Will SWIFT Go rule the world of low-value crossborder payments?

Owing to the multiple intermediaries and inadequate data between beneficiaries and payers, cross-border payments are often delayed and difficult to reconcile and trace. What’s more? The prohibitive prices/fees following the participation of various intermediaries result in small businesses and consumer payments moving to closed-loop systems and banks disintermediated. SWIFT launched a new service named SWIFT Go to send low-value cross-border payments anywhere in the world, directly from their bank accounts.

Until now, seven leading global financial institutions have gone live with the SWIFT Go program: BBVA; Bank of New York Mellon; DNB; MYBank; Sberbank; Société Générale, and UniCredit.

What is SWIFT Go?

SWIFT Go, an interbank service, is dedicated to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and retail customers exchange highly secure, competitively priced, predictable, and fast low-value cross border payments anywhere in the world. The service walks on the virtual path of the high-speed rail of SWIFT gpi to strengthen the functioning of financial institutions in the high-growth small business and consumer segments.

Enhanced end-customer experience

Predictability of payment conditions (time, fees, amount).

The principal amount delivered to end customers through SWIFT Go customers.

Predicted end-to-end fees

SWIFT Go enables customers to know the interbank end-to-end transaction fees in advance.

The status of the payment is available to the end customer.

Predict end-to-end processing time

SWIFT Go helps customers calculate a maximum end-to-end processing time .

Reduce processing times.

Simplification of payment initiation and processing

Use of a Single Format (common currency guide for SWIFT Go customers).

Simplified fee options to help SWIFT Go customers bilaterally agreed.

How does SWIFT Go work?

SWIFT Go follows an easy-to-understand procedure with no surprises enabling customers to send up to 10,000 USD, GBP, or EUR globally. With the growing list of supported banks around the world, it is expected that payments can also be made in other currencies. The below-shared table shows the 3 phases where SWIFT Go brings value to the payment chain.

Pre-processing

Customers of SWIFT Go can use a data input screen to know exactly the reachable routes of transactions and their bilateral fees before they hit send. — **Pre-processing**

Customers of SWIFT Go can use a data input screen to know exactly the reachable routes of transactions and their bilateral fees before they hit send.

Initiation, Processing
Beneficiary banks and intermediary affirms the planned route to predict the end-to-end payment conditions before they are sent. — **Initiation, Processing**

Beneficiary banks and intermediary affirms the planned route to predict the end-to-end payment conditions before they are sent.

Post-Processing
SWIFT Go banks usually do the settlement of the fees/charges. The central reporting engine of SWIFT helps with reconciliation in a consolidated and efficient process rather than per individual payment. — **Post-Processing**

SWIFT Go banks usually do the settlement of the fees/charges. The central reporting engine of SWIFT helps with reconciliation in a consolidated and efficient process rather than per individual payment.

How does ECS Fin work?

ECS Fin, a SWIFT Service Bureau, have the rights and the knowledge to reinforce the functioning of SWIFT Go for corporates and banks to experience low-value cross-border seamlessly. We aim to make global cross-border account-to-account payments faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective without compromising security.

It’s time to reduce the friction in managing compliance requirements and running transactions by taking a proactive approach with ECS Fin expert team members. Be assertive in taking benefit of this ecosystem at a resourceful pace!