Santander transfer limits [2025]

Santander is an American bank primarily serving the northeastern US. If you have a Santander account and need to send money to a loved one or make a purchase, you'll likely wonder about Santander transfer limits before moving your funds.

So, exactly how much money can you send with Santander? Can you make a large payment? The standard daily limit for external transfers is 5,000 USD per business day and 20,000 USD per calendar month.¹

However, there's more that you need to know about transferring money with Santander. Let’s dive in!

We'll also introduce Wise — your international money transfer alternative. Use Wise to send stress-free transfers to over 140 countries - all at the standard mid-market exchange rate.

Learn more 🔎

Santander transfer limits overview

Santander offers different transfer limits depending on where you're sending your money. Internal transfers between your own Santander accounts have much higher limits than external transfers to other banks.

Your Santander bank transfer limit can also "change at any time," according to the bank's Digital Banking Agreement.¹

This means that these limits aren't guaranteed, and your account balance, banking history, and Santander's security protocols can all influence how much you can send.

If you are a Private Client or have a business account with Santander, you might get higher limits. However, Santander doesn't list these transfer limits on their website, so you'll need to get in touch with them to find out.

If you need to send money internationally, you may also be able to use an international wire transfer, which can have higher limits. But you'll need to verify that this service is available to you first.

What is Santander’s monthly transfer limit?

Santander's monthly limit is 20,000 USD per calendar month.¹

This means you can send up to 20,000 USD total to other banks from the first day of the month until the last day.

What is Santander’s daily transfer limit?

You can transfer up to 5,000 USD per business day to other banks.¹

But remember, your daily transfers still count toward your monthly 20,000 USD limit. So if you send 5,000 USD every business day, you'll hit your monthly limit pretty quickly.

Santander international transfer limits

The limits we talked about are for ACH transfers, which mostly work within the US. For international transfers, Santander offers wire payments.

Santander wire transfer limits may be higher than ACH limits.

If you're a business client, you may be able to send a wire through Santander's Business Online Banking and Business Banking App.² You might also be able to send international wire transfers if you visit a branch in person as a personal checking client.³

However, Santander doesn't give clear information about international transfer limits on their website.

If you need to send money overseas, you might want to consider a more transparent alternative or get in touch with Santander to get more information from them directly.

Send high amount, low cost international transfers with Wise

A smart option if you’re sending money overseas: meet Wise.

Over 50% of Wise payments arrive instantly* — and all Wise transfers are deposited directly into your recipient's bank account for convenience.

No ongoing fees, no hidden charges and no hassle — just fast, transparent international transfers that can beat the banks.

🚀Get started with high amount transfers

*Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.

How can you check your Santander transfer limits?

You can assume that the standard limits are 5,000 USD per business day and 20,000 USD per calendar month.¹ But Santander doesn't explain exactly how to check how much of your limit you've already used.

It's likely an internal review process where the system automatically stops you from sending more than your limit. Santander can also change your specific limits if they think it's reasonable to do so.¹

Can you increase your transfer limits at Santander?

Your best bet is to contact Santander directly. You might be able to send larger amounts if you visit a branch in person and speak with a banker.

What are Santander's transfer fees and charges?

ACH transfers are usually free or low-cost at most banks, but you might pay extra for faster processing or special features.

Here's what to expect from transfer fees for wire transfers at Santander:

The currency exchange rate markup is an extra cost that's practically hidden in the exchange rate.

When Santander converts your USD to another currency, like EUR or MXN, they use a rate that's worse than the mid-market exchange rate you see on Google. You lose more money on your transfer, and the difference goes to Santander as profit.

Things to keep in mind when transferring high amounts

Santander likely isn't the best option for transferring large amounts of money.

The 20,000 USD monthly limit might not be enough if you need to send bigger amounts. Wire transfers may have higher limits, but the fees and poor exchange rates can still really add up.

Many other banks and money transfer services have similar problems. They charge high fees and use bad exchange rates that cost you hundreds or even thousands of USD extra on large transfers.

Before committing to Santander, it's important to investigate if there are any other, better options out there.

🚀 Get started with Wise

Sources

1. Santander - Digital Banking Agreement
2. Santander - Checking & Savings Resources
3. Santander - Frequently Asked Questions
4. Santander - Personal Deposit Account Fee Schedule
5. Santander - Foreign Exchange Disclosure Notice