Best Apps to Transfer Money to China for Business in 2026: XTransfer, Wise, Airwallex and More

Sending money to family and paying a Chinese manufacturer are different use cases.

A personal remittance usually needs:

• A supported sending country.
• A verified recipient.
• Identity checks.
• A supported payout method.

A business supplier payment usually needs:

• A business account.
• A commercial invoice or contract.
• The supplier’s registered beneficiary details.
• A supported CNY or foreign-currency payout route.
• Compliance review and payment tracking.

Do not use a consumer remittance app for a commercial invoice unless the provider explicitly confirms that business payments are permitted.

1. Confirm eligibility

Check whether the provider supports:

• Your sending country.
• Your company type.
• A payout to mainland China or Hong Kong.
• Your supplier’s bank account and currency.

2. Confirm the payout route

Ask whether the payment reaches China through:

• Local clearing.
• CIPS.
• SWIFT.
• An internal platform network.

3. Compare landed cost

Use the same amount, currency pair and fee-sharing option for every quote.

Include:

• Transfer fee.
• FX margin.
• Intermediary-bank deductions.
• Receiving-bank charges.
• Final CNY amount received.

4. Check documents

Prepare the commercial invoice, purchase contract, beneficiary details and payment purpose. Banks or providers may request shipping or customs documents.

5. Test the route

For a new supplier or payment route, make a small test payment before sending a large production deposit.

XTransfer is designed for B2B cross-border trade payments involving physical goods. It reports more than 1 million business customers, US$60.5 billion in 2025 payment volume and coverage across 200+ countries and regions.

Local Accounts

A Local Account allows a buyer to fund payments through a local-currency route in a supported market. This can reduce reliance on USD correspondent-bank routing and intermediary fees.

Examples include:

• South Africa: ZAR local collection, supported by XTransfer’s Johannesburg office.
• Ghana: GHS local collection for eligible trade payments.
• Mexico: MXN local collection connected to local payment channels, including SPEI.
• Brazil: BRL local collection, supported by XTransfer’s São Paulo office.
• Malaysia: MYR payments through Malaysian onshore rails, with a Kuala Lumpur regional operations centre.
• Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam: IDR, THB and VND local collection routes, supported by cooperation with KBank.

XTransfer's local-account network covers approximately 60 countries and regions, with typical same-day settlement on supported local routes.

Best for: Importers funding CNY supplier payments in local currency.

Global Accounts

A Global Account is designed to receive, hold, convert and pay in major currencies.

XTransfer states that Global Accounts support 20+ major currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, CNY and SGD. They can be opened online within 24 hours, with no account opening or maintenance fee.

When no local route is available, funds can be received through SWIFT, typically within 1–3 business days.

Best for: Businesses managing multiple currencies and supplier markets.

X2X

X2X enables transfers between eligible XTransfer users.

It may be useful when:

• The buyer and Chinese supplier both use XTransfer.
• Payments are recurring.
• Payment confirmation affects production or shipment.
• The parties want to avoid external bank routing.

XTransfer states that eligible X2X transfers settle near instantly, operate 24/7 and carry zero transaction fees, subject to applicable terms.

Best for: Recurring payments between eligible XTransfer users.

CNY supplier settlement

XTransfer supports CNY payments to eligible supplier accounts in mainland China or Hong Kong. For eligible trade payments, XTransfer handles the bank’s foreign-exchange reporting on the sender’s behalf.

XTransfer charges a maximum fee of about 0.4% for CNY settlement to a Chinese supplier’s designated bank account. Global payouts start from US$2 per transaction.

XTransfer also reports a 98.5% automated review rate and an approximately 0.003% fraud rate for its TradePilot system as of March 31, 2026.

Wise offers app-based international transfers and multi-currency accounts.

Potential advantages

• Exchange rate and fee shown before confirmation.
• CNY business route to eligible mainland-China accounts.
• USD payments to eligible businesses in China.
• Suitable for senders in supported countries.

Limitations

• The recipient must hold a CNY-denominated business account at a CIPS member bank.
• Sender-country exclusions apply.
• The recipient account name must match exactly.
• Wise states its CNY business route usually takes 1–2 working days after conversion.

Best for: Senders in supported countries making one-off or periodic payments to eligible Chinese business accounts.

Airwallex provides global accounts, FX, payouts and payment APIs.

Potential advantages

• Local CNY and SWIFT payout options.
• Multi-currency balances.
• Strong API and finance-team tools.

Limitations

• Local CNY payouts are subject to local regulatory requirements and supported use cases.
• Declarant and order information may be required.
• Confirm the exact China route before relying on it.

