Guide to sending large payments with Mettle, including transfer limits

If you’re a sole trader or small business with a big bill to pay, you’ll need to know how much your bank account allows you to send - and how to quickly securely make the transfer.

This guide looks at how large transfers work with Mettle, the bank account from UK banking giant NatWest. It’s specifically designed for sole traders and limited companies with up to two owners.

Read on for everything you need to know on how to make a large transfer with Mettle, what details you’ll need and average transfer times. Plus, payment limits, security considerations and fees.

Plus, a look at a great alternative - Wise Business. You can securely send large transfers with Wise Business for low fees and mid-market exchange rates. This makes it ideal if you’re making a large payment across international borders.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

Can you use Mettle for large transfers?

No, not really - Mettle isn't set up to support large transfers, unless you’re happy to make multiple smaller payments one after another.

This is because the most you can send in one go via Faster Payments with your Mettle business account is £10,000. This isn’t a daily limit, so you can send more than one payment if you wish.¹

However, this could be very inconvenient if you have a large payment to make (for example, £100,000 or more) - and whoever you’re paying may not be happy with this arrangement.

Faster Payments within the UK is the only supported payment method with Mettle (including recurring payments).² It doesn’t currently support outgoing CHAPS payments, or let account holders send or receive international payments.

Is Mettle safe for large payments?

Security will always be a top priority when sending large amounts, so it’s important to choose a regulated, trustworthy provider.

Mettle is an account provided by NatWest, which is an established, trusted and licenced UK bank. NatWest and Mettle use advanced security measures to protect accounts, payments and sensitive information.

This includes:

• Fraud monitoring systems
• Identity verification when opening an account
• Multi-factor authentication to protect account access
• Auto sign out after a period of inactivity
• Encrypted connections.

When you open a business account with Mettle, you’ll also benefit from Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protection of up to £120,000 on eligible deposits.

When using any financial service, it’s crucial to take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your business when sending payments.

These include double-checking recipient bank details, keeping your online banking details secure and being vigilant against scams.

How to make a large payment with Mettle

You can make most Mettle large payments online or via the mobile app. While NatWest has physical branches, Mettle is a digital-first account - so you may not be able to get in-person support when making payments.

Before you can send your transfer, you’ll need to have the recipient’s details to hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

• The recipient’s name or business name as it appears on their bank account
• Their bank account number and sort code
• The type of account (i.e. a business account)

Important note: you can’t make international transfers with Mettle, so you won’t need details such as the recipient’s International Bank Account Number (IBAN) or SWIFT/BIC code.

To set up the payment online or via the app, follow these steps:

1. Login into your Mettle account
2. Go to the ‘Payment’ screen
3. Select ‘Make a payment’. In the app, you can also tap the ‘Send’ quick action from the ‘Home’ screen.
4. Choose an existing recipient from the list, or add a new company or person by entering their bank details
5. Enter the amount to send
6. Add additional details - including a reference number and any other requested information
7. Review your payment details
8. Once you’re happy, submit the payment.

Once you’ve submitted the request, you should see confirmation on-screen.

How long do large transfers take with Mettle?

Mettle large transfer times are very quick, and this is because the only available payment type is Faster Payments.

As the name suggests, Faster Payments are designed to arrive very quickly. In many cases, they arrive in seconds - however, they can sometimes take up to 2 hours to arrive.³

This is great news if you have a time-sensitive UK payment to make. However, the fact that you can’t make any international or high value payments may be a major drawback for some businesses.

What's the Mettle maximum transfer limit?

You’ll also need to know how much you can send in one payment, and per day. This is essential for smooth cash flow management, and to ensure your suppliers are paid on time.

The Mettle bank transfer limit for Faster Payments in the UK is £10,000.¹ This limit is per payment, not per day, week or month.

If you need to send more than this, you’ll need to make multiple payments.

It’s also useful to know that Mettle business accounts also have a maximum account balance limit of £1 million.

Get expert support for your large transfer 📞

What are the Mettle fees for large transfers?

Cost will always be a top priority when choosing a provider for large business payments. So, how much does it cost to use Mettle business accounts for large transfers?

The good news is that there are no Mettle large transfer fees. You can make as many Faster Payments transactions as you like, without incurring any fees from the bank.

There are also no monthly maintenance fees, but there are some other charges you may need to know about:⁴

• fees correct as of 06.07.26

An Mettle alternative: use Wise Business for large transfers

As an alternative to Mettle, check out Wise Business. It’s not a bank, but it has multi-currency account and card solutions for businesses of all sizes.

It also has a dedicated secure service for sending large payments. And crucially, you can use your account to make international transfers in 40+ currencies to 140+ countries worldwide. This is ideal if your business has global clients or is looking to expand across borders.

Wise transfer limits depend on what currency is being sent, here's a few of the most popular:

• GBP - £20 million GBP per transfer
• EUR - €20 million EUR per transfer
• USD - $20 million USD when paying from your USD account, $1.6 million per SWIFT transfer.

It’s also worth knowing that Wise offers discounts for sending large amounts over £20,000 (or the currency equivalent). The more you send, the more you save.

You can open up a Wise Business account for free, and send large payments right away with the Essential plan. All accounts can hold and exchange 40+ currencies. With Wise Business Advanced, available for a one-time fee of just £50, you can receive payments like a local with major currency account details. There are no ongoing monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements.

Whenever you need to convert currencies, to send a payment or spend with your Wise debit card, you’ll get the mid-market exchange rate and low conversion costs from 0.33%.

You also have the ability to earn a return on GBP, EUR and USD funds with Wise Interest (capital at risk, growth not guaranteed). See more information at Wise Business Interest.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 70+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no hidden exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
• 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
• 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
• 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation
• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
• 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
• 📈 Earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Visit Wise Interest to find out more)
• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily (Card payment acceptance for new Wise Business customers is currently unavailable. Payment methods subject to eligibility and availability.)
• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

**Investments are not guaranteed, and your capital is at risk.

Wise is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), so features like Interest and Stocks may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). For standard cash balances, we safeguard your funds to meet regulatory obligations.

In the UK, Interest and Stocks are provided by Wise Assets, the trading name of Wise Assets UK Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 839689).

We do not provide investment advice, and taxes may apply. If unsure, seek qualified financial advice. Full fund information is available on our website.

---

FAQs

Can Mettle send international payments?

No, Mettle doesn't currently support outgoing or incoming international payments. You can only make UK Faster Payments to bank accounts within the UK.

Does Mettle support CHAPS payments?

No. Mettle doesn't currently offer CHAPS payments. If you need to send a high-value payment using CHAPS, you'll need to use an alternative provider or bank that supports the service.

Are Mettle Faster Payments free?

Yes, Mettle doesn't charge a fee for sending UK Faster Payments, regardless of how many payments you make. However, other account services, such as cash deposits or cash withdrawals, may incur separate charges.

Can I increase my Mettle bank transfer limit?

Mettle's £10,000 Faster Payments limit applies per transaction. At the time of writing, there's no option to request a higher single-payment limit, so larger amounts must be sent as multiple payments.

---

Sources used:

1. Mettle - FAQs - Are there limits on my transactions?
2. Mettle - FAQs - Which types of payment can I make?
3. Mettle - FAQs - How long does it take for us to receive our payments?
4. Mettle - Fee Information Document

Sources last checked 06-Jul-2026