All of our users have access to a multi-currency account and can deposit in different currencies – EUR, GBP, USD.
Can someone else send me money?
No, you can only deposit from an account that is held in your name. If you have a business account in Lightyear, the funds have to originate from an account held in your business name. Lightyear will return funds that come from a third-party account.
How do I deposit funds to my Lightyear balance?
- Navigate to the Cash balance
- Choose the currency
- Select the payment method
Card payment
We accept only debit cards and the card must be in your name. To learn about associated fees and more specifics about the cards we accept, see our article Paying by card
Bank transfer
- All account details are meant to be used to deposit only the corresponding currency (e.g. your Lightyear EUR account details will only be able to accept EUR deposits). Be sure to double-check that you are sending the right currency to the right Lightyear account details as otherwise deposits may be rejected or incur additional fees which Lightyear cannot be responsible for
- Depending on our processes and payment partner, the account holder name you see may differ in different currencies you want to send (e.g. it may be your name or Lightyear account name). Make sure you use the exact details you see in the app and don’t forget to use the payment reference for each transfer you make
- To learn more about sending US dollars, depending on whether your bank offers local or international USD transfers, see our article How can I deposit USD?
How long does it take for a deposit to reach my account and what does it cost?
- Once your deposit reaches Lightyear, it is credited to your account and you'll be notified within the app
- Previous transfer time is not indicative of future processing time because the time it takes for your funds to arrive at Lightyear depends on several factors, e.g. when are you depositing (weekends, holidays, business hours etc.), how much and what currency you’re sending, as well as your bank’s processes
Lightyear doesn’t charge for local bank transfers but there may be fees from your sending bank or for different payment methods. See the relative costs in the table below.
| Currency | Payment Method | Estimated time | Receiving fees |
| GBP | FPS | 0 - 2 hours | Free |
| CHAPS | 1 business day | Free | |
| Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Instant | First £500 lifetime free, 0.5% after | |
| BACS | 3 business days | Free | |
| SWIFT | 3 – 5 business days | Free* | |
| EUR | Instant bank transfer (SEPA) | 0 - 2 hours | Free |
| Regular bank transfer (SEPA) | 0 – 2 business days | Free | |
| Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Instant | First £500 lifetime free, 0.5% after | |
| SWIFT | Not Supported | ||
| USD | ACH (most common) | 1 – 2 business days | Free |
| FedWire | 1 business day | $6.11 | |
| SWIFT | 3 – 5 business days | $6.11* | |
*There may be additional fees charged by the sending and intermediary financial institutions. It’s always best to clarify directly with them before sending if unsure. Read more about SWIFT transfers here.
If the estimated timeframe has been exceeded, feel free to reach out to us below and we’ll look into what may be causing this. In this case, first, ensure the funds have not been sent back to your bank account, and include a transfer confirmation document for us: a receipt, screenshot, or PDF document from your bank that shows all the following information:
- Your full name
- Your bank details
- Receiving bank details
- The date and time the payment was made
- The amount sent
- The currency
If the information isn’t all in one place, you can send 2 documents but both need to show the same bank details — that way we know it’s the same account we’re looking at.
Note that we may need to ask for further information and documents (such as a bank statement) to help you better.
See also: