Why International Payments Get Stuck: 9 Fixes for Missing Details, Compliance Checks, and Bank Holidays

Key takeaways

• Most “stuck” payments are fixable, and the root cause is usually missing or mismatched beneficiary details.

• Compliance holds are normal in cross-border flows, but clean data and fast responses reduce delays.

• Bank holidays and cutoffs create avoidable late payments, especially when approvals happen at the last minute.

International payments rarely get stuck because money “disappears.” They get stuck because the payment instruction cannot be processed cleanly end to end. That can mean a missing field, a name mismatch, an unexpected compliance question, or a simple reality like bank holidays and settlement cutoffs.

The good news is that finance teams can prevent most of these issues with a few repeatable controls. Below are nine practical fixes you can apply without rebuilding your entire payments stack.

The Three Buckets Behind Most Stuck Payments

Before the fixes, it helps to classify the problem. Most delays fall into one of three buckets.

1. Missing Or Mismatched Details

Wrong IBAN, wrong SWIFT/BIC, incomplete beneficiary address, unclear reference, or currency and account mismatch. These create manual “repairs” or rejections.

2. Compliance Checks And Requests For Information

Banks and payment providers screen parties and payment details against sanctions and other requirements. Some payments are rejected when they are prohibited, and some are held while information is confirmed.¹ ²

3. Timing Issues Like Bank Holidays And Cutoffs

Even a perfect instruction can be delayed if it hits a closed settlement day or misses processing windows. For EUR payments, TARGET closing days matter.³ For USD, Federal Reserve service holidays can affect payment rails and processing windows.⁴

Quick Diagnostic: What You See vs What It Usually Means

The 9 Fixes Finance Teams Use To Prevent Stuck Payments

Fix 1: Use A Standard Vendor Payment Intake Form

Free-text bank details in email are the fastest way to create errors. A short intake form creates consistency and reduces rework.

Include:

• Beneficiary legal name (as on the account)

• Beneficiary address (full, not just country)

• Bank name and bank country

• IBAN or local account number (as applicable)

• SWIFT/BIC (when required)

• Intermediary bank details (only if provided)

• Remittance email and reference format

If you need a simple framework to align payment types and required fields, start with payment methods.

Fix 2: Validate IBAN And SWIFT/BIC Before The First Payment

Most teams validate after a payment fails. Do it once, before the first payment, then reuse the verified record.

Practical checks:

• Confirm the IBAN belongs to the supplier’s bank country.

• Confirm SWIFT/BIC matches the beneficiary bank and is not a domestic routing number pasted into the wrong field.

• Copy and paste from an approved source. Avoid reformatting.

If you want a quick format check, tools like SWIFT lookup and IBAN calculator can help spot obvious issues.

Fix 3: Match The Payment Currency To The Receiving Account

A common hidden failure mode is sending EUR to an account that cannot receive EUR, or sending via a route the beneficiary bank does not support for that currency.

Before you send:

• Confirm the invoice currency.

• Confirm the beneficiary account is intended to receive that currency.

• If your supplier provides separate “EUR account details” vs “USD account details,” treat them as different payees.

For frequent EUR payers, holding working balances can reduce last-day FX pressure (multi-currency accounts).

Fix 4: Do Not Guess Intermediary Bank Fields

Intermediary bank details are not a “nice to have.” They are either required and provided, or they should be left blank.

Use this rule:

• If the supplier’s bank instructions include “intermediary,” “correspondent,” “pay through,” or “for further credit to,” enter exactly what they provide.

• If they do not, do not guess.

Guessing can create detours, additional fees, or investigations.

Fix 5: Make The Payment Reference Short And Structured

Long remittance messages can get truncated, and inconsistent references create reconciliation issues that look like “payment missing.”

A simple reference pattern:

• Invoice Number | PO Number | Vendor Code

Keep references:

• Short

• Consistent

• Recognizable to the supplier’s AR team

This one change often reduces the “we did not receive it” emails, because the supplier can match funds quickly.

Fix 6: Treat Bank Detail Changes As High Risk

The highest-risk moment is not onboarding, it is when a vendor emails “new bank details” right before a pay run.

A safe process:

• Require changes through the same intake workflow as onboarding.

• Verify using a second channel (known phone number, verified portal contact).

• Use two-person approval before updating payee records.

This reduces both payment errors and fraud risk (security and fraud).