Best for: Businesses whose registration country, payment purpose and supplier payout fit the documented route.

WorldFirst supports payments to Chinese suppliers in CNY, CNH or USD, subject to country and product conditions.

Potential advantages

• Supplier and sourcing-platform payment workflows.
• Support for 1688.com and TaoWorld payments.
• Useful for businesses sourcing goods from China.

Limitations

• Availability varies by country and product.
• Currency availability and recipient requirements differ by route.
• Provider-published timing is not a guarantee for every payment.

Best for: Eligible businesses sourcing physical goods from China.

OFX provides international business payments, FX tools and dealer support.

Potential advantages

• 30+ currencies and 180+ countries.
• Batch payments and FX risk management.
• Dealer support for larger transfers.

Limitations

• No dedicated CNY supplier-payment product.
• China route works like a bank transfer and must be confirmed on the quote.

Best for: Businesses with international payment needs and FX risk-management requirements.

Western Union

Western Union may support bank transfers, Alipay, Weixin Pay or cash pickup for eligible personal transfers. It is generally not a business supplier-payment solution.

Remitly

Remitly supports bank deposits, Alipay and Weixin for eligible personal transfers. Pricing and delivery options vary by corridor and promotion.

Xoom

Xoom, a PayPal service, supports bank deposits and transfers to Alipay or WeChat Pay for eligible personal transfers from supported markets.

PayPal

PayPal may work for eligible transactions within its supported business ecosystem, but holding a PayPal account does not automatically mean a business can pay any mainland Chinese bank account directly.

Best for: Personal remittances or online transactions where both parties accept the service.

App	China route	Typical timing	Best for
XTransfer	CNY to eligible supplier accounts in mainland China or Hong Kong	Same day via local clearing; near instant via X2X	Recurring physical-goods trade
Wise Business	CNY to eligible business accounts at CIPS member banks	Usually 1–2 working days	Supported senders paying CNY business accounts
Airwallex	Local CNY or SWIFT payout	0–1 business day local; 0–3 SWIFT	Businesses matching eligible use cases
WorldFirst	CNY, CNH or USD supplier payments	Hours for eligible direct payments	China sourcing and supplier payments
OFX	Business payments; confirm CNY route	Route-specific	FX and higher-value transfers
Western Union	Personal remittance routes	Varies by method	Personal transfers
Remitly	Personal remittance routes	Varies by corridor	Personal transfers
Xoom	Personal remittance routes	Varies by method	Personal transfers
PayPal	Supported PayPal products only	Varies	Online commercial payments

Paying a Chinese manufacturer

Use XTransfer, Wise Business, Airwallex, WorldFirst or OFX, depending on eligibility, CNY account type and documentation.

Paying a supplier that uses XTransfer

Use X2X for eligible near-instant transfers.

Sending money to family

Use a regulated remittance app available in your sending country.

Repatriating marketplace revenue

Use WorldFirst’s “Pay CNY to China” if the recipient is your own same-name China account.

Large first order

Use a bank, potentially with a letter of credit or documentary collection.

Which apps can transfer money to China for business?

Business-oriented options include XTransfer, Wise Business, Airwallex, WorldFirst and OFX, subject to sender-country, currency, recipient and transaction eligibility.

Can I pay a Chinese supplier directly in CNY?

Yes, if the provider supports the route and the account qualifies. XTransfer supports CNY payments to eligible supplier accounts in mainland China or Hong Kong. Wise supports CNY payments to eligible mainland-China business accounts at CIPS member banks.

What is the cheapest way to send money to China for business?

There is no single cheapest app. Compare the transfer fee, FX margin, intermediary deductions and receiving charges, measured by the final amount the supplier receives.

Should I pay in CNY or USD?

Follow the contract. If it is denominated in USD, send USD where supported. Otherwise, confirm that the supplier can receive CNY and compare the conversion cost on both sides.

How long does a transfer to China take?

It depends on the provider, route, currency, bank processing and compliance review. XTransfer local clearing is typically same-day and X2X is near instant. Wise states 1–2 working days for its eligible CNY business route. Bank SWIFT wires often take 1–5 business days.

Why do China-bound payments get delayed or returned?

Common causes include an unsupported sender country or currency, incorrect beneficiary details, an ineligible receiving account, missing documents or an unclear payment purpose.

What is X2X?

X2X is XTransfer’s internal transfer route between eligible XTransfer users. It may provide near-instant, 24/7 settlement with zero transaction fees, subject to applicable terms.

This article is compiled from publicly available sources and interview content for informational purposes only and does not represent the official views of XTransfer. XTransfer accepts no liability for any damages arising from reliance on this content.