Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has announced a strategic partnership with Wise Platform in a bid to overhaul the cross-border payments experience for its personal and business customers across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
Raiffeisen cross-border payments
The collaboration aims to deliver a more seamless, transparent, and cost-effective international payments service by integrating Wise’s infrastructure directly into Raiffeisen’s existing banking platform.
Operating as a universal bank in 11 CEE markets, RBI is well-positioned to scale this initiative across a diverse and digitally engaged customer base.
Through this integration, users will be able to initiate international payments directly from their Raiffeisen accounts, bypassing traditional correspondent banking inefficiencies.
Wise Platform brings proven technological capability to the partnership.
According to the firm, 65% of transfers processed through its network settle in under 20 seconds, and 95% within 24 hours.
This speed is paired with greater fee transparency and currency conversion at mid-market rates — attributes that are increasingly demanded by consumers and businesses alike.
“In the past few years, we have seen growing customer demand and rising expectations for seamless international payments,” said Matthias Dekan, Head of Payments & Daily Banking at RBI.
“Our collaboration with Wise Platform will allow us to meet these expectations with a significantly improved offering.”
The partnership also reflects a broader trend among established banks looking to modernise their payment infrastructure through collaboration rather than in-house development.
By partnering with Wise — whose platform is underpinned by more than 70 licences and six direct connections to global payment networks — Raiffeisen joins a growing cohort of institutions prioritising speed, transparency, and customer experience in their cross-border services.
Steve Naudé, Global Managing Director at Wise Platform, welcomed the announcement: “Raiffeisen’s decision signals a clear commitment to delivering world-class payment solutions.
Together, we’re enabling faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments across the region.”
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