AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Bank of Ireland's international payments page, checked in October 2026, says you can pay countries outside SEPA from 365 online or the app by adding a new payee, but transfers over €10,000, urgent payments and countries not listed on Banking 365 must go through a branch. Payments involving a currency conversion cost €5, and the rate and charges are shown on the PIN screen before you confirm. Nigeria is not named on the page, so check whether it appears in 365 online before you plan around the app.
What Bank of Ireland's page covers
Bank of Ireland's Transfers support page explains international payments for Republic of Ireland customers. It says you can send euro to non-SEPA countries, using China as its example, or send other currencies such as US dollars, by adding the recipient as a new payee in 365 online or the Mobile Banking app. Euro payments to SEPA countries are set up differently, as a SEPA payee. Nigeria does not appear in the page's country tables, which means the page neither confirms nor rules it out. The practical check is whether Nigeria is offered when you add an international payee in 365 online; the page says countries not listed on Banking 365 go through a branch.
Online or branch: the thresholds
| Situation | Where Bank of Ireland says to send it |
|---|---|
| Up to €10,000, country listed online | 365 online or the app |
| Over €10,000 | Branch |
| Over €20,000 | Branch |
| Urgent payment | Branch |
| Country not listed on Banking 365 | Branch |
| Foreign exchange over €70,000 | Treasury: callback request, 01 6094330 or askthedealer@boi.com |
The app also has a daily cap of €20,000 including fees, and a lower cap for new payees: €10,000 per banking day including fees, with a security code sent to your phone when you add the payee. For a first payment to a relative in Nigeria, the new-payee cap is the one that applies.
What it costs
The page says there are no payment fees to the UK, EU member states and EEA countries, and that payments to countries involving a currency conversion, its example being US dollars to the United States, cost €5. The full list is in Bank of Ireland's Schedule of International Transaction Charges. The exchange rate and charges for a 365 online transfer appear on the PIN entry screen before you complete it, so that screen is where you see the real cost.
Two further costs are not on the page and are worth asking about: whether other banks' charges will be deducted from the amount on the way, and what the Nigerian bank charges to receive it. Bank of Ireland's page does not describe charge options such as shared or sender-pays.
Details to collect from the recipient
For most non-SEPA countries, Bank of Ireland asks for the BIC plus either a national sort code and account number or an IBAN. Nigeria has no IBAN, so expect to enter:
- The account holder's full name, matching the Nigerian account.
- The 10-digit NUBAN. The CBN's NUBAN standard puts a check digit in every number, so copy it exactly.
- The Nigerian bank's BIC, taken from the bank's own instructions for incoming foreign transfers.
- The currency the account is held in. Union Bank and Fidelity Bank, for example, both offer euro and dollar domiciliary accounts.
- Any correspondent bank the Nigerian bank names for that currency. Raise it at the branch, since the page shows no field for it.
Do not send US dollars or euro to an ordinary naira account without asking the recipient's bank how it will treat them. Our guide to sending euro to a dom account covers that route in full, and the SWIFT details checklist covers each field.
Steps in 365 online
- Collect the recipient's details in writing, including the currency of the account.
- In 365 online, add a new international payee and look for Nigeria in the country list. If it is not there, book a branch visit.
- Enter the BIC and the NUBAN as the account number, and confirm the security code sent to your phone.
- Choose the currency to send, matching the recipient's account.
- Read the rate and charges on the PIN entry screen, then confirm.
- Save the confirmation and send the recipient the date, amount and reference.
Timing and tracing
The Transfers page does not give timeframes; Bank of Ireland has a separate Time Frames FAQ. For a SWIFT payment to Nigeria, allow several business days and ask the branch, or check the confirmation, for the UETR. Swift says this 36-character reference is carried by every Swift payment and lets any bank in the chain locate it, which is what the recipient's bank will need if the money does not appear. Our guide to how long transfers take sets out typical delays.
Where Pryme fits
For a monthly allowance in naira, a bank wire is often more than the payment needs. A Pryme account holds EUR and NGN with local details for each, and Send pays Nigerian accounts. The app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. See how it works.
Questions people ask
Can I pay Nigeria from the Bank of Ireland app?
Bank of Ireland says non-SEPA payments can be made by adding a new payee in 365 online or the app, but countries not listed on Banking 365 go through a branch. Check whether Nigeria is offered.
What is the Bank of Ireland international transfer limit?
The page gives €20,000 per day including fees in the app, €10,000 per banking day to a new payee, and says transfers over €10,000 must be made in branch.
How much does Bank of Ireland charge to send money abroad?
The page lists €5 for payments involving a currency conversion and no payment fee to the UK, EU and EEA. The rate and charges show on the PIN screen before you confirm.
Do I need an IBAN to pay a Nigerian account?
No. Nigeria uses a 10-digit NUBAN. You need the account number, the bank's BIC and the account holder's name.
Sources
- International Payments Support: Transfers, Bank of Ireland · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN Revised NUBAN Standards circular (9 Mar 2020), text via RegAlert · accessed Oct 2026
- What is a UETR?, Swift · accessed Oct 2026
- Domiciliary Account, Union Bank · accessed Oct 2026
- Diaspora Banking, Fidelity Bank · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.