CIMB Limits 2025: Full Guide
Sending money overseas can be daunting, especially if you have to send a large amount. If you’re sending a payment from Malaysia soon you may be wondering about the CIMB transfer limit, and how your transfer will work.
This guide has you covered with all you need to know about the CIMB transfer limit to other banks and how to change it. We’ll also introduce a couple of alternatives like Wise and Western Union which offer convenient international payments with relatively high limits.
Quick summary: CIMB transfer limits
You can send payments overseas with CIMB online and in a branch - different CIMB daily transfer limits apply depending on your method
Send money using a foreign telegraphic transfer, or choose SpeedSend for instant payments to the UK, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Europe, Singapore, Indonesia & CIMB Thai
CIMB international payments cost 10 MYR to 30 MYR depending on the payment type
CIMB exchange rates for currency conversion are likely to include a markup - an additional fee
You may find you can send a cheap digital overseas transfer if you choose a non-bank provider like Wise or Western Union
Does CIMB have limits?
Yes. CIMB has limits to online payments, set at 50,000 MYR per transfer for most customers. If you need to send more you may still be able to do so in a CIMB branch, but the fees for this service are higher compared to sending online.
We’ll look at how to change the transfer limit at CIMB later, in case sending online won’t be suitable for you.
Is CIMB safe for large amounts?
Yes. CIMB is safe to use, and is fully regulated and licensed by Bank Negara Malaysia. If you’re sending a payment online you’ll need to go through secure log in processes to keep your account safe, and in a branch you may find you’re asked for account information and ID documents to ensure you’re entitled to transact.
How much money can I send through CIMB?
How much you can send with CIMB depends on whether you’re making your payment online or in a branch - and how much money is in your account in the first place. We’ll get into the CIMB transfer limit details next.
CIMB transfer limits
CIMB’s transfer limits are set for security and mean you can send only a limited amount online. Instead, if you want to send more you can visit a branch where staff can check your ID and paperwork to ensure you’re making a transaction that’s allowed by law. Here are the CIMB transfer limits online and in person:
| CIMB payment detail | CIMB limit |
|---|---|
| Send money online or in the OCTO app | Send up to 50,000 MYR per day |
| Send money in a CIMB branch | No limit |
Details correct at time of research - 8th January 2025
Looking to learn about different Malaysian bank transfer limits? Check out this CIMB transfer limit here.
Alternatives to CIMB for international transfers
Depending on your preferences and needs, you may choose to use an alternative to CIMB for your international payment. If you want to stick with a bank you may like to know HSBC Malaysia has higher online limits compared to CIMB. Or if you want to send cash, you may like Western Union. Finally, for low cost payments which can arrive very quickly in the destination account you may want to check out Wise. Here's an overview.
| Providers | CIMB | HSBC | Western Union | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Send to 200+ countries | Send to 150+ countries | Send to 220 countries and territories | Send to 160+ countries |
| International transfer limits | 50,000 MYR/day online, no limit in branch | 200,000 MYR/day online, no limit in branch | 3,000 MYR/day, with higher value payments offered in store* | 30,000 MYR/day in most cases |
| Transfer fees & exchange rates | Variable fee depending on account and destination Exchange rates include a markup | Variable fee depending on account and destination Exchange rates include a markup | Variable fee depending on account and destination Exchange rates include a markup | Fee from 0.71% Mid-market exchange rate |
HSBC
HSBC lets established customers send up to 200,000 MYR per day using their online and mobile banking service, and has no limits to the amount you can send when you visit a branch. Newer customers can only send 5,000 MYR online, as a security measure.
Send money online or in person to 150+ countries
Different transfer methods available depending on your needs and preferences, which have their own fee structures
Easy to use and reliable bank
| HSBC payment detail | HSBC limit |
|---|---|
| New customer sending money online | 5,000 MYR/day |
| Established customer sending online | 200,000 MYR/day |
| Sending in branch | No limit |
Details correct at time of research - 8th January 2025
Western Union
Western Union supports payments to banks and for cash collection, more or less anywhere in the world. You’ll find there’s a pretty low limit for sending money online, but you can usually visit a Western Union location if you want to send above the online limit.
Send more or less anywhere in the world, with options for cash collection available
In store limits are usually higher than the online limits
New customer promotions are often available
| HSBC payment detail | HSBC limit |
|---|---|
| Sending online | 3,000 MYR per day 15,000 MYR per week 30,000 MYR per month |
| Sending in branch | Limit set by individual agent - usually higher than online limits |
Wise
Wise offers high value payments to 160+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low fees from 0.71%. Set up a Wise account online or in the Wise app, to send money with just your phone or laptop - there’s no need to visit a bank or office location to process your transfer.
