Which charge code should I use to pay an invoice in full?

The wider picture

The key points from the guide this answer comes from:

1. The charge code tells every bank who pays: with OUR the sender pays all fees, with SHA each side pays its own bank, and with BEN the payee pays everything.
2. Under SHA or BEN, intermediary banks can deduct their fees from the payment, so it arrives short. Wise estimates 15 to 50 USD.
3. To receive an invoice in full, ask for OUR on SWIFT payments, or give payers local account details so the payment travels on a domestic rail.
4. Within the EEA, SEPA credit transfers carry the code SLEV, and EU rules say intermediaries may not deduct fees from the amount.

More questions on this

• Why did I receive less than the invoice amount?
• When does BEN make sense?
• Do OUR, SHA and BEN apply to ACH or SEPA payments?

The full guide

OUR means the sender pays every fee, SHA means each side pays its own bank while intermediaries deduct theirs, and BEN means the payee pays everything. To be paid in full, ask for OUR on SWIFT payments, or give payers local account details.

Read International wire fees explained: OUR, SHA and BEN, with its sources.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources in the guide and take advice on your own situation.