Learn · Rails
ACH, SEPA, FPS, SWIFT, PIX, on-chain — when to use which.
A practical map for founders choosing how money should move. Speed, cost, and counterparty constraints differ by rail.
On this page
Domestic bank rails
ACH (US), Faster Payments (UK), SEPA (EUR), PIX (BR) optimize for local currency and local banks. Best when both sides are in-scheme.
International bank rails
SWIFT wires move between banks globally with higher fees and multi-day settlement. Use when the beneficiary cannot accept local scheme or stablecoins.
On-chain
USDC/USDT on Solana or EVM settles in seconds with transparent fees. Best when both parties have wallets and compliance allows.
Decision cheat sheet
Same currency domestic → local scheme. Cross-border crypto-capable → stablecoin. Legacy beneficiary → SWIFT/partner. Always preflight fees and ETA.
- Payroll to EU staff → EUR SEPA
- US vendor → ACH or USDC
- Treasury rebalance → on-chain convert/send
- Family remittance → corridor tool + remittance partners
Written by
Glide Research
Payments research
Glide Research maps payment rails, FX corridors, and banking access so travellers, freelancers, and treasury teams can move money without legacy wire tax.
- Published
Glide · Learn
ACH, SEPA, FPS, SWIFT, PIX, on-chain — when to use which.
A practical map for founders choosing how money should move. Speed, cost, and counterparty constraints differ by rail.
- Currencies
- 80+
- Spend anywhere
- Visa card
- Regulated legs run by
- Licensed partners