Navigating domestic RMB bank transfers and foreign exchange compliance can sometimes feel complicated. Please review the common questions below to help ensure your payment goes smoothly.
Can I use a corporate account for an RMB bank transfer?
Due to strict compliance regulations, we cannot accept funds transferred from a corporate bank account for personal payments (such as tuition, accommodation, or medical fees). If your transaction is strictly B2B (business-to-business), corporate accounts are permitted, but you must still upload the relevant official invoice to meet compliance and verification requirements.
Is there a transaction limit for an RMB bank transfer, and can I make split payments?
Flywire accepts up to 1,000,000 CNY equivalent per payment request. However, your personal bank may enforce its own daily transfer limits. If your bank's limit is lower than your total amount due, you can make split payments over multiple transfers by following these strict rules:
- All split transfers must come from the bank account under the same payer's name.
- You must include your exact Flywire Payment ID in the transfer notes/remarks for every transaction.
- Submit all of your bank receipts to Flywire Support via our online contact form as soon as the transfers are complete.
- Please ensure the total amount transferred matches the exact amount shown on your payment request. Overpayments or underpayments may cause delays or prevent your payment from being processed correctly.
- Your payment will only proceed to the foreign exchange review step once Flywire has received the full requested amount.
My bank says the transfer is "immediate," so why hasn't my Flywire status updated?
RMB Bank Transfers are not processed in real-time on Flywire. After you complete the transfer at your bank, it typically takes 1–2 business days (excluding weekends and public holidays) for our local partner to confirm receipt of the funds and complete the foreign exchange compliance review on your uploaded documents. You will receive a notification email once this process is complete. If 72 business hours have passed and your status has not updated, please contact Flywire Support and provide your bank receipt.
What if I forgot to include my Payment ID in the bank transfer reference?
Do not worry. We will use the Payer Name and Chinese National Identity Card number you provided during checkout to match your funds. Please ensure the sender's details exactly match the actual account holder. To help us locate your payment faster, please send a picture or screenshot of your bank receipt to our team via our web contact form.
Why was my bank transfer bounced or returned to my account?
If your funds are returned by your bank, it is usually due to a typo in the beneficiary account details during your transfer. Even minor errors—such as incorrect Chinese characters, missing letters, or extra spaces—will cause the bank's system to reject the transaction as an invalid account. Please carefully double-check the payment instructions we provided and try transferring again. If you are certain the details were entered perfectly, please send a screenshot of your transfer attempt to Flywire Support for further investigation.
What does the "Due Date" on the Flywire payment instructions mean?
The due date on your Flywire instructions is the deadline for you to initiate your bank transfer in order to keep your Flywire request active. It is not your school's official tuition deadline. Typically, an RMB Bank Transfer via Flywire takes 2–3 business days (excluding weekends and public holidays) to process. However, because this method includes a strict foreign exchange compliance review, additional processing time will be required if your verification fails and documents need to be resubmitted. To avoid late fees from your institution, we strongly recommend planning your payment schedule ahead of time and initiating your transfer well before your school's official deadline.
What if the payer does not have a Mainland Chinese National Identity Card?
The "RMB Bank Transfer" method is strictly restricted to Mainland Chinese citizens with a valid National Identity Card, per local regulations. If the payer does not have one, please cancel the current request and choose a payment method that does not require this ID, such as UnionPay online, Visa, Mastercard, or an International Bank Transfer in a foreign currency.
Can a non-Chinese Mainland student use RMB bank transfer?
While you can initiate this payment, please note that RMB Bank Transfers are primarily designed for Chinese Mainland ID holders. If the student holds a non-Chinese Mainland passport, additional identity documents will likely be required for compliance review, which may slow down the delivery of your payment.
To avoid foreign exchange audits, we recommend that non-Chinese Mainland students select one of the following methods:
- UnionPay Online Payment (银联在线支付)
- Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- International Bank Transfer (Paying in a currency other than RMB)
Why are the bank details different from my previous payment?
The bank account details provided for RMB bank transfers may vary between payments.
Always use the bank account information shown in the Payment Instructions for your current payment. Do not use bank details saved from a previous Flywire payment, as they may no longer apply to your current payment.
Using the correct account details helps ensure your payment can be identified and processed without unnecessary delays.
What should I do if my Payment Instructions show a “reserve fund account”?
For some RMB bank transfers, the receiving bank in your Payment Instructions may be listed as a payment institution reserve fund account (支付机构备付金集中存管账户) or a similar reserve fund account name.
Always use the bank account details shown in the Payment Instructions for your current payment. Do not use bank account information saved from a previous Flywire payment.
If you would like to learn more about reserve fund accounts, or cannot find the relevant receiving bank option in your banking app, please refer to: How do I find a reserve fund account (备付金账户) for my RMB bank transfer?