Overview
WorldFirst, at a glance.
WorldFirst is an e-money institution headquartered in the United Kingdom, regulated by FCA, DNB. The business account has no monthly fee. Opening an account takes 1–2 days. Non-residents are accepted: owners and directors do not need to live in the country where the company is registered.
Client funds are held in segregated safeguarding accounts, separate from WorldFirst's own money. Not covered by FSCS deposit insurance.
Why businesses pick WorldFirst
- Free to open, with no monthly fee
- Local account details in 22 currencies; payouts in 92
- Collects payouts from 130+ marketplaces into one account
- Business Mastercard with no FX fees in 15 currencies
Watch out for
- Currency conversion costs up to 0.5% after the first six months
- Gambling, crypto, adult and CBD businesses are not accepted
- Some receiving accounts are in WorldFirst's or Alipay's name
- No deposit insurance; funds are safeguarded instead
Business fit
Will WorldFirst accept your business?
Four quick answers. Where your company is registered and what it does rule a provider in or out faster than anything else.
Based on WorldFirst's published rules
Needs review
WorldFirst works with E-commerce, but does not publish the countries it accepts companies from.
WorldFirst does not publish a minimum company age or turnover, so those two answers are not checked here.
This is one provider. Your profile checks all of them.
- Every provider that fits your business
- The reason behind each match
- Company age and turnover checked too
Who it works with
Accepted and not accepted.
What WorldFirst publishes about the businesses it takes on.
Who WorldFirst serves
- E-commerce
- Marketplaces
- Import and export
Not supported
Industries and countries WorldFirst does not accept, from its own published lists.
Industries
- Human organs and blood
- Controlled or endangered animal species
- Tobacco, cigarettes and e-cigarettes
- Weapons, ammunition and military-related goods
- Hazardous or toxic chemicals
- Drugs, marijuana, CBD oil and related paraphernalia
- Gambling-related activities
- Adult entertainment and pornography
- Unlicensed or illegal financial services
- NFTs, cryptocurrencies and other virtual currencies
- Crowdfunding, investment immigration and lending services
- Multi-level marketing or pyramid schemes
- Certain precious-metals, investment, art and antiques activities
- Auction houses
- Game-hunting services
- Religious or psychic services
- Live-streaming platforms
- Certain unlicensed US-origin export or re-export activities
- Other illegal, controlled or outside-risk-appetite activities
Countries
- Not published
Coverage
Where can you use WorldFirst?
Coverage is a starting point. It does not confirm that every business in these markets is eligible.
Supported currencies
22 currencies
Hold and receive · 22 currencies
- USD
- EUR
- GBP
- AUD
- CAD
- HKD
- JPY
- SGD
- NZD
- CNH
- AED
- PLN
- CHF
- SEK
- MXN
- CZK
- TRY
- ILS
- ZAR
- SAR
- THB
- MYR
Pay out · 92 currencies
- AED
- AUD
- BGN
- BHD
- BWP
- CAD
- CHF
- CNH
- CZK
- DKK
- EUR
- GBP
- HKD
- HUF
- IDR
- ILS
- INR
- JPY
- KES
- KRW
- LKR
- MAD
- MUR
- MXN
- MYR
- NOK
- NZD
- PHP
- PKR
- PLN
- QAR
- RON
- SAR
- SEK
- SGD
- THB
- TRY
- USD
- VND
- ZAR
- ALL
- BND
- AOA
- ARS
- BAM
- NPR
- BMD
- BOB
- TWD
- BSD
- CRC
- DJF
- DOP
- FJD
- GEL
- GNF
- GTQ
- HTG
- KHR
- LAK
- LBP
- MNT
- MVR
- NIO
- PGK
- PYG
- SBD
- SCR
- SRD
- TOP
- TZS
- UGX
- XAF
- UYU
- XPF
- RSD
- AMD
- BIF
- CDF
- CVE
- GYD
- KGS
- LRD
- LSL
- LYD
- GHS
- NGN
- IQD
- JOD
- OMR
- KZT
- ZMW
Payment reach
210+ countries and regions
Payments out by local rails or SWIFT.
Who can apply
Company incorporation countries
Not publishedOwner nationality
Not publishedOwner residency
Not publishedCompany types
Limited companies, Sole traders
Pricing
What does WorldFirst cost?
Look beyond the monthly fee. Your total cost depends on how many transfers you make, where they go and how much you convert.
Account cost
Opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
Free
World Account
£0 per month
£0 setup · £0 in year one
Transaction fees
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming | ||
| SEPA | Free | No charge |
| Faster Payments (GBP) | Free | No charge |
| ACH / local USD | Free | No charge |
| From another WorldFirst account | Free | No charge |
| Outgoing | ||
| SEPA | £0.27 | Fixed fee |
| Faster Payments (GBP) | £0.31 | Fixed fee |
| ACH / local USD | £0.77 | Fixed fee |
| To another WorldFirst account | Free | No charge |
Other fees
Currency exchange (FX)
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| FX markup | Up to 0.5% | Percentage of the amount · 0.3% for the first six months |
Cards
| Cost | Listed amount | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual card issue | Free | No charge |
| Physical card issue | £5 | Fixed fee |
| Card FX | Free | No charge · 15 currencies, paid from a balance in that currency |
| ATM withdrawal | 2%, min £1 | Percentage, with a minimum charge |
Onboarding
From application to live account.
WorldFirst states 1 to 2 business days from application to a live account.
- 1
Online application
Company details, with your email and phone verified.
- 2
Identity check
Director's ID and a face scan on your phone.
- 3
Review
WorldFirst checks the company and its owners, and may ask for more documents.
- 4
Account live
Open receiving accounts in the currencies you need.
Documents you need
- Government ID for the director who applies
- Company registration certificate
- Full list of directors with dates of birth
- Government ID for each owner with 25% or more
Sometimes requested
- Shareholding structure
- Articles of association or certificate of incumbency
- Proof of trading
- Proof of address
FAQ
Your questions, answered.
Is WorldFirst a bank?
No. World First UK Limited is an e-money institution authorised by the UK FCA, reference number 900508. Client funds are safeguarded but not covered by FSCS deposit insurance.
How much does a WorldFirst business account cost?
Opening the account, the monthly fee and receiving payments are free. Sending costs £0.27 by SEPA and £0.31 by Faster Payments. Currency conversion costs up to 0.5%, or 0.3% for the first six months.
How long does it take to open a WorldFirst account?
WorldFirst states one to two working days after you submit the application.
Does WorldFirst offer cards in the UK?
Yes. The World Card is a business Mastercard: up to 25 virtual cards free of charge, and physical cards for £5 each. There are no FX fees when you pay in one of 15 currencies from a balance in that currency.
Which businesses does WorldFirst not accept?
Its UK terms exclude gambling, adult entertainment, cryptocurrencies and NFTs, CBD and tobacco products, weapons, and unlicensed financial services, among others.
Can sole traders open a WorldFirst account?
Yes. WorldFirst UK has separate application routes for companies and for sole traders.
Alternatives
How WorldFirst compares.
If WorldFirst is not the right fit, these providers work with similar businesses. Compare their listed licences and services below.
| Provider | Licensed in | Known for |
|---|---|---|
 WorldFirstThis pageE-money institution |   | Marketplace sellersTrade payments |
 PaysetE-money institution | | 35 currenciesHigh-risk industries |
 PayDoE-money institution |   | Dedicated IBANHigh-risk industries |
 Wise BusinessE-money institution |  | Low FX costsStandard businesses |
 Equals MoneyE-money institution | | Multi-currencyCards |
Not sure which one fits? Your profile ranks them for your business, with the reason behind each.