Fix 7: Be Ready For Compliance Questions

Compliance holds are common in cross-border payments. Banks screen parties and details, and some transactions must be rejected if prohibited.¹ ²

What helps payments clear faster:

• Provide full beneficiary name and address.

• Use a clear purpose of payment when your bank requests it.

• Keep supporting documents easy to access (invoice, contract, purchase order).

• Respond quickly to requests for information.

If your payment is rejected due to sanctions, it is not something you “fix” by re-sending. You need to understand why it was rejected and follow the appropriate process.²

Fix 8: Plan For Bank Holidays And Cutoffs

Many “stuck” payments are just “not processing today.”

Two calendars matter more than people realize:

• EUR settlement days: TARGET closing days can affect euro payment settlement and processing windows.³

• USD processing windows: Federal Reserve service holidays can affect operations for certain payment services.⁴

Operational best practice:

• Treat “invoice due date” as your final deadline, not your start date.

• Build buffer time for approvals, cutoffs, and time zones.

• Avoid initiating critical payments late Friday or right before a known holiday.

If you want predictable timing, scheduled payments can help align release timing with your internal approvals.

Fix 9: Use Tracking And A Clean Escalation Path

When a payment is “sent” but not received, your fastest path to clarity is tracking and proof of payment.

What to collect internally:

• Payment confirmation receipt

• Value date and currency

• Beneficiary details used

• Any tracking identifiers your bank provides

Many banks use SWIFT gpi capabilities to improve transparency and provide end-to-end tracking for cross-border payments.⁵ Ask your bank what tracking is available and how to request it.

If you pay many vendors, batching can reduce manual entry errors that trigger repairs (batch payments).

A Simple “Prevent Stuck Payments” Checklist You Can Reuse

Use this before your pay run, especially for new beneficiaries or high-value transfers.

• Beneficiary name matches bank account name

• Beneficiary address complete where required

• IBAN or account number copied exactly

• SWIFT/BIC confirmed for the beneficiary bank

• Currency matches intended receiving account

• Intermediary bank fields only filled if supplied

• Reference includes invoice number and is short

• Payment scheduled ahead of holidays and cutoffs

• Supporting docs saved and easy to share if asked

FAQ

Why does my payment show “sent” but the supplier says they did not receive it?

It can be routing, compliance review, bank holidays, or a mismatch in details that triggered a repair. Start with tracking or proof of payment, then verify beneficiary details.

Are compliance holds normal for international payments?

Yes. Screening and review are part of cross-border flows. Clean beneficiary data and quick responses reduce delays.¹ ²

Should we always include an intermediary bank?

No. Only include an intermediary when the supplier provides those instructions. Guessing can cause delays.

How can we reduce delays at month-end?

Make payments predictable, approve earlier, and avoid initiating on the due date. Holding working balances and scheduling payment runs can help.

What is the fastest process improvement we can make?

Standardize vendor intake and validate details once, then reuse verified payee records.

Conclusion

International payments get stuck for familiar reasons: missing details, compliance checks, and timing issues like bank holidays and cutoffs. The practical fix is not guessing the market or chasing the bank after the fact. It is building a repeatable process that collects clean beneficiary data, reduces last-minute changes, and schedules payments with realistic buffers.

How Xe Helps

Xe is not a bank, but many businesses pair Xe with their primary business bank account to manage international payments more smoothly. Xe can support cross-border payment workflows with international payments, predictable payment timing, streamlined supplier runs, and operational safeguards. If your team is trying to reduce failed payments and rework, tightening beneficiary intake and standardizing payment runs is often the quickest win.

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The content within this blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. All figures and data are based on publicly available sources at the time of writing and are subject to change. Actual conditions may vary depending on location, timing, and personal circumstances. We recommend consulting official government resources or a licensed professional for the most up-to-date and personalized guidance.

Citations

¹ Office of Foreign Assets Control — Mission And Sanctions Enforcement — (2026)
² Office of Foreign Assets Control — FAQ Topic 1601 (Rejected Transactions Example) — (2026)
³ European Central Bank — ECB Public Holidays And TARGET Closing Days — (2026)
⁴ Federal Reserve Financial Services — Holiday Schedules — (2026)
⁵ SWIFT — SWIFT gpi Overview And Tracking Benefits — (2026)

Information from these sources was taken on February 11, 2026.