Wealthsimple Becomes First Canadian Fintech to Join SWIFT Network

Wealthsimple, Canada's leading financial technology firm, announced on March 3, 2026 that it has become a member of the SWIFT global financial messaging network. The company is the first Canadian fintech and only the second non-bank fintech worldwide to achieve membership status.

SWIFT connects over 11,000 financial institutions globally and handles trillions of dollars in cross-border payments annually. By joining the network, Wealthsimple aims to streamline international money transfers for its clients, offering end-to-end tracking and real-time status updates on wire transfers.

“Many Canadians rely on international wire transfers, and yet to date, the experience has been clunky and expensive. We want to fix that,” said Hanna Zaidi, VP of Payments Strategy at Wealthsimple. “Our SWIFT membership is going to unlock faster, simpler, and more transparent international money transfers for the more than three million Canadians who trust Wealthsimple.”

Wealthsimple is currently completing final technical integrations and security certifications, with a full client launch expected in Spring 2026. The company is also positioning itself as an early adopter of Canada’s upcoming Real-Time Rail (RTR) payment system, which will enable instant money movement between institutions. Donna Kinoshita, Payments Canada’s Chief Payment Officer, noted: “Innovations like the Real-Time Rail have a meaningful potential to improve the prosperity and user experience of clients at Canadian financial institutions.”

Wealthsimple previously became the first securities dealer to join Payments Canada and the first non-bank granted a direct settlement account with the Bank of Canada for the RTR system. Founded in 2014, the firm now serves over 3 million Canadians and holds more than $100 billion in assets under administration.