Two quotes for the same payment
Your supplier needs 70,000 units of its invoice currency. In the comparison below, Quote A requires about $8.04 less funding, even though it has a transfer fee.
That conclusion holds only for the stated assumptions and the same amount reaching the supplier. These are hypothetical rates and fees, not market rates or a provider recommendation.
- Quote A: 7.00 currency units per US dollar, plus a $35 transfer fee. You need $10,035.
- Quote B: 6.97 units per dollar, with no transfer fee. You need approximately $10,043.04.
Give each provider the same instruction
Comparing a $10,000 transfer with an instruction to deliver exactly 70,000 foreign-currency units can produce a misleading answer. Write down the invoice currency, amount due, beneficiary country and payment date before requesting quotes.
Ask for the total funding amount, the conversion rate and which way it is quoted. Then check the transfer charge, any known intermediary or beneficiary deductions, and the quote expiry. If a deduction has not been confirmed, leave it marked as unknown. Entering zero would make the offer look more certain than it is.
Use a rate you can actually transact at
A published reference helps you assess a quote, but it is not the price a provider has agreed to execute. The ECB describes its reference rates as informational and discourages their use for transactions. Base the payment decision on an executable quote with a stated expiry.
Check what arrived
Once the payment settles, compare the actual debit with the supplier’s confirmed receipt. For an eligible Swift payment, ask your bank what tracking and fee information it can provide.
File the quote, payment reference and receipt confirmation together. When the next invoice arrives, you will have a record of the amount funded and the amount delivered, including any difference you still need the provider to explain.