International B2B payments in the Netherlands: How to pay companies abroad

Key takeaways

• There are many ways to pay companies abroad, including SEPA Instant, SWIFT, cards, and local rails.

• Most B2Bs still use legacy banks to make transfers and struggle with slow settlement speeds, unnecessarily high FX rates, and a lack of visibility over the process.

• Airwallex offers local banking details for the countries you operate in so you can send, receive, and hold foreign currencies via low-cost local payment rails.

Dutch businesses operate across borders every day, yet the payment infrastructure most rely on hasn’t kept pace. Different payment methods operate on different timelines and cost structures, and small variations can complicate cash flow, planning, and supplier management.

This guide breaks down how most Dutch businesses manage international B2B payments today, where friction creeps in, and what practical steps — from smarter use of payment rails to better currency management — can make global B2B payments faster, cheaper, and easier to plan for.

International B2B payment methods in the Netherlands

From bank transfers to cards to newer fintech platforms, there’s no shortage of ways to move money outside of the Netherlands. Each option sits on different payment rails, which determine how quickly, transparently, and cost-effectively funds move. 

Let’s look at how the main methods stack up for B2B use.

SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Instant

For euro-denominated payments within the EU, SEPA remains the default. SEPA Credit Transfer supports cross-border payments across the Eurozone with low fees and predictable settlement times, while SEPA Instant – fast becoming the standard for domestic transfers – processes payments in seconds¹.

It’s ideal for businesses trading primarily in euros. But, once a counterparty asks to be paid in USD, GBP or another currency, SEPA’s advantages end.

SWIFT international transfers

Outside the EU, most payments flow through the SWIFT network – the global messaging system used by banks to send non-EUR funds². Dutch businesses usually initiate these payments directly through their bank portals, and the funds are routed through one or more global partners to reach the destination.

The advantage is reach: SWIFT connects nearly every major financial institution worldwide. The drawback is speed and transparency. Settlement can take several days, with intermediary fees deducted mid-route, and FX rates are often 2–4% above interbank rates.

Cards

Corporate cards aren’t commonly used for large transactions, but can be useful for smaller spends like SaaS subscriptions, ad campaigns, travel, and vendor services. They’re fast and convenient, but expensive for international use: card networks apply FX fees and merchants absorb processing costs of 2.5 - 4% or more. 

Fintech payment platforms

Fintech platforms like Airwallex offer customers access to multiple payment rails – SEPA, SWIFT, and local clearing systems like ACH in the US or Faster Payments in the UK – in one place. If you use local payment rails, suppliers receive funds as if it were a domestic transfer, and you often bypass unnecessary fees.

For finance teams, these platforms simplify operations: fewer intermediaries, transparent (and usually lower) fees, and faster reconciliation.

If you’re curious about how these methods fit into the wider global payments landscape, check out our cross-border payments guide for Dutch businesses. 

How Dutch companies typically send and receive B2B payments globally

Most Dutch businesses still route international payments through legacy banks – typically ING, Rabobank, or ABN AMRO. It’s a familiar system that has worked well for years, especially within the Eurozone. 

SEPA Credit Transfer and, increasingly, SEPA Instant, keep euro payments fast, cost-effective, and reliable.

But, once you’re paying a supplier beyond Europe, the rails change, and things get trickier. 

Non-EUR transfers are usually sent via the bank’s correspondent network using SWIFT. Funds travel through one or more partner banks before reaching the recipient, with value dates, deductions, and FX spreads introduced along the way. 

Settlement typically spans three to five business days, and finance teams often can’t predict exactly how much will reach the supplier until it does. This friction also shows up downstream – non-EUR receipts are auto-converted to euros, invoices get lost in emails, and finance teams are left matching statement lines across platforms.

It's no wonder an increasing number of Dutch businesses are modernising their payment processes with innovative fintech platforms like Airwallex. Access to local payment rails, market-leading FX rates, and collection tools like payment links are popular with ambitious, time-poor leaders.

Key challenges Dutch businesses face with cross-border B2B payments

Now you know the most popular ways of moving money outside the Netherlands. But, how do you know if it’s worth changing your processes?

If you’re coming up against one of the five challenges below, it might be worth considering an alternative option.

• FX markups and hidden costs: Cost is one of the most frustrating aspects of moving money across borders. Banks often charge 2–4% above interbank rates for FX, and may also add flat transfer fees. If you’re using SWIFT, intermediary banks can deduct another €10–€40 mid-route, leaving suppliers short and costs unpredictable³.

• Speed: Methods that rely on correspondent banking, typically through the SWIFT network, often take up to five business days end-to-end. Differences in time zones, compliance checks, and FX processing can further extend timelines. Your finance team might need to build extra buffer time into cash forecasts.

• Poor visibility and reconciliation: Cross-border transfers can arrive net of fees with remittance data missing and value dates that don’t align. Missing invoice references and FX gains and losses split across lines are additional common problems. And if you’re sending or receiving through your bank, chances are you’ve got unmatched entries sitting in a suspense account until your team manually reconciles them against your ERP or accounting system.

• Compliance issues: AML and KYC checks are essential but rarely streamlined. Larger or unusual payments can trigger duplicate screening across the entire banking chain, delaying even compliant payments.

