United Kingdom · Payments & e-money
Smart Currency Exchange Limited
Smart Currency Exchange Limited is a private limited company registered in England and based in Hammersmith, London. The FCA authorises it as a payment institution under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. For customers in the EEA, CurrencyCloud B.V. provides e-money issuance and the related payment services. It belongs to Smart Currency Group Limited and is held through SCE Holdings Limited. Its founder and CEO, John Charles Fairbairn Purdy, is the ultimate controlling party. It sells spot and forward foreign exchange, market orders and regular overseas payment plans to private clients. It also serves businesses under the Smart Currency Business brand.
Licences and registrations
Held by Smart Currency Exchange Limited (LEI 213800PL15V1KMS75V62). 2 entries on 2 of the 22 tracked registers, retrieved 25 September 2026.
| Register | Licence | Number | Jurisdiction | Status | Registered | Ends | Activities | Register entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA Financial Services Register - Payment Institutions & RAISPsFCALinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives. | Authorised Payment InstitutionPayment Institution | 504509 | United Kingdom | Active | 2018-03-16 | — |
|
Search the register ↗ |
| HMRC MLR Supervised Business RegisterHMRCLinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives. | Money Service BusinessMoney Transmitter / Remittance | XEML00000172628 | United Kingdom | Active | 2022-04-01 | — |
|
Search the register ↗ |
Trading names on the register: Smart Currency Exchange (FCA-PSD, HMRC-MLR), Smart Currency Business (FCA-PSD, HMRC-MLR)
- Licences belong to the legal entity, not to a BIC.
- Each licence applies in the country of the regulator that granted it.
- Registers are tracked in 37 countries. Licences granted elsewhere are not recorded here.
- The register entries and their trading names were not matched against sanctions lists. The sanctions facts on this page cover the BIC and its LEI only.
Swift network
Swift’s ISO 9362 BIC directory
- BIC
- SCEHGB2LXXX head office
- Connection to Swift
- Connected to SwiftThis BIC is registered as a live address on the Swift network. The institution sends and receives Swift messages under SCEHGB2L directly.
- Swift GPI
- Not on the member list
- Payment schemes and systems
- No entry in the EPC registers, the ECB T2 and TIPS lists or the SIX Bank Master cites this BIC
- Branch codes
- None: head-office BIC only
- BIC first registered
- 2018-02-17
- Last updated
- 2025-12-19
Overview
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
Ownership
Group subsidiary
100% SCE Holdings Limited
Firm type
FX and business payments
Trades as Smart Currency Exchange
- Ownership
- SCE Holdings Limited (Companies House 06366493) owns the firm and holds 75% or more of its shares and votes. The ultimate parent is Smart Currency Group Limited, and the ultimate controlling party is John Charles Fairbairn Purdy.
- Direct parent
- SCE Holdings Limited, United Kingdom 100%
- Ultimate owner
- Smart Currency Group Limited, United Kingdom
- Head office
- 9th Floor, 1 Lyric Square, Hammersmith, W6 0NB London, United Kingdom
- Company register
- Companies House 05282305
- Incorporated
- 10 Nov 2004
- Founder
- Charles Purdy
Online
- Websites & references
- smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗
smartcurrencybusiness.com ↗ corporate client brand site (Smart Currency Business)
smartcurrencypremier.com ↗ high-net-worth client brand site (Smart Currency Premier)
portal.smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗ client portal - Official social accounts
- LinkedIn ↗ · Facebook ↗
Sources · 13 pages consulted
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05282305
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05282305/officers
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05282305/persons-with-significant-control
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05282305/filing-history
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05282305/filing-history/MzUyNTkyMzc4MmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/legal/
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/legal/safeguarding-funds/
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/legal/security/
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/legal/app-fraud/
- smartcurrencyexchange.com/about/meet-the-team/
- smartcurrencybusiness.com/about-us/
- fca.org.uk/news/warnings/smart-4ex-clone-authorised-firm
Authorisation
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Operates under
- Several models
- Licensed firm it operates under
- CurrencyCloud B.V., Netherlands issues e-money and provides the related payment services to the firm's EEA customers
The FCA authorises the firm as a payment institution under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (FRN 504509). HMRC supervises it as a money service business. For EEA customers, CurrencyCloud B.V. provides the services under its authorisation from De Nederlandsche Bank as an electronic money institution. For US customers, Visa Global Services Inc. provides the payment services as a licensed money transmitter (NMLS ID 181032).
| Authority | Licence or registration | Number | Held | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom | Authorised Payment Institution | 504509 | In its own name | Active | smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗ |
| HM Revenue & Customs United Kingdom | Money Service Business (Money Transmitter / Remittance) | XEML00000172628 | In its own name | Active | — |
Licences and registrations the research found, at home and abroad, as the firm and its regulators publish them. The Licences and registrations card shows the entries on the registers the directory tracks.
Partners and safeguarding
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Safeguarding
- Segregated safeguarding accountsThe firm says it holds client funds in a designated client account at Barclays Bank plc or Lloyds Bank plc, kept separate from its operating accounts. According to its 2025 accounts, GBP 9.5 million of client money was additionally covered by an insurance-backed safeguarding product.
- Safeguarding bank
- Barclays Bank plc United Kingdom
- Safeguarding bank
- Lloyds Bank plc United Kingdom
- Safeguarding bank · Partner
- CurrencyCloud B.V. Netherlands
- Payment schemes and card networks
- Faster Payments Access not stated smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗
CHAPS Access not stated smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗
Banks and regulated firms the firm says hold its customers’ money, issue its cards, sponsor its accounts or settle its payments, as it discloses them in its terms and notices.
Products and markets
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
It arranges bank-to-bank currency transfers, forward contracts of up to 12 months, market orders and regular payment plans. Each client gets a dedicated account manager. It focuses on overseas property purchases, emigration and other large or recurring transfers, and it does not handle cash or travel money.
It serves mainly UK-based clients under its FCA authorisation and has offices on the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol in Spain. Services for EEA and US customers are provided by CurrencyCloud B.V. and Visa Global Services Inc. respectively.
- Revenue
- GBP 28.2m
- Sells to
- Consumers · Small businesses · Enterprises
- Serves customers in 2 countries
- United Kingdom · Spain
Leadership
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Chief executive
- Charles Purdy Founder & CEO
- Chief financial officer
-
Jonathan Andrews
Finance Director
- Compliance / MLRO
-
Richard M'Crystal
Director of Risk and Compliance/MLRO; Company Secretary
- Executive
-
Alex Bennett
Managing Director, Smart Currency Business; Director
- Executive
- Trevor Charnley Managing Director of Smart Currency Exchange
- Executive
- Jana Harris Director; Managing Director of Your Overseas Home
Recent events
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
The research found no fines, investigations, security incidents, licence changes or corporate events from the last three years.
Compliance-relevant events of the last three years, newest first: fines and enforcement, investigations, security incidents, licence changes, funding rounds, acquisitions and leadership changes. Each links to its source.
Regulator warnings
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
-
Impersonation Financial Conduct Authority, United Kingdom
The FCA warned that an unauthorised entity called SMART 4EX was posing as the firm, using its reference number and details.
fca.org.uk ↗
Entries on regulators’ consumer-warning lists that name the firm or its brand. An impersonation warning is about fraudsters posing as the firm, not about the firm itself.
Identifiers
Head-office record
- BIC
- SCEHGB2LXXX
- How the BIC breaks down
- SCEHBank
- GBCountry · United Kingdom
- 2LLocation
- XXXBranch · head office
- Branch description
- Not recorded in the directory
- LEI
- 213800PL15V1KMS75V62
- LEI record
- View on GLEIF ↗
- Licence no. · FCA-PSD
- 504509
- Licence no. · HMRC-MLR
- XEML00000172628
- How the LEI was matched
- BIC: Mapped to this BIC in the Swift and GLEIF BIC-to-LEI relationship file.Register entries: Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives.
- Register-entry ID
- d864b9fbb02d
Profile
- Type
- Payments & e-money · Money service businessPayment institutions, e-money and stored-value issuers, and account-information providers. Licensed under payment-services law (e.g. PSD2 in the EU and UK, the Payment Services Act in Singapore). Taken from the licences on the tracked registers.
