The cheapest way to send British pounds to Polish zloty 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.
The UK is home to a large Polish community, so this is a busy route, and it is well served by the European fintechs that price it aggressively. The money almost always lands as a bank deposit, which Poland's banking system handles quickly. 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 £5,000, 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.
- The fintechs shine here. This is a competitive European route, so the cheap specialists are at their best.
The cheapest way to send pounds to zloty
Right now, one British pound buys about 5.0556 Polish zloty 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 0.46% all-in, about £4.58 on a £1,000 transfer. Revolut, within its monthly limit on a weekday, can be cheaper still, though its cost depends on staying under the limit and avoiding the weekend. A typical UK bank sits well above both 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 £5,000 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 £5,000. Second, a percentage markup that seemed small starts to add up to real money. That is why the cheapest provider for a one-off large transfer is not always the same name that wins on a small monthly send.
This site's IBKR model does not include a direct GBP-to-PLN pair, so the low spot-FX commission at Interactive Brokers is not an estimate for this route. Compare providers that explicitly quote the full pound-to-zloty conversion and Polish bank deposit.
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 or Revolut if you send money to Poland on a regular basis and want the lowest all-in cost. Both price the pound-to-zloty route to compete, and the modelled table at your amount shows exactly where each one lands. Revolut is worth a look for small weekday sends inside its limit; Wise is simpler because its cost never changes with the calendar.
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.
Check the receiving side too if the money is going to a Polish bank account. Deposits within Europe are fast and reliable, so the payout method rarely narrows your choice here; the decision comes down to the all-in cost. Our guide to cutting FX fees shows how to read a quote so nothing is hidden from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to Poland?
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 £5,000.
How long does a transfer to Poland 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 two business days. Poland's banks are well connected, so deposits tend to land quickly once the transfer clears.
Is it cheaper to send to a Polish bank account or a card?
A bank deposit is usually the cheapest and most common option, and it is what the figures above assume. Paying to a card can be faster but sometimes carries a higher charge, so compare the all-in cost of both before you choose.
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. Promotional rates for new customers are not reflected. 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-zloty 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), Revolut exchange fees (opens in a new tab), Western Union pricing (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers currency trading (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers spot-currency commissions (opens in a new tab). Accessed August 2026.