• Forced conversions: Let’s imagine you’re paying a US supplier. You convert your euros to USD before sending them. A week later, you receive USD from an American client, but because your account is in EUR, your bank converts the funds to euros. You’ve just paid to convert currency twice, when you could’ve held the USD and used it to pay your US supplier next month. Over time, these invisible conversions chip away at your margin.

How you can optimise international B2B payments as a Dutch business

Instead of trying to find a faster bank transfer, consider how money moves through your business. Most Dutch finance teams can unlock speed and savings by focusing on a few practical levers: the rails they use, the currencies they hold, and the manual steps in the process.

Choose rails that avoid unnecessary intermediaries

Most delays happen because payments bounce through multiple correspondent banks, each adding another layer of red tape. Switching to the local rails mentioned earlier eliminates these. 

• Funds typically settle the same day

• Charges are more transparent

• Reconciliation should align with the value date

Treat currency management as part of your workflow

Many Dutch businesses default to euros for everything, then watch margin leak away in conversion costs. If you’re billing in USD and paying in USD, there’s no reason to let your bank convert funds to EUR. 

• Hold and use currencies when inflows and outflows match

• Avoid costly forced conversions 

• Enjoy flexibility — convert when rates are in your favour 

Remove manual steps from the process

Manual payments eat hours every month and increase the chance of reconciliation issues.

• Use batch uploads for payroll and supplier runs

• Integrate with tools like Exact, NetSuite, or Xero so data moves once, cleanly

• Sync invoices and track real-time payment status to streamline month-end

Key compliance and regulatory considerations for Dutch cross-border payments

Every international transfer sent from the Netherlands is governed by two key frameworks: the EU’s Payment Services Directive (PSD2)⁴, which defines how payments are initiated, authenticated, and processed securely; and the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD)⁵, which dictates how counterparties are verified and monitored. 

You must ensure the providers and systems you use meet these standards – oversight sits with you, not the intermediary. Choosing a provider that automates these processes through digital onboarding and screening will help streamline these checks. 

Supervised by the De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM), Dutch payment institutions must also perform KYC and sanctions screening. Finance teams are required to keep transaction data readily available for audit or VAT review and to respond quickly to any requests for evidence.

Your choice of payment partner is a compliance decision, too. 

Using a licensed Electronic Money Institution (EMI) or Payment Institution (PIs) ensures funds are safeguarded under EU e-money rules. 

How Airwallex helps Dutch businesses move money globally

For many Dutch businesses, global growth outpaces the financial systems built to support it. 

Opening new bank accounts, managing multiple currencies, and tracking FX across subsidiaries can quickly turn into an administrative drain. If you’ve been there, you’ll know how cumbersome it is.

Airwallex is designed to remove that drag — you have one platform for moving, converting, and controlling your money in 130+ currencies.

With local rails in 60+ countries, from SEPA and ACH to Faster Payments, we move your funds through the most efficient corridors available, avoiding the detours and deductions of SWIFT. Your suppliers receive payments faster, you pay lower fees compared with your bank, and your finance team regains visibility.  

To keep your domestic market happy, we also offer seamless iDEAL integration alongside 159+ other local payment methods, so you never have to sacrifice the payment experience your customers expect.

We also offer:

• Multi-currency accounts that let you hold and manage 23+ currencies without conversion

• Transparent and competitive FX rates of interbank + 0.5-1

• Batch transfers so you can pay  up to 1,000 recipients at once, across countries and currencies

• Automated supplier and payroll cycles.  

In a nutshell, Airwallex is financial infrastructure built to scale with you. One that turns international payments from a process to be managed into a capability that drives growth.

FAQs

What’s the fastest way to pay a supplier abroad?

If you’re tired of waiting for SWIFT payments, the fastest route is almost always local payment rails (think: ACH in the US, SEPA in the EU, and Faster Payments in the UK). 

They settle same-day or overnight. Most Dutch banks don’t give you access to these, but modern fintech platforms do.

Why do my international B2B payments always cost more than the invoice amount?

Because traditional banks almost always add fees. It’s often hard to get clear on what these are before you send, but it’s usually a mix of:

• FX markups (often 2–4% above interbank)

• Transfer fees, and

• Deductions from intermediary banks mid-route.

Using a provider that lets you send money via local payment rails should reduce these costs.

Should my business hold foreign currencies rather than converting everything back to euros?

If you’re earning in USD and paying out in USD, for example, it’s probably worth holding some dollars. Holding currencies is one of the easiest ways to stop margin leakage. It avoids forced conversions and can help with predictable cash flow.

Are international B2B payments through fintech platforms as safe as bank transfers?

Short answer: yes. Licensed EMIs and Payment Institutions in the EU have to meet the same compliance standards as banks – PSD2, AMLD etc. Ensure whoever you pick is supervised under DNB/AFM for Dutch operations.

Sources and references

1 https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/what-we-do/sepa-instant-credit-transfer

2 https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/050515/how-swift-system-works.asp

3 https://wise.com/help/articles/3KEJruODkhi59TZbSxO2xn/what-are-swift-correspondent-fees-when-sending-and-receiving-money

4 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/regulation-and-supervision/financial-services-legislation/implementing-and-delegated-acts/payment-services-directive_en

5 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/financial-crime/anti-money-laundering-and-countering-financing-terrorism-eu-level_en