Wise Serves 11 Million Customers as Volumes Hit £47 Billion

Tuesday, 20/01/2026 | 07:45 GMT by Damian Chmiel
  • Client balances surge 34% while instant transfer rate climbs to 74%.
  • The company expects full-year underlying income growth near the midpoint of guidance.
Wise (shutterstock)

Wise moved £47.4 billion in cross-border transactions during its third fiscal quarter, a 26% jump from the same period last year as the London-based payments company continued adding customers and expanding its infrastructure footprint.

The publicly listed firm (LSE: WISE) served 10.9 million active customers in the three months ended December 31, 2025, up 20% year over year. Customer holdings climbed 34% to £27.5 billion, while card revenue and other non-transfer income rose 30%.

Wise Business Segment Outpaces Consumer Growth

Kristo Käärmann, Co-founder and CEO of Wise
Kristo Käärmann, Co-founder and CEO of Wise

Wise Business volumes grew 37% year-over-year, nearly double the 21% growth rate for personal accounts. The business segment now has 542,000 active customers, a 25% increase from last year.

The company's take rate on cross-border transactions held steady at 52 basis points during the quarter, down from 56 basis points a year earlier. Wise said the decline reflects its focus on long-term growth investments rather than maximizing short-term margins.

"We delivered 74% of payments instantly, up nine percentage points year-on-year. This is a clear benefit of our continued focus on infrastructure - our licences, integrations, technology and operations," said Kristo Käärmann, co-founder and chief executive officer.

Q3 Performance Highlights

Metric

Q3 FY26

Q3 FY25

Change

Cross-border volume

£47.4bn

£37.8bn

+25%

Active customers

10.9m

9.0m

+20%

Customer balances

£27.5bn

£20.5bn

+34%

Underlying income

£424.4m

£349.5m

+21%

Infrastructure Push Drives Faster Transfers

Three-quarters of Wise payments now complete instantly, up nine percentage points from Q3 last year. The company recently completed its direct connection to Japan's Zengin payment system, becoming the first non-bank in the country to join the network. Wise now connects directly to eight domestic payment systems globally.

The company launched a travel card in India last month, attracting more than 75,000 customers to its waiting list within four weeks. Wise also introduced Google Pay integration in the Philippines, making it the first non-bank to offer the service there.

In December, Wise received conditional license approval to operate in South Africa, marking its first license on the African continent. The payment service is widely used by CFD and forex brokers including Forex .com, TMGM, and XM.

Profit Margin Forecast Rises

Underlying income reached £424.4 million in Q3, up 21% from the prior year on both reported and constant currency bases. For the nine months ended December 31, underlying income grew 17% on a constant currency basis.

Wise expects full-year underlying income growth to land around the middle of its 15-20% guidance range. The company now projects its full-year underlying profit before tax margin will come in toward the top of its medium-term target range of 13-16%, including costs related to its planned dual listing.

The firm announced plans last June to add a primary US listing while maintaining its London Stock Exchange presence. The dual listing is expected to complete in the first half of 2026. The company's first-half profit declined due to rising expenses, though revenue continued growing during that period.

Wise moved £47.4 billion in cross-border transactions during its third fiscal quarter, a 26% jump from the same period last year as the London-based payments company continued adding customers and expanding its infrastructure footprint.

The publicly listed firm (LSE: WISE) served 10.9 million active customers in the three months ended December 31, 2025, up 20% year over year. Customer holdings climbed 34% to £27.5 billion, while card revenue and other non-transfer income rose 30%.

Wise Business Segment Outpaces Consumer Growth

Kristo Käärmann, Co-founder and CEO of Wise
Kristo Käärmann, Co-founder and CEO of Wise

Wise Business volumes grew 37% year-over-year, nearly double the 21% growth rate for personal accounts. The business segment now has 542,000 active customers, a 25% increase from last year.

The company's take rate on cross-border transactions held steady at 52 basis points during the quarter, down from 56 basis points a year earlier. Wise said the decline reflects its focus on long-term growth investments rather than maximizing short-term margins.

"We delivered 74% of payments instantly, up nine percentage points year-on-year. This is a clear benefit of our continued focus on infrastructure - our licences, integrations, technology and operations," said Kristo Käärmann, co-founder and chief executive officer.

Q3 Performance Highlights

Metric

Q3 FY26

Q3 FY25

Change

Cross-border volume

£47.4bn

£37.8bn

+25%

Active customers

10.9m

9.0m

+20%

Customer balances

£27.5bn

£20.5bn

+34%

Underlying income

£424.4m

£349.5m

+21%

Infrastructure Push Drives Faster Transfers

Three-quarters of Wise payments now complete instantly, up nine percentage points from Q3 last year. The company recently completed its direct connection to Japan's Zengin payment system, becoming the first non-bank in the country to join the network. Wise now connects directly to eight domestic payment systems globally.

The company launched a travel card in India last month, attracting more than 75,000 customers to its waiting list within four weeks. Wise also introduced Google Pay integration in the Philippines, making it the first non-bank to offer the service there.

In December, Wise received conditional license approval to operate in South Africa, marking its first license on the African continent. The payment service is widely used by CFD and forex brokers including Forex .com, TMGM, and XM.

Profit Margin Forecast Rises

Underlying income reached £424.4 million in Q3, up 21% from the prior year on both reported and constant currency bases. For the nine months ended December 31, underlying income grew 17% on a constant currency basis.

Wise expects full-year underlying income growth to land around the middle of its 15-20% guidance range. The company now projects its full-year underlying profit before tax margin will come in toward the top of its medium-term target range of 13-16%, including costs related to its planned dual listing.

The firm announced plans last June to add a primary US listing while maintaining its London Stock Exchange presence. The dual listing is expected to complete in the first half of 2026. The company's first-half profit declined due to rising expenses, though revenue continued growing during that period.

About the Author: Damian Chmiel
Damian Chmiel
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About the Author: Damian Chmiel
Damian's adventure with financial markets began at the Cracow University of Economics, where he obtained his MA in finance and accounting. Starting from the retail trader perspective, he collaborated with brokerage houses and financial portals in Poland as an independent editor and content manager. His adventure with Finance Magnates began in 2016, where he is working as a business intelligence analyst.
  • 3172 Articles
  • 98 Followers

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