São Paulo · Brazil
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Cases · Capital & assets · Payments, FX, digital assets & treasury
Urgent Release an international payment the bank has frozen
Our bank has frozen an international payment. What can we do?
WONE Global asks a banking and financial-integrity professional to take it up as a priority, during that firm's working hours.
Countries in the typical case United Arab Emirates · Türkiye
The situation
What is happening
A bank has stopped an incoming or outgoing international payment for compliance review, and nobody will say when it will be released.
What is at stake
Every day the money is held, a supplier waits, a shipment stalls or payroll is at risk, and a vague or wrong reply can lead the bank to return the funds or close the account.
Who faces this
- Corporations
- Mid-sized companies
- Founders and growing companies
- Private clients and families
A scenario
Trading companyMid-sized company · from United Arab Emirates · in Turkey
Its USD 600,000 payment to a Turkish supplier has been held by a correspondent bank for three weeks. The shipment is waiting and the bank will not say why.
Where it ends Payment released or returned, and a route that avoids a repeat.
A representative scenario of the work WONE Global coordinates, not a specific client’s matter.
Also asked as “Payment held for compliance review by the bank”“Correspondent bank is holding our transfer”“Bank is asking for documents before releasing our money”“Our international supplier payment has been held”“Our payment service provider has suspended settlements”“Our bank is questioning the source of incoming investment funds”“A nonprofit's international transfers have been blocked”“A charity's bank has suspended an international transfer”
The solution
How WONE Global handles it
WONE Global asks a banking and financial-integrity professional to take it up as a priority, during that firm's working hours. They read the bank's request, find out which bank in the chain is holding the payment and why, assemble the evidence that bank expects, and respond through the right channel. If the hold involves sanctions or a dispute, counsel is brought in as soon as one is available. Outside office hours, or where no Partner is in place, WONE Global first points you to a licensed local provider; no response time is guaranteed.
Usually led by Risk, Compliance & Financial Integrity, with Banking & Capital Access, Payments, Foreign Exchange & Settlement and Legal & Contracting.
Step by step, in the scenario
- First daysA banking and compliance professional finds which bank holds the payment and why.
- Week 1Evidence pack: contract, invoices, shipping documents and ownership.
- Week 1-2Response through the right channel; escalation if needed.
- ThenPayment route changed to avoid repeats.
Timings are typical. They depend on the countries, the authorities involved and how quickly documents are available.
Decisions
The decisions involved
- 01What the bank, or its correspondent bank, actually needs to see
- 02Whether the hold relates to sanctions, ownership, documents or the counterparty
- 03How to reply, escalate or redirect the payment without making it worse
Outcomes
What you receive
- A clear reading of the bank’s request and the reason for the hold
- A complete evidence pack: contracts, invoices, shipping documents and ownership
- The payment released, returned or redirected, and a route that avoids repeats
This is a general guide. Your WONE Global professional confirms the work, timing and fees for your markets before anything starts.
Services
The services involved
One area of expertise usually leads; the others move with it. WONE Global keeps them connected across every country involved.
Who handles it
Risk, Compliance & Financial Integrity, market by market
The status of the lead service in the markets that matter for this case. A named WONE Global Partner acts under their own licence; where none is in place yet, WONE Global confirms availability before anything else.
- United Arab Emiratesin the typical case WONE Global Partner Priju Dominic · CEO & Founding Partner Brief this Partner →
- Türkiyein the typical case On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- Brazil WONE Global Partner Luis Felipe Balieiro Lima · Partner Brief this Partner →
- Cameroon WONE Global Partner Kelvin A. Egbe · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- China WONE Global Partner Roberto Gilardino · Regional Partner North Asia & additional countries Brief this Partner →
- India WONE Global Partner Bhavik Bhanushali · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- Italy WONE Global Partner Stefano Modena · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- Jordan WONE Global Partner Osama Abu Shrieha · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- Luxembourg WONE Global Partner Bruno Abbate · Owner - Managing Director Brief this Partner →
- Saudi Arabia WONE Global Partner Abdulrahim bin Saleh Al-Zahrani · Founding Partner & General Manager Brief this Partner →
- South Africa WONE Global Partner Johan Beer · Partner Brief this Partner →
- Zimbabwe WONE Global Partner Thompson Mucheki · Managing Director Brief this Partner →
- Singapore On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- United Kingdom On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- United States On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
Other markets: WONE Global covers 100 countries. Name yours in the requirement →
São Paulo · Brazil
Yaoundé · CameroonWONE Global Partner · Cameroon
Kelvin A. Egbe
Attorney specialized in structuring, licensing, control, project permitting, patents, trademarks & Designs registration, venture financing, trade finance, regulatory intelligence & compliance, Financial markets, natural…
Shanghai · ChinaWONE Global Partner · China
Roberto Gilardino
Roberto Gilardino is Regional Partner at Horizons, supervising the advisory’s activities in North Asia as well as additional countries (including Mongolia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, UAE, Cyprus and Malta).
Mumbai · India
Milan · Italy
Amman · JordanDiscover
Where this case connects
The markets, corridors and guides behind this case, and the questions to put to Ask WONE below. Every link opens a page that links back here.
Markets in the typical case
Corridors
Services and subject
Worked examples
How it goes in practice
Researched corridor journeys, and representative scenarios on the same subject. None is a specific client’s matter.
- India ↔ United Arab Emirates · researched journeyAn Indian manufacturer sets up a UAE regional hubRead the journey →
- UAE ↔ Europe · researched journeyA UAE company sets up a GmbH in GermanyRead the journey →
- Mid-sized company · from India · in China, Turkey, GermanyIt pays 30% deposits by wire to new suppliers in three countries.How WONE Global handles it →
Payments, FX, digital assets & treasury
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WONE Global Intelligence
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