- Regulation
- Prudential licenceAuthorised with capital, safeguarding and conduct requirements, e.g. an authorised payment or e-money institution in the EU or UK, a major payment institution in Singapore, or a MiCA crypto-asset service provider.
- Register licences
- 2 entries on 2 registers
- Activities
- Payment services
- Money remittance
- Licensed in
- United Kingdom
- Website (register)
- www.smartcurrencyexchange.com ↗
- Country · region
- United Kingdom · Europe & Central Asia
- Trading venues (MIC)
- No MIC registered under this LEI list of 2026-09-17
- OFAC sanctions
- No listing cites this BIC
- EU sanctions
- No listing matched this BIC or its LEI
- Country sanctions
- No country programme
Types come from Swift’s BIC classification, the licences on the 22 tracked registers, and the ECB and FSB bank lists. Most banks outside the euro area appear as financial institutions, because their supervisors’ registers are not tracked yet.
Ownership and group
GLEIF relationship records
GLEIF’s relationship records name no parent for this LEI, and no group page is published for it.
Addresses
- Registered address
- 1, LYRIC SQUARE, 9/ F LONDON W6 0NB UNITED KINGDOM
- Operational address
- 1 LYRIC SQUARE FLOOR 9 LONDON LONDON W6 0NB UNITED KINGDOM
ISO 20022 identification
As an agent in a Swift cross-border payment message (CBPR+)
A CBPR+ message identifies this institution by its BIC, and may add its LEI or a clearing code. CBPR+ does not allow a name and postal address next to a BIC.
- Identified by
- BIC, with its LEI
- Roles in CBPR+
- Any agent, including the instructing and instructed agents
CBPR+
For cross-border payments on Swift: the BIC, with the LEI and clearing code where known
<FinInstnId>
<BICFI>SCEHGB2LXXX</BICFI>
<LEI>213800PL15V1KMS75V62</LEI>
</FinInstnId>Full record
Every ISO 20022 element the directory holds. Base ISO 20022 allows them together. CBPR+ does not allow a name and address next to a BIC
<FinInstnId>
<BICFI>SCEHGB2LXXX</BICFI>
<LEI>213800PL15V1KMS75V62</LEI>
<Nm>SMART CURRENCY EXCHANGE LIMITED</Nm>
<PstlAdr>
<TwnNm>LONDON</TwnNm>
<Ctry>GB</Ctry>
<AdrLine>1, LYRIC SQUARE, 9/ F LONDON W6 0NB</AdrLine>
</PstlAdr>
</FinInstnId>The BIC, name and address are as published in Swift’s BIC directory. The LEI comes from the Swift and GLEIF BIC-to-LEI file. Check them against your own records before use.
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Sources & method
Every value comes from a public source, such as Swift’s ISO 9362 BIC directory, GLEIF or the OFAC and EU sanctions lists. Most sources are matched on a BIC or an LEI, not on a name.
Swift GPI membership is matched on names and is indicative. A missing sanctions match does not mean that no listing applies. Always screen against the official lists.
Register entries are not screened against sanctions lists. The sanctions facts on this page cover the BIC and its LEI only.
An institution is one entry in the directory: a BIC8 in Swift’s directory, or a firm on a tracked register that holds no BIC. Licences held by an institution with a BIC are shown on its page.
Read the methodology →Credits for this page
- FCA Financial Services Register - Payment Institutions & RAISPs—Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) · register ↗ as at 25 September 2026
- HMRC MLR Supervised Business Register—HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) · register ↗ as at 24 September 2026
- Overview, authorisation, partners, products, leadership and events—researched per institution by an AI model with web search, from the firm's own website, terms and filings, regulators' registers and notices, company registers and news. Licences, partners, figures, people and events link to their source, and each card shows the research date. AI research can be wrong or out of date, so check key facts at the source.
- Images—logos and photos from Wikimedia Commons (credited with their author and licence) or from the institution's own website, where Wikimedia has none. Elucidate keeps a copy of each; the links lead to the source and the original image. Logo: smartcurrencyexchange.com (official website) · original; Jonathan Andrews: smartcurrencybusiness.com (official website) · original; Richard M'Crystal: smartcurrencybusiness.com (official website) · original; Alex Bennett: smartcurrencybusiness.com (official website) · original.
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