1st Contact specialise in bank-to-bank foreign exchange transfers with competitive rates across most currencies worldwide. 1st Contact understand that there many reasons why you may need to make a money transfer quickly and efficiently, so therefore offer a few ways to process your transaction.
Online Portal
1st Contact provide an online portal to access their service. The portal is available 24/7 to all individual and business members and shows you live rates so you know what rate you will be getting.
Large Transfers
Additional documentation will be required for users who are making a foreign exchange payment over $10,000, or plan to make large payments regularly over a 12-month period (as required per money laundering and anti-terrorism regulations). 1st Contact realise that banks may also have a daily transaction limit that may prevent their customers from completing a transaction immediately. To help, 1st Contact will lock in an exchange rate if you pay 10% of the transaction as a deposit. The 10% paid will go towards your final transaction and will not be taken as a fee.
KEY INFORMATION
Transfer Limits
1st Contact don’t have a minimum or maximum limit for transfers made through their platform. You will only be required to provide additional documentation if the amount of the transaction exceeds $10,000. In this situation, you transfer will be processed pending review of the documentation provided.
Transfer Time
The time taken to complete your transfer will vary depending on the currencies involved and the amount to be transferred. The typical time for your funds to be processed and received by the beneficiary is 1-3 working days. For larger transfers where documents need to be reviewed, this process may take longer.
Transfer Fees
For all transactions under $10,000 there is a flat $15 fee. There is no charge for money transfers over $10,000. Every fifth transfer is free of charge.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 1st Contact
How a transfer can be made:
It is very simple to make a money transfer with 1st Contact. Firstly, you will need to create an account. Visit their website and complete the sign-up process, which will take a few minutes. 1st will ask you for a copy of your passport and proof of your address to verify who you are and activate the account. These documents can be uploaded directly, emailed or faxed. When your account is ready, you’ll need to add funds. This can be done via a direct debit from your bank account and may take a couple of days to clear. You can make a foreign exchange transfer when the funds have cleared.
PROS
- No minimum transfer amount
- Safe and secure platform
- Available 24/7
- Rate notifier – you can create alerts to keep you updated with the currency exchange rates you are most interested in
CONS
- Additional steps required for larger transfers
- Less currencies available compared to competitors
