Frequently asked questions

Please ensure that the documentation is clearly legible and is in PDF or image (PNG, JPG, JPEG) format.

Open the document and click “File”, “Save As”, and then change the \""Save as type\"" to PDF and save the document.

Please note that merely changing the name of the document extension from e.g. XLS to PDF (Invoice22.xls to Invoice22.pdf) will not work. You need to resave the file as a PDF as explained above.

Each attachment must be less than 4MB.

Send an email with your additional documents to [email protected]. It is very important that you use your 'OT' transaction reference number (found on the confirmation page) as the subject of your email. Do not delay in sending these documents as Standard Bank needs enough time to review them prior to the value date of the transaction.

Click on the “Add more documents” button and upload any additional documents you feel are applicable to the international payment.

You can upload each document one by one or upload a bulk document that consists of all your required documents, as long as the attachment is less than 4MB.

No, this is not compliant with the South African Reserve Bank regulations. You must do 2 separate payments, one for the deposit and another one for the balance.

No, you cannot as this is not compliant with the South African Reserve Bank regulations.

You need a pro forma invoice. An offer letter alone is not compliant with the South African Reserve Bank regulations.

No, this channel does not have segregation of duties. This means that you can only use this feature if no-one else in the company is required to approve the payment. Should your company have segregation of duties, you will need to utilise the Business Online channel or branch to do your international payments.

• [Number] days left to accept – You have a certain number of days left to respond with a reason why you received this payment for us to release the funds. After 30 days, the payment will expire and be returned to the sender.
• In progress – Your payment is in progress and your money will be paid into your account within the next business day.
• Processed – Your money has been successfully paid into your account.
• Expired – The money has been returned to the sender as we did not get a response from you within 30 days.
• Returned – The money was returned to the sender at your request.
• Currency not supported – This currency is not supported on Internet Banking. 

You will be able to view both your individual and business incoming international payments at any time, however, over a weekend you can only process an incoming international payment in your individual capacity. You will not be able to process incoming international payments that are for your business on weekends.

If you do not respond to the request for a BOP code within 30 days of the funds arriving at Standard Bank, the payment will be returned to the sender. The fees to send the money back to the sender will be taken from the amount that was sent to you and will not result in any fees coming from your account.

South African legislation requires you to provide a reason why you are receiving money from outside South Africa. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) uses a set of predetermined codes for this, called a Balance of Payment (BOP) code. Example, 401 Gift. If you do not know which BOP code to use, please contact  for assistance.

The supported BOP categories will be displayed on Internet Banking when you need to provide a reason for payment as part of the transaction. Certain BOP codes require additional information to be captured. Some of the more complicated BOP codes are not supported on Internet Banking. If your BOP code is not supported.

Kindly refer to the following email address: Corrective Actions [email protected]

Should you receive incoming international funds into the same account, in the same currency, for the same reason on a regular basis, you can set up an instruction to automatically clear your funds using the same BOP code each time.

Kindly refer to your Relationship Banker / Manager or your Dedicated Service Consultant.

• Account type: It is recommended that you use a current / savings account to receive international payments. We don’t recommend using a vehicle loan, home loan or credit card account.
• Standard Bank’s SWIFT address: SBZAZAJJ.
• Branch/sort code: 051001. If this information is requested, please advise the sender to ensure that the branch code is not provided in the same field as your account number. 
• Account number: Provide your Standard Bank current / savings account number.

You cannot use Internet Banking to accept incoming international payments into foreign currency accounts. 

Kindly refer to your Relationship Banker / Manager or your Dedicated Service Consultant.

If you received money incorrectly, or the currency or amount is incorrect, you will be able to return the funds to the sender. If you would like to return a payment,  Standard Bank will charge fees to send the money back. These fees will be deducted from the amount sent. Your account will not be charged any fees.

You will be able to view information about your past incoming international payments for 60 days. Simply sign into Internet Banking and click on “Transact” on the menu. Select “Incoming international payments” under the “History” tab.

You will be shown a value date or ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) on the channel when processing your transaction, which will consider things like weekends and public holidays. You will typically receive your funds within 1 business day after submission.

When the foreign exchange markets are closed over weekends, transactions over a certain amount aren’t allowed to be submitted. If you have a large transaction that is being limited, please submit your transaction again during business hours.

Your/your business’ identification information needs to be complete and correct to use this feature. Should your information be incomplete or incorrect, please contact your relationship manager or visit your nearest branch with your identity documents.

Kindly refer to your Relationship Banker / Manager or your Dedicated Service Consultant.

If a business is registered for permissions manager, they will be blocked from using this feature. Kindly refer to your Relationship Banker / Manager or your Dedicated Service Consultant.