SWIFT
SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is the messaging network that more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries and territories use to send standardized payment instructions to each other across borders. SWIFT itself does not move money — it carries the instruction, and settlement happens between banks over correspondent accounts.
By Raj Lad, Founder & CTOLast updated July 2026
When a business "sends a SWIFT wire," its bank sends a payment message (historically MT103, increasingly ISO 20022) to the beneficiary’s bank, directly or through intermediary banks. The message standard is why an instruction can traverse multiple institutions and currencies; the correspondent chain underneath is why it can take one to five business days and accumulate lifting fees along the way.
Infinite exposes SWIFT as a capability of your account rather than a separate integration: send and receive international wires from the same API as ACH, Fedwire, RTP, stablecoins, and FX — and let Transfer Routes decide when a wire is actually the best path.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SWIFT code (BIC)?
A SWIFT code, or BIC (Business Identifier Code), is the 8- or 11-character identifier for a bank on the network: a four-character institution code, a two-letter country code, a two-character location code, and an optional three-character branch code. Senders use it to address international wires to the right bank.
How long does a SWIFT payment take?
Typically one to five business days, depending on how many intermediary banks the instruction traverses and each one’s cutoffs and compliance checks. Lifting fees can accumulate along the way. SWIFT Payments
What is SWIFT gpi?
SWIFT’s payments service standard that adds end-to-end tracking, fee transparency, and confirmation of credit to cross-border payments — visibility on top of the same correspondent settlement model. SWIFT gpi
See how it works on the network.
Book a 30-minute demo and see how Infinite moves money — instant, compliant, and global.