World First Review - Money Transfer Costs and FXcompared’s rating

WorldFirst Transfer Fees and Costs

WorldFirst offers four distinct currency transfer services for individuals based on the customer’s preferred timing of the transaction.

The ‘buy now, pay now’ product is for customers who wish to make an international payment immediately. WorldFirst searches for the best rate on the current market (referred to as its ‘price promise’) and offers this rate to the customer.

The ‘buy now, pay later’ option is a forward contract for customers who wish to lock in a specific exchange rate but don’t want to make the transfer immediately. WorldFirst offers a rate lock for up to three years in advance. To initiate this type of transaction, customers need to pay a deposit up-front, with the balance due at the end of the contract. If the exchange rate moves, customers may be required to pay more to keep their deposit amount at the agreed-upon level.

For customers who need to make regular currency transactions, WorldFirst offers the ability to automate international payments on a schedule. Customers can set up a payment plan and choose between converting the payment at the exchange rate offered on the payment date or can lock in a rate ahead of time.

WorldFirst also offers a ‘best of both’ currency option, which allows customers to lock in a rate ahead of time but permits them to change it if the exchange rate moves when it’s time to make the transaction.

Usability

WorldFirst’s website is straight forward to use and fairly self-explanatory. Being able to stay logged in is helpful, but first-time users will be required to sign up. This is similar to many other websites on the internet. First, the website requires users to create a login that consists of an email address and password.

Then all the customer need do is follow the steps to ‘build their account’. This is simple enough and mostly involves pairing the user’s WorldFirst account with their bank or other revenue source. Anyone who has ever used PayPal or a similar service will instantly be at home using WorldFirst — the principle is the same.

Mobile product

Accessing the WorldFirst website on your mobile phone offers the same features as if you were accessing the site on your laptop or desktop computer. However, for ease of use, WorldFirst also has an intuitive app for on-the-go transfers.

WorldFirst’s app includes functions such as a payment tracker, live rates, pay by card functionality and provides market updates to keep the user up to speed with the latest international news developments. The app is also compatible with Android smartwatches, whereby WorldFirst notes that a payment can be conducted in only five taps or three swipes.

At the time of writing, WorldFirst’s app has a rating of 2.8/5 on Google Play store and a rating of only 1/5 on Apple’s App Store (based on a single user rating).

Trustworthiness & Reliability

WorldFirst was formed in April 2004. By the end of its first year, it had booked £43m in currency trades.

By October of 2005, the company reached £100m in transactions and had expanded to eight employees.

In 2006, WorldFirst launched its corporate desk and hired Sir David Clementi, former Deputy Head of the Bank of England, to serve as Senior Advisor. The following year the firm reached £1bn in currency transactions and, in 2008, the firm was the first UK-based foreign exchange broker to be granted approval by the FSA to sell currency options. The second WorldFirst office opened in Sydney, Australia.

In 2009, WorldFirst reached £2bn in currency transactions and launched its automated payments product. The company was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. It finished the year by being authorised as a Payments Institution, and was ranked in the 53rd spot in the Sunday London Times Virgin Fast Track list.

At the start of 2010, the company was named one of the London Sunday Times’ ‘Best Companies to Work For’, and launched its online platform. During the year the company also won the Service Business of the Year award (part of the Fast Growth Business Awards) and was named a finalist in the National Business Awards for Customer Focus.

By April of 2011, the company’s currency transactions had grown to £5bn and it was once again named as one of the London Times’ ‘Best Companies to Work For’. It continued to expand, opening US offices in 2012 in Washington, DC, and was awarded the National Business Award for Customer Focus.

In 2013, the company’s Singapore office opened, and it grew to 200 employees by year-end. By 2014, the number of WorldFirst employees had grown to 300 and the company opened its second Asian office, in Hong Kong. In September of 2014, the company completed its one-millionth transaction. In 2019, it had transferred over £70bn.

WorldFirst is regulated around the globe including by the FCA, FinTRAC and ASIC.

Business product offering

The points above are added to calculate the "Business Product offering" score.

WorldFirst’s website segregates itself into two sections — one for business customers and another for personal customers. Each is dealt with by a different team of WorldFirst account managers. Personal and business customers alike are all provided with an individual account manager. However, the support and services offered may differ from client to client.

