Italy’s business economy is built on the strength of its SMEs — and an increasing number of those businesses, from manufacturing to fashion to software, work with contractors and suppliers across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Making international payments from Italy, however, has long meant dealing with slow SWIFT wires, high bank fees, and opaque exchange rates.
Remitly Business is now available in Italy, giving Italian businesses a faster and more transparent way to pay international contractors and suppliers directly from their existing Italian EUR account.
Who typically pays international contractors from Italy?
The use cases are broad — but there are a few that come up most frequently for Italian businesses:
Fashion and retail: paying overseas fabric suppliers and production contractors
Italy’s fashion industry routinely works with contractors and production partners in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan), Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. These payments typically involve invoices in local currency, with regular payment cycles tied to production schedules.
Tech and digital agencies: paying freelance developers and designers
Milan and Rome have a growing tech and creative sector. Digital agencies and SaaS businesses often work with freelance developers and designers in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania, Poland), India, and Latin America.
Manufacturing: paying overseas technical service contractors
Italian manufacturers working on internationalisation or with overseas machinery agents often need to make one-off or periodic service payments to non-EU contractors.
The cost problem with Italian bank international transfers
Italian business bank accounts are among the most fee-heavy in Europe for international transfers. A standard SWIFT transfer from an Italian bank account typically incurs:
- A flat sending fee of up to €10–40+ per transaction*
- A currency exchange margin of potentially 2–3% above the “interbank” rate*
- Potential correspondent bank fees deducted from the transfer, reducing what the recipient actually receives
For businesses making ten or more international contractor payments a month, that’s a significant and largely avoidable overhead.
How Remitly Business works for Italian companies
- Send from your existing Italian EUR business account — no new bank account needed
- 175+ destination countries and 100+ currencies
- One transparent fee shown before you send — no correspondent bank deductions
- Fast delivery: most transfers arrive within minutes to a few hours
- 24/7 support in Italian and 17 other languages
Key corridors for Italian businesses
| Destination | Currency | Common use case for Italian businesses |
| India | INR | IT contractors, textile/fabric suppliers, back-office services |
| Bangladesh | BDT | Garment and production contractors |
| Philippines | PHP | Virtual assistants, BPO, admin contractors |
| Nigeria | NGN | Digital marketing, content, developer contractors |
| Romania | RON | Software developers, engineering contractors |
| Mexico | MXN | Digital agencies, content production |
Step-by-step: paying an international contractor from Italy
- Create your free Remitly Business account at remitly.com/it/en/business. You’ll need your business email, Partita IVA (Italian VAT number), and company registration details.
- Add your recipient and enter their bank account details.
- Enter the EUR amount. You’ll see the transfer fee and the exact local currency amount your contractor receives before you confirm.
- Send.
| 💡 For Italian businesses: payments to non-EU contractors for services performed outside Italy are generally not subject to Italian withholding tax, but you should retain the contractor invoice and Remitly Business transaction records for your commercialista (accountant). If in doubt, consult your accountant for guidance on your specific situation. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Remitly Business available to businesses based in Italy?
Yes. Remitly Business launched in Italy in July 2026. Select Italy as your send country when signing up.
Can I pay fabric suppliers and production contractors in Asia from Italy?
Yes. Remitly Business supports payments to India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and many other Asian destinations — all from your Italian EUR account, with fees shown upfront.
How is this different from a standard Italian bank wire?
The main differences are cost (Remitly Business charges a single transparent fee rather than layering flat fees and exchange rate margins), speed (most transfers arrive the same day rather than 3–5 business days), and visibility (you see the exact fee and receive amount before you confirm, not after).
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🚀 Pay international contractors and suppliers from Italy — set up for free
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From EUR to 100+ currencies. No monthly fees. Faster than your bank.
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- Wise Italia, “Intesa Sanpaolo bonifico estero: Costo e commissioni” — https://wise.com/it/blog/bonifico-estero-intesa-san-paolo
- Monito, “Bonifico Estero con UniCredit: costi, limiti e tempi di accredito” — https://www.monito.com/it/wiki/bonifico-estero-unicredit
- Areasosta, “Come fare un bonifico estero con Intesa Sanpaolo?” — https://areasosta.com/faq/come-fare-un-bonifico-estero-con-intesa-sanpaolo
- Corpay, “Wire Transfer Fees: What They Cost and How Businesses Cut Them (2026)” — https://www.corpay.com/resources/blog/wire-transfer-fees
- Moneytransfer.store, “International Wire Transfer Fees in 2026” — https://www.moneytransfer.store/guides/international-wire-transfer-fees
The data on flat fees refers to the rates charged by Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit. The data on the exchange rate margin (2-3%) reflects international industry averages, not necessarily specific to the Italian banks cited.
