---

Ally Bank is a US based digital bank which offers a full range of checking and savings products, as well as mortgages, loans and investment options.  You’ll be able to open an account online and manage your money from your computer or smartphone. There are no Ally branches, so all customer service and support is provided in app, by email and by phone.

It’s important to know that Ally Bank doesn't offer international wire transfers, but more of that later. This guide also walks through other options, as well as an alternative way to send international payments through Wise and the Wise multi-currency account. Let’s dive right in.

Can you make an international wire transfer with Ally Bank?

It is not possible to make an international wire transfer with Ally Bank. 

However, depending on the account type you hold, you may be able to receive incoming international payments into your account. In this case, there is no fee from Ally Bank - but you might find there are other charges involved in the process, including intermediary costs. More on that later.

If you need a smart alternative for sending international payments, which has all the online convenience of Ally Bank, check out Wise. International payments use the mid-market exchange rate with no markup, and you can receive payments fee free in a range of currencies using your free online Wise account.

A cheap and transparent alternative: Wise 

You can’t send money overseas using Ally Bank. But you can still arrange an international payment online or using a convenient and intuitive app, thanks to Wise.

Wise payments use the mid-market exchange rate with no markup. You’ll only ever pay  a simple, transparent fee per transaction. This is different to many banks and service providers which choose to add an extra charge into the exchange rate they offer customers, pushing up prices. You can see how the costs of using Wise stack up against a range of major traditional banks and currency services, over on the Wise website.

If you send and receive payments internationally, you could also benefit from a free online Wise multi-currency account. You can hold dozens of different currencies and send and spend money all over the world. You’ll have your own local bank details to receive payments for free in major currencies like British pounds, euros, Australian and New Zealand dollars - handy if you’re getting paid from abroad or live and work between countries. 

All Wise multi-currency accounts come with a linked Mastercard debit card, so you can pay easily and make fast local cash withdrawals at home and abroad.

Fees for receiving an international transfer with Ally Bank

Although you can’t send money to someone overseas with Ally Bank, you might still be able to receive a payment.

There's no Ally Bank fee for receiving an international, but the bank warns of potential intermediary fees due to the way payments are processed.

Ally Bank receiving limits

You can receive payments into the following Ally Bank accounts:

• Online Savings Account
• Money Market Account
• NOW Account
• Interest Checking Account
• CMG Accounts

You can’t receive payments to a certificate of deposit.

There are some limits to the amount of deposit you can make to different account types, which may vary according to the account type and the deposit method. For example, for Online Savings Accounts there are no overarching limits to the amounts you can pay in, if you’re using mailed in physical checks. However, if you want to deposit via echeck you’ll find a daily and monthly limit - and cash payments aren’t accepted at all. Check out the full terms for your specific account to be sure.

Ally Bank exchange rate

If you’re expecting an international payment, it’s important to know the exchange rate that will be used when it’s converted to USD and deposited into your Ally Bank account. That rate might be set by the sender’s bank, an intermediary, or Ally Bank, depending on how the payment is arranged. Ask your sender to confirm the rate that’s being used - and compare it against the mid-market exchange rate to see if it’s a good deal.

The mid-market rate is the one banks and international payment services get when they trade currency on the global markets - and the one you’ll see if you use a simple Google search. However, it’s not always the rate that’s passed on to retail customers. Instead, banks and service providers often add a markup or margin. That’s an extra fee, but it’s hard to spot and can mean you get less than you’re expecting. 

You could ask your sender to arrange your payment through a mid-market rate provider like Wise if you’re not happy with the exchange rate being offered by their bank.

Ally Bank contact - How to get in touch with the bank?

If you have questions about how to send or receive payments through your Ally Bank account, you can talk to the service team for advice. Here are your key options:

• Contact the Ally Bank helpdesk by logging into your account and using the chat function in the app
• Ally Bank Phone number: 1-877-247-2559
• Log in to use Ally Bank’s secure email service
• Ally Bank mailing address: Ally Bank Customer Care, P.O. Box 951, Horsham, PA 19044

Ally Bank offers a broad range of digital banking services - but you can’t currently send a payment from Ally Bank to an account hold overseas. For this you’ll need an alternative solution like Wise. Use Wise to send simple, low cost international transfers, or get yourself a free Wise multi-currency account to send, receive and hold multiple currencies all in one place.