amount you transfer each year:

Annual transfer amount£0 – £500,000£500,000 – £5 million£5 million +
Margin0.50%0.25%0.15%

Calculate how much your payments will cost with a World Account using the calculator below.

Min. Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Online Transfer Fee Rate Amount Received Description CTA Details
WorldFirst International Money Transfers for Online Sellers
 GBP 1,000 1 - 2 days GBP 0.00 1.116 EUR
5,580
 Open bank accounts in Australia, the UK, US, Canada, Japan and Europe. Send and receive funds with zero fees, including same-currency supplier payments. Go to site Show details

Compare up to 4 providers

Disclaimer: Exchange rates change often. Confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.

How do I set up a WorldFirst World Account for my ecommerce store?

You can open a World Account by completing a few simple steps.

In a nutshell

Pros

  • 10 locally based currency accounts. The World Account lets you receive online marketplace payments in 10 different currencies.
  • Competitive exchange rates. WorldFirst’s exchange rate margin varies depending on the amount you transfer, but at 0.15-0.50%, it’s very competitive.
  • Transparent pricing structure. WorldFirst is upfront about all the costs and charges that apply to your account, and there are no ongoing fees or fees for receiving funds.
  • Customer support. WorldFirst offers phone and email customer support as well as an online sellers hub with plenty of useful tools and resources to help you grow your business.

Cons

  • Sign-up process. You’ll need to wait for a WorldFirst representative to contact you before your account can be opened.

How does the WorldFirst World Account compare to other online seller services?

Table: sorted by a combination of service offering and the amount your recipient will receive

To find out how the World Account compares to other marketplace selling accounts, check out the table below.

Min. Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Online Transfer Fee Rate Amount Received Description CTA Details
CurrencyTransfer for online sellers
 GBP 5,000 1 - 2 days GBP 0.00 1.121 EUR
5,606
 CurrencyTransfer is an online marketplace that lets you shop around for the best exchange rate. Use it to take your ecommerce business to the next level. Go to site Show details
TransferWise for online sellers
GBP 1 2 days GBP 0.00 1.122 EUR
5,608
 Transfer money at the mid-market rate with no nasty surprises and excellent customer support. Go to site Show details

Compare up to 4 providers

Disclaimer: Exchange rates change often. Confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.

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