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Telegraphic Transfers

Telegraphic Transfers

Manage your payments and collections efficiently in multiple currencies.

Benefits

A broad spectrum of currencies

A broad spectrum of currencies

Make payments to your beneficiaries in multiple currencies.

Tap on our extensive network

Tap on our extensive network

Transfer funds electronically and securely to your international beneficiaries.

Pay securely via UOB electronic channels

Pay securely via UOB electronic channels

Pay electronically via UOB Infinity or our host-to-host services.

Keep informed of payment statuses

Keep informed of payment statuses

Track your payments in real-time via SWIFT gpi and retrieve MT103 copies online.

Choice of single and bulk payment options

Choice of single and bulk payment options

Enjoy the flexibility of initiating single payments or uploading bulk payment files.

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Ready to apply?

Leave us your details and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Alternatively, you may like to reach out to your Relationship Manager.

Frequently asked questions

What are the charges for inward telegraphic transfers (TTs)?
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Please refer to our table of charges on inward remittance fees.

Please provide your remitter or remitting bank the following information:
For SGD Payments:

  1. Pay to "UOB Singapore (SWIFT: UOVBSGSG)"
  2. Favouring Beneficiary:
    • Full Beneficiary name as per Bank records
    • Account numbers for UOB Current or Savings Account
  3. Full Beneficiary name as per Bank records


For foreign currency remittances to accounts with UOB Singapore:

  1. Pay through UOB Singapore Nostro Agents for respective currencies. For the list of nostro agents, please refer to List of UOB Agent Banks.
  2. Beneficiary Bank: United Overseas Bank Limited Singapore (Swift/BIC: UOVBSGSG)
  3. Favouring Beneficiary:
    • Account numbers for UOB Current or Savings Account
    • Full Beneficiary name as per Bank records

Yes. You will receive a hard copy credit advice within 2 to 3 days from the successful crediting of the TT. Alternatively, the electronic credit advice can be downloaded from UOB Infinity.

This is a fee charged by our USD agent bank for processing the transaction. This fee is not deducted by UOB and hence will not be reflected in the credit advice from UOB.

These are not new charges. It is a market practice for intermediary banks to deduct their processing fee from the remittance amount when the remitters indicate a charge code of SHA or BEN in their payment instructions. We are unable to waive these fees as they are charged by our USD agent bank.

You can submit a TT instruction electronically via UOB Infinity or our host-to-host services.

Alternatively, you can download the TT application form found under the Trade Services/Remittances section from https://www.uob.com.sg/business/help-support/banking-forms/index.page and submit the TT application form at any UOB branch.

While we accept hardcopy TT application forms, we recommend that you use our digital channels to submit your TT instructions to enjoy lower transaction fees.

MT103 copy is available for retrieval via UOB Infinity once the bank has processed the payment.

Payment can be effected in full when you select charge code OUR. For USD payments, please mark as “/FULLPAY/”. Please refer to the following question for further details.

The following are the applicable TT charges, which will also be reflected on the debit advice:

  • Telex: Remitting bank's cable charges
  • Commission: Remitting Bank’s handling charges
  • Agent Charge: Charges applied by UOB's correspondent bank. This is only applicable if you have indicated a charge option of 'OUR' in the TT instruction.


When payments are made locally and overseas, charges are imposed by various banks e.g. the remitting bank, the beneficiary bank and the intermediary bank, etc. These charges can be paid or settled through any one of the following methods:
1. BEN: Charges are borne by the Beneficiary
Your beneficiary bears all charges applied by the banks engaged in the transfer of the payment, and may include fees applied by the remitting bank, as well as the intermediary and beneficiary banks. Charges will be deducted from the remittance amount and your beneficiary will receive the proceeds net of the applied charges.

2. SHA: Charges are shared
You pay for the remitting bank's charges, while your beneficiary bears all charges applied by the other banks (i.e., intermediary banks and the beneficiary bank). Charges to be borne by the beneficiary will be deducted directly from the remittance proceeds. This is the most common charge type, where each party bears their respective charges.

3. OUR: Charges are borne by the Remitter
You bear all the charges for the payment, i.e., remitting bank's charges, as well as the charges applied by the other banks (i.e., correspondent, intermediary and beneficiary banks). The charges will be debited accordingly from your designated account. For cases where we have an "OUR" arrangement in place with our correspondents, we will debit the agent charges upfront.

UOB shall not be liable should any of our correspondents or the beneficiary's bank fail to comply with the indicated charge instructions and fees are lifted from the remittance amount, or should the full payment fail to reach the beneficiary's account for any other reason. The OUR charging method may potentially entail the highest cost for you. As such, you may wish to opt for SHA (shared charges) or BEN (charges borne by the beneficiary) instead.

Please refer to our table of charges on Outward Remittance Fees.

There has been an increase in the number of outgoing INR and PHP telegraphic transfer payments returned by our agent bank, as the payment amount is lower than the chargeable agent/correspondent bank fees. Hence, all outgoing INR and PHP telegraphic transfers will be subject to a minimum amount of SGD200 or equivalent.

Transactions below the stipulated minimum amount will not be processed. If the TT instruction is submitted at our branches, the TT application form will not be accepted. If the TT instruction is submitted via our electronic channels, you will receive a reject status via the same channel with the following reason: "Payment is below min txn amount of SGD200.

To avoid such payment rejections, you can consider combining multiple payments to the same beneficiary into a single transaction to meet the minimum stipulated amount of SGD200. This will also allow you to save on TT bank charges.

To ensure that your application is processed promptly, please provide the following information accurately:

  • Your name, address and account number
  • The payment currency code and amount
  • The Receiving Bank/Beneficiary bank's name and address
  • Beneficiary bank's routing code
  • Name of Intermediary bank, if available
  • Beneficiary's account number or IBAN for payments to European countries or United Kingdom
  • Full Beneficiary name


Notes for cross-border remittances going to or through Mainland China:
According to People’s Bank of China (“PBOC”) Document (2018) No. 130, PBOC is imposing regulatory requirements on customer identification for cross-border transfer business.

With effect from 14 December 2018, customer identification requirements will apply for cross-border remittance transactions to or through Mainland China. Payment instructions with missing information will be rejected by the Clearing Bank. For more information, click here.

Some countries impose payment restrictions, hence additional payment details may be required for payments made to beneficiaries in these countries or in these countries' currencies. Omission / insufficient information will result in the TT payments getting delayed or rejected.

For more information on the additional payment details required for the beneficiary country or remittance currency, please refer to our table on Additional Payment Details.

TT payments may still be rejected if the purpose of payment indicated is not clear and specific. The following are some examples of detailed payment purpose which can be used:

  • Payment for purchase/rental of car/property
  • Investment Income
  • Payment for legal services
  • Housing loan repayment for ABC apartment
  • Donations for 123 charity
  • Inter-company transfer to own current account in Malaysia

The payment will generally reach the beneficiary within 1 to 5 business days. However, this would vary according to the country and beneficiary bank to which the payment is made. The same would apply if you have performed the TT transaction online.

You may refer to our Outward Telegraphic Transfer cut-off timings to determine the value dates which will be applied based on currency and submission timings.

All application and tracer/amendment forms must be signed according to your account mandate. However, it is not necessary for the original signatories who have signed off on the TT application form, to sign on the tracer/amendment form.

After the TT has been successfully processed, you will receive the hard copy debit advice within 2 to 3 working days. Alternatively, the electronic debit advice can be downloaded online via UOB Infinity.

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