Varying send limits depending on the payment - there’s usually no limit for Malaysian residents sending from a Wise MYR balance to another MYR account
Volume discounts may apply with lower fees when sending high cumulative amounts
Secure and speedy international payments to 160+ countries
| Wise payment detail | Wise limit |
|---|---|
| Payments sent to a different currency by Malaysian residents and funded by Wise MYR balance, bank transfer or FPX | 30,000 MYR per day - up to 13 monthly payments, to 7 unique recipients |
| Payments sent by Malaysian residents and funded from Wise MYR balance to another MYR account | No limit |
| Payments sent by Malaysian resident foreign workers | 5,000 MYR a month |
Go to Wise 🚀
Is it possible to increase CIMB transfer limits?
CIMB does not provide information about how to increase your online transfer limits, but you can always visit a branch to make a higher value payment if you would like to.
How to increase CIMB transfer limits
There’s no need to increase your CIMB transfer limit - you can simply head out to a branch to make your payment where there is no upper limit on transfer amounts. The downside here is that going to a branch may not be convenient - and the fees may be higher compared to sending online, too. If you’d prefer a digital experience you may be able to send your payment with a non-bank alternative like Wise instead.
Go to Wise 🚀
How to send high amount transfers with CIMB
You can visit a branch to make a high value payment if you’re sending over 50,000 MYR - but this does mean paying a higher fee compared to sending online. If your payment is lower, sending online or in the CIMB OCTO mobile app is probably the easier and cheaper option.
Here’s how to send a transfer online and in app with CIMB Malaysia:
Log into CIMB Clicks or CIMB OCTO
Select Pay & Transfer online, or More and then Foreign Transfer on OCTO
Select the country and currency, and ether the send amount
Choose if you want to send a foreign telegraphic transfer or SpeedSend payment
Follow the online prompts to enter all the required information
Confirm your payment, and you’re done
CIMB large transfer fees
The costs of sending a large payment with CIMB can include an upfront transfer cost, a charge added to the exchange rate, and fees paid to third parties. In some cases, CIMB will waive its fee for preferred customers.
CIMB states that SpeedSend transfers are not subject to third party charges, but in some cases transfers processed through the SWIFT network can mean extra charges which are paid to intermediaries and the beneficiary’s own bank.
We’ll look at the exchange rate costs with CIMB next - first, here's a look at the CIMB large transfer fees:
| Payment detail | CIMB fee |
|---|---|
| Speed Send payment made in app, to select countries | 10 MYR |
| Send foreign telegraphic transfer online and in app | 10 MYR |
| Send foreign telegraphic transfer in branch | Send to SGD - 10 MYR Send to IDR - 20 MYR All other currencies - 30 MYR |
CIMB exchange rate for international transfers
Generally, banks like CIMB will add a fee called a markup to the exchange rate used to change your MYR to the currency that you need to deposit to your recipient’s account overseas. This isn’t easy to see, as it’s added to the rate rather than being split out as a separate fee. To calculate the markup used by CIMB for your particular payment you’ll need to compare the exchange rate CIMB gives you against the mid-market rate, which you can see on a currency conversion tool.
The mid-market rate is the rate CIMB is likely to have received when exchanging funds in the first place - the difference between the rates represents the markup.
This can be pretty confusing, but it’s useful to understand that bank exchange rate markups can be around 3%. This percentage charge quickly mounts up when higher value payments are involved. Here’s how the exchange rate markup builds up with a 3% margin used for different transfer values:
Sending 1,000 MYR - the exchange rate markup adds 30 MYR to the total
Sending 5,000 MYR- the exchange rate markup adds 150 MYR to the total
Sending 50,000 MYR - the exchange rate markup adds 1,500 MYR to the total
CIMB may offer a discount on the markup they use for preferred customers.
CIMB customer support for high amount transfers
If you need help with your CIMB international transfer you can use the following channels:
Call the Customer Care Hotline on 603 6204 7788
EMail on contactus:CIMB.com
Write to Customer Resolution Unit P.O. Box 10338, GPO Kuala Lumpur 50710 Wilayah Persekutuan
You can also visit your local branch to get face to face help if you would prefer.
Conclusion: Does CIMB have transfer limits?
Yes. CIMB has a transfer limit of 50,000 MYR a day for online and in-app payments, which are cheaper than going into a branch. If you need to send more you can do so in a branch as long as you take along ID and supporting documents - but there’s a higher fee to pay in most cases.
If you’re looking to compare your options for your next overseas payment it’s worth looking at a few non-bank providers as well as CIMB. For example Western Union can help with payments for cash collection all over the world, while Wise offers high value payments to 160+ countries with the mid-market rate and low fees.