Much too often, businesses in the EU like internet providers, phone companies or even banks refuse to accept your IBAN because they claim you need an IBAN from a certain country - usually the country they themselves are based in. This is illegal. And we want to put an end to it. So, Wise has partnered with other leading fintech companies to bring this issue to the attention of policymakers. Our friends at Revolut, N26, Raisin, SumUp and Klarna have joined the fight.
IBAN discrimination has been against the law for 7 (seven!) years, and itâs still something lots of people - and especially those living international lives - face way too often.
Late 2020, we sent this letter to the European Commission. Weâre asking them to take action against countries, where the issue is commonplace. For example, we know the issue is particularly rampant in Spain and France.
We know problems donât miraculously solve themselves. Thatâs why we launched acceptmyiban.org. Itâs an easy way for anyone to report IBAN discrimination regardless of who they pay with. Whether you bank with HSBC, have an account at Revolut or use our international banking app, you can add your case of IBAN discrimination on acceptmyiban.org. Whenever a company doesnât accept your IBAN, donât just take no for an answer. Report it, so we can stop it.
All cases of IBAN discrimination reported on acceptmyiban.org will be passed on to the relevant authorities, so you donât have to go through the hassle of finding the right complaints body. The more cases we report together, the more countries will be forced to act.