Sample data. Alder & Finch Interiors Ltd is a furniture importer that buys from suppliers in Portugal and Vietnam and sells to a customer in the US. The business, its bank and the statement are invented, and so are the reference rates, which sit near where sterling traded but are not the ECB's published figures. Everything else ran exactly as it would on your own lines.

FX cost check

The exchange rate cost Alder & Finch £3,424 on these payments

That's 1.9% over the ECB reference rate on average, across 14 payments between 6 Jan 2026 and 16 Jun 2026. Separate bank charges added £330.

Converted
£180,281
at the reference rate
Cost in the rate
£3,424
1.9% on average
Bank charges
£330
on separate lines
Over a year
£8,510
rate and charges, same pace

At a 0.5% margin, the same payments would have cost £901 in the rate, which is £2,522 less. The 0.5% is a reference point for comparison. It is not a quote from any provider.

What stands out

By currency

CurrencyPaymentsConvertedMarkupCost
USD8£113,0941.9%£2,198
EUR6£67,1871.8%£1,226

Payment by payment

Fidalgo Moveis Ldasent
6 Jan 2026 · EUR 18,400.00 for £16,026.48
Bank rate 1.1481, ECB 1.1620
£192
1.2%
Hanoi Timber Works Cosent
20 Jan 2026 · USD 32,500.00 for £24,621.21
Bank rate 1.3200, ECB 1.3360
£295
1.2%
Tecidos Norte SAsent
3 Feb 2026 · EUR 6,250.00 for £5,462.81
Bank rate 1.1441, ECB 1.1580
£66
1.2%
Saigon Hardware JSCsent
17 Feb 2026 · USD 2,180.00 for £1,654.77
Bank rate 1.3174, ECB 1.3470
£36
2.2%
Fidalgo Moveis Ldasent
3 Mar 2026 · EUR 21,900.00 for £19,026.93
Bank rate 1.1510, ECB 1.1650
£229
1.2%
Oakline Home Increceived
10 Mar 2026 · USD 12,000.00 for £8,873.77
Bank rate 1.3523, ECB 1.3330
£128
1.4%
Hanoi Timber Works Cosent
24 Mar 2026 · USD 28,750.00 for £21,699.75
Bank rate 1.3249, ECB 1.3410
£261
1.2%
Tecidos Norte SAsent
7 Apr 2026 · EUR 4,800.00 for £4,247.79
Bank rate 1.1300, ECB 1.1710
£149
3.6%
Hanoi Timber Works Cosent
21 Apr 2026 · USD 35,200.00 for £26,508.02
Bank rate 1.3279, ECB 1.3620
£664
2.6%
Fidalgo Moveis Ldasent
5 May 2026 · EUR 19,600.00 for £17,211.10
Bank rate 1.1388, ECB 1.1680
£430
2.6%
Saigon Hardware JSCsent
19 May 2026 · USD 1,950.00 for £1,503.47
Bank rate 1.2970, ECB 1.3440
£53
3.6%
Oakline Home Increceived
28 May 2026 · USD 9,500.00 for £6,838.47
Bank rate 1.3892, ECB 1.3520
£188
2.7%
Tecidos Norte SAsent
2 Jun 2026 · EUR 7,300.00 for £6,437.96
Bank rate 1.1339, ECB 1.1630
£161
2.6%
Hanoi Timber Works Cosent
16 Jun 2026 · USD 30,400.00 for £22,958.99
Bank rate 1.3241, ECB 1.3580
£573
2.6%
See the sample statement these came from 
Northfield Bank  Business Current Account  Alder & Finch Interiors Ltd  Statement 1 Jan 2026 to 30 Jun 2026
Date,Type,Description,Paid out,Paid in,Balance
02 Jan 2026,BACS,"HMRC VAT QTR 4","11,420.00",,"88,210.55"
06 Jan 2026,INTL,"FIDALGO MOVEIS LDA EUR 18,400.00 @ 1.1481","16,026.48",,"72,184.07"
06 Jan 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF FIDALG","25.00",,"72,159.07"
20 Jan 2026,INTL,"HANOI TIMBER WORKS CO USD 32,500.00 @ 1.3200","24,621.21",,"47,537.86"
20 Jan 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF HANOI","25.00",,"47,512.86"
30 Jan 2026,FPI,"SHOPIFY PAYMENTS UK",,"34,210.40","81,723.26"
03 Feb 2026,INTL,"TECIDOS NORTE SA EUR 6,250.00 @ 1.1441","5,462.81",,"76,260.45"
03 Feb 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF TECIDO","25.00",,"76,235.45"
17 Feb 2026,INTL,"SAIGON HARDWARE JSC USD 2,180.00 @ 1.3174","1,654.77",,"74,580.68"
17 Feb 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF SAIGON","25.00",,"74,555.68"
03 Mar 2026,INTL,"FIDALGO MOVEIS LDA EUR 21,900.00 @ 1.1510","19,026.93",,"55,528.75"
03 Mar 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF FIDALG","25.00",,"55,503.75"
10 Mar 2026,INTL,"FX CREDIT OAKLINE HOME INC USD 12,000.00 @ 1.3523",,"8,873.77","64,377.52"
24 Mar 2026,INTL,"HANOI TIMBER WORKS CO USD 28,750.00 @ 1.3249","21,699.75",,"42,677.77"
24 Mar 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF HANOI","25.00",,"42,652.77"
31 Mar 2026,FPI,"SHOPIFY PAYMENTS UK",,"41,882.15","84,534.92"
07 Apr 2026,INTL,"TECIDOS NORTE SA EUR 4,800.00 @ 1.1300","4,247.79",,"80,287.13"
07 Apr 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF TECIDO","30.00",,"80,257.13"
21 Apr 2026,INTL,"HANOI TIMBER WORKS CO USD 35,200.00 @ 1.3279","26,508.02",,"53,749.11"
21 Apr 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF HANOI","30.00",,"53,719.11"
05 May 2026,INTL,"FIDALGO MOVEIS LDA EUR 19,600.00 @ 1.1388","17,211.10",,"36,508.01"
05 May 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF FIDALG","30.00",,"36,478.01"
19 May 2026,INTL,"SAIGON HARDWARE JSC USD 1,950.00 @ 1.2970","1,503.47",,"34,974.54"
19 May 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF SAIGON","30.00",,"34,944.54"
28 May 2026,INTL,"FX CREDIT OAKLINE HOME INC USD 9,500.00 @ 1.3892",,"6,838.47","41,783.01"
29 May 2026,FPI,"SHOPIFY PAYMENTS UK",,"38,640.90","80,423.91"
02 Jun 2026,INTL,"TECIDOS NORTE SA EUR 7,300.00 @ 1.1339","6,437.96",,"73,985.95"
02 Jun 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF TECIDO","30.00",,"73,955.95"
16 Jun 2026,INTL,"HANOI TIMBER WORKS CO USD 30,400.00 @ 1.3241","22,958.99",,"50,996.96"
16 Jun 2026,CHG,"INTL PAYMENT CHARGE REF HANOI","30.00",,"50,966.96"