For business customers, the company notes the following services:

·        Free overseas accounts in up to 10 different currencies.

·        The ability to collect, hold and make payments globally in over 180 currencies.

·        Fixed, transparent pricing across spot & forward contracts, firm orders and bulk payments.

·        Dedicated, award-winning customer-service 24/7.

For personal customers:

·        Free same-day account opening.

·        Payments in over 180 currencies.

·        Same day international payments with no payment fees.

·        The possibility to save up to 85% on FX pricing.

WorldFirst business customers can transfer money worldwide using either the ‘buy now, pay now,’ or ‘buy now, pay later’ options, or create a customised approach that factors in the company’s currency risk appetite and specific currency transfer needs.

Business customers are also provided with current rate information and research, and economic commentary to help them make the best money transfer decision for their business.

As of February 2017, WorldFirst stopped offering FX options contracts to clients.

WorldFirst Products for Marketplace Sellers and the WorldFirst World Account

WorldFirst is one of the leading providers of products for companies who sell on marketplaces such as Amazon. The WorldFirst World . Account is a multicurrency account available in GBP, EUR, USD, CAD, CNH, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD & AUD.

Product Coverage & Service

An exhaustive list of countries that WorldFirst covers has not been made available at the time of writing. However, the company appears to have one of the strongest networks in the industry. This implies that it covers a wide range of currencies and more than many of its competitors.

On top of catering for personal and business customers, WorldFirst provides several additional or complementary services for its customers, including the following:

• Spot contracts — these are the rates offered if a customer should need to transfer money straightaway.
• Forward contracts — these can lock in an exchange rate, but transfer the money in the future. This is ideal if the customer wants to get a good exchange rate at that moment but may wish to transfer later.
• Live exchange rates — WorldFirst provides continually updated interbank exchange rates between currency pairs.
• Currency converter calculation — WorldFirst provides online currency conversion calculations based on the interbank rate.
• Rate alerts — allows a customer to sign up for rate alerts for when WorldFirst’s exchange rates meet a particular target.
• Receiving accounts — WorldFirst provides receiving accounts in many different currencies.

The minimum transfer amount is £1,000. There is no maximum amount for WorldFirst. Customers can set up fixed regular payments, which lock in a favourable exchange rate for a series of payments and can provide protection against currency rate fluctuations.

WorldFirst offers what’s known as a ‘price promise’. This demonstrates its confidence in offering the best exchange rates on the market. This means that should a customer receive a better quote from a competitor, WorldFirst will strive to match or beat it.

In order to take advantage, a customer would first need to register with WorldFirst and the other provider, get the quote (which must be for the same amount and currency pair), then submit it to WorldFirst within three hours. This is the only way to qualify for a price match.

Customer Feedback & Satisfaction

Generally, customer reviews cited WorldFirst’s website, mobile app, and dedicated dealer service as reasons for choosing WorldFirst to send money internationally. Most reviewers praised the company’s helpful support staff and experienced dealers for making the transaction smooth and less stressful. It was difficult to find any negative reviews regarding the company’s ability to make overseas transactions easier and less of a hassle for customers. Overall, WorldFirst customers gave the company positive ratings for the ease of submitting money transfer orders and for being able to track their transactions.

WorldFirst’s market-timing options are well-received and well-liked by customers. Almost all reviews for the company’s ability to execute transactions to the customer’s satisfaction were positive. WorldFirst offers numerous hedging strategies and futures contracts, as well as an experienced and knowledgeable trading team available to help customers — the reviews reflected this. Customers liked the amount of options available for a transaction, as well as having access to a dedicated dealer to advise them throughout the process.

Most customer reviews were positive for WorldFirst’s ability to secure favourable exchange rates for customer transactions, as well as for the fees charged per transaction. The company has a price guarantee in place that was mentioned in several reviews, as well as offering no-fee transactions in the UK. Feefo and ReviewCentre customer reviews were more than 95% positive in regards to the company’s fee structure and the exchange rate they received.

WorldFirst received overall positive reviews for its global reach and the amount of currencies available (over 100). The company offers translations in multiple languages and receives high marks from customers for its global presence, with offices in the UK, US, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

WorldFirst’s website, its account set-up process, and its mobile app all received positive customer reviews. There were no negative reviews for the company’s online account set-up process or for the company’s mobile app. Several commenters mentioned liking the ability to send and receive money through the app.

Reviews for WorldFirst’s customer service and support staff were overall favourable, with a few negative reviews mentioning difficulty contacting a dedicated dealer or receiving an exchange rate that wasn’t as good as they expected. Most reviewers, however, were pleased with the level of customer service they received from WorldFirst, and several described situations where a dealer spent significant time explaining their options, walking them through the possibilities, and providing support each step of the way. Several reviewers mentioned the dedicated customer support they received while making a large international home purchase, and how the dealer and customer service staff were always available to answer questions.

WorldFirst distinguishes itself from competitors by offering additional products and services that many currency firms do not. The company receives high ratings from customers for its mobile app, which allows customers to track, send, and receive money on the go. The firm also helps merchants and online sellers receive international payments by setting up international bank accounts for them. This is a service few currency firms provide, and is much appreciated by its corporate customers. WorldFirst also offers a suite of sophisticated hedging options, including convertible forwards, market orders, a rate watch feature, and protection options. The company’s dedicated currency dealers are available to help customers choose the best option for their needs.

WorldFirst has a large amount of customer reviews spread across review sites, including Feefo, TrustPilot, and ReviewCentre. Overall, the majority of the reviews are positive, with approximately 98% of Feefo customer reviews citing a positive experience, and 95% positive reviews on ReviewCentre. However, there have been more recent negative reviews on TrustPilot’s site, with many customers describing a poor exchange rate or issues with documentation.

The positive reviews described an easy sign-up process using the company’s website, the helpfulness of having dedicated currency dealers, helpful customer service and support staff, excellent exchange rates, and satisfaction with prompt executions and funds delivery. Some reviewers were extremely happy that they were able to save large amounts of money by using WorldFirst to transfer funds instead of going through a bank.

With regards to onboarding, TrustPilot includes a recent five-star review from a business customer who praises the company’s telephone team and the ease of their initial transaction following the initial application. The customer notes a total transaction saving of 2.5% compared to their high street bank.

Negative customer reviews covered a range of issues, from transactions being delayed due to poor execution or mismanagement on the part of a WorldFirst currency dealer, to receiving an exchange rate that was poorer than what the customer had been offered by their bank. Some of the negative reviews were for aspects that were beyond WorldFirst’s ability to control. These included additional fees charged by a recipient’s bank, a slow transfer due to country regulations that had nothing to do with WorldFirst, and additional documentation requirements which, again, were beyond WorldFirst’s ability to control. Lastly, one reviewer claimed their funds were not received on the day expected because of a bank holiday. While several of the negative reviews did seem valid, others blamed WorldFirst for circumstances that were beyond the company’s control.

Customer Help & Assistance

WorldFirst’s online FAQ section is segregated into sections for general queries, payments, its online business platform and an online sellers FAQ. Each section is selectable from the FAQ’s menu, with the answer to each question expandable and collapsible when clicked upon. Although the FAQ is easily navigable, there is no search function provided.

A browse on WorldFirst’s ‘contact’ page reveals no option for live chat. Instead, the support options here include email, telephone and the option to request a call back. In each case, the contact options are categorised for online sellers, and personal and business customers. In each case, the contact channels are open to new and existing clients.

WorldFirst makes its website available for the following countries, in their native languages — China, Japan, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the UK. WorldFirst is contactable according to the opening hours of each location, which vary depending on the worldwide branch.

Pricing Transparency

Getting a quote without registering is problematic due to what’s involved but sign up is free, and the company keeps all customer details secure and private. The company is fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK and by its equivalents abroad.

WorldFirst charges a standard fee of $10 for transfers of $10,000 or less. It does not charge any fee for transfers over $10,000. It also provides variable pricing for businesses (between $0 and $10 per transaction) depending on how much money is sent.

WorldFirst’s exchange rates are around 1% below the standard rate a bank would charge, which is typically around 4%. This is low but not as low as some of its competitors.

Whether for business or personal customer, WorldFirst makes its fee guidelines easily accessible from its homepage.

In order to access WorldFirst’s available rates, an online account is required. However, the company does provide the opportunity to view live exchange rates, accurate to the hour. However, these rates do not incorporate WorldFirst’s currency rates.