The cheapest way to send British pounds to Chinese yuan is usually a specialist transfer provider, not your bank. On a typical £1,000 send, the lowest-cost options keep the total charge near or under 1%, while a UK bank can take 3% or more once the hidden rate markup is counted.
Plenty of people in the UK send money to China, whether to family, for business, or to pay for goods and services, and because China has a well-developed banking system the money almost always lands as a bank deposit. The figures below are modelled estimates, so confirm the final number on the provider's own site before you send.
- For most amounts, a specialist provider beats a UK bank by a wide margin, often cutting the total cost by roughly two-thirds.
- The winner depends on the amount. A provider that is cheapest at £1,000 is not always cheapest at £10,000, so check the modelled table at your size.
- The rate markup matters as much as the fee. A low fee can hide a worse exchange rate, so compare the all-in cost, not the headline number.
- Bank deposit is the norm. China's banking system is well developed, so most transfers land as a bank deposit, though some providers also support Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The cheapest way to send pounds to yuan
Right now, one British pound buys about 9.0792 Chinese yuan at the mid-market rate. Every provider starts from that same baseline and then adds its own charge on top. At a £1,000 send, the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive option is real money, often £20 or more.
On this route, Wise typically lands near 1.11% all-in, about £11.09 on a £1,000 transfer. Because China is well served, you have plenty of choice, from app-based providers to brokers built for larger sums. A typical UK bank sits well above all of them once the rate markup is counted. You can see the full ranked list, and filter it, in our comparison tool.
Sending a larger amount
At £10,000 the ranking can shift. Fixed fees matter less on a big send, so providers that charge a low percentage pull ahead, while any flat fee shrinks to almost nothing. The table below shows the current order at this size.
Two things tend to change as the amount grows. First, a flat fee that looked large at £1,000 becomes trivial at £10,000. Second, a percentage markup that seemed small starts to add up to real money. Compare OFX and transfer specialists that confirm they can deliver CNY to your chosen recipient. Interactive Brokers lists offshore CNH rather than the onshore CNY payout modelled here, so its general currency pricing should not be treated as a quote for this route.
What affects the cost
Four things decide what a transfer actually costs.
- The fee. This is the charge you can see, a flat amount, a percentage, or both. It shows up as a line item before you confirm.
- The markup. This is the cut hidden inside the exchange rate. A provider can advertise a tiny fee and still make most of its money here, which is why the all-in cost is the number to watch. Our markup versus fee guide breaks the two apart.
- The amount. Fixed fees weigh more on small sends. Percentage charges weigh more on large ones. The cheapest option at one size is not always the cheapest at another.
- The provider. Specialists price this route to win your business. Banks price it as a side service, and usually charge more for the comfort of a name you already know.
Who should use what
Use a specialist like Wise if you send money on a regular basis and want the lowest all-in cost into a bank account. Wise prices the pound-to-yuan route to compete, and the modelled table at your amount shows exactly where it lands. For everyday sends, it is hard to beat.
Use a broker like OFX if you are moving a larger sum and it confirms the CNY recipient route. Its margins can become more competitive above a few thousand pounds.
Use your bank if the transfer is rare, the amount is small, and you value the comfort of an account you already trust. You will almost always pay more, but for a one-off send the extra cost may be worth the familiarity. Just go in knowing what you are paying for, and read our guide to cutting FX fees so nothing is hidden from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to China?
For most amounts, a specialist transfer provider beats a bank by a wide margin. The exact cheapest name changes with the amount you send, so the safest move is to check a modelled comparison at your size before you commit. The ranking at £1,000 is not always the same as the ranking at £10,000.
How long does a transfer to China take?
It depends on the provider and how you pay. A card-funded transfer can arrive the same day, while a bank-funded one usually takes one to three business days. Brokers sometimes take a little longer on a first transfer while they verify your account.
Why does the cheapest provider change with the amount?
Because providers charge in different ways. A flat fee weighs heavily on a small send but barely matters on a large one, while a percentage markup scales with the amount. That is why a provider that is cheapest at £1,000 may not be cheapest at £10,000.
Are the fees shown here exact?
No. The table uses the current mid-market reference and, where available, a Wise account-holder API estimate. Other providers use stored published fee and markup models, not live quotes, so the results are modelled estimates for a typical send. Always confirm the final figure on the provider's own site before you transfer.
Cost figures are worked out from each provider's published fee structure applied to the current mid-market reference rate. They are modelled estimates for a typical pound-to-yuan send, not live quotes, and the final price depends on the amount, the payout method, and your region. Always confirm the final quote on the provider's own site before you transfer. We may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you, and this never affects our rankings. Nothing here is financial advice.
Sources: Wise pricing (opens in a new tab), OFX pricing (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers currency trading (opens in a new tab). Accessed August 2026.