United Kingdom · Payments & e-money
World First UK LTD
Legal name in the LEI recordWORLD FIRST UK LIMITED
World First UK Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, with its head office in London. The FCA authorises it as an electronic money institution under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011, with Firm Reference Number 900508. Its direct parent is World First (Singapore) Holding Pte. Ltd. According to its 2024 accounts, its ultimate parent is Ant International (Cayman) Holding Limited. Under the WorldFirst brand it provides UK businesses with multi-currency World Accounts, international payments, spot and forward FX and the World Card.
Licences and registrations
Held by World First UK Limited (LEI 549300OQHYGBN8W1QP06). 3 entries on 3 of the 22 tracked registers, retrieved 25 September 2026.
| Register | Licence | Number | Jurisdiction | Status | Registered | Ends | Activities | Register entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA Financial Services Register - E-Money InstitutionsFCALinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives. | Authorised E-Money InstitutionE-Money / Stored Value Institution | 900508 | United Kingdom | Active | 2018-05-16 | — |
|
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| FCA Financial Services Register - Payment Institutions & RAISPsFCALinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate on the UK company number the register gives. | Authorised Payment InstitutionPayment Institution | 502759 | United Kingdom | Cancelled - Authorised PI | — | Ended 2016-02-15 |
|
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| Money Services Business RegistryFINTRACLinked by LEI. Matched by Elucidate to GLEIF on name, country and address. | Foreign MSB (FMSB)Money Transmitter / Remittance | M12551579 | Canada | Ceased | 2012-02-22 | Ended 2024-12-03 |
|
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Licences and registrations listed here were granted in Canada. This BIC is registered in the United Kingdom.
Trading names on the register: WorldFirst (FCA-EMI, FCA-PSD)
- 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
- WFSTGB2LXXX 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 WFSTGB2L directly.
- Swift GPI
- Live member
- 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
- 1 branch code
- BIC first registered
- 2008-07-26
- Last updated
- 2025-06-24
Overview
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
Ownership
Group subsidiary
World First (Singapore) Holding Pte. Ltd.
Firm type
FX and business payments
Trades as WorldFirst
- Ownership
- World First (Singapore) Holding Pte. Ltd. owns the firm, and its 2024 accounts name Ant International (Cayman) Holding Limited as its ultimate parent.
- Direct parent
- World First (Singapore) Holding Pte. Ltd. ↗, Singapore
- Ultimate owner
- Ant International (Cayman) Holding Limited, Cayman Islands
- Head office
- 2nd Floor, International House, 1 St Katharine's Way, E1W 1UN London, United Kingdom
- Company register
- Companies House 05022388
- Incorporated
- 21 Jan 2004
- Founders
- Jonathan Quin · Nick Robinson
Online
- Websites & references
- worldfirst.com ↗
portal.worldfirst.com ↗ customer login portal
worldfirst.com/global ↗ WorldFirst global brand site
developers.worldfirst.com.cn ↗ API documentation (group-level) - Official social accounts
- LinkedIn ↗ · X ↗ · Facebook ↗ · Instagram ↗ · YouTube ↗ · TikTok ↗
Sources · 13 pages consulted
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05022388
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05022388/officers
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05022388/persons-with-significant-control
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05022388/filing-history
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05022388/filing-history/MzQ3NDEwOTIyNmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
- worldfirst.com/uk/
- worldfirst.com/global/compliance/regulatory-information/
- worldfirst.com/uk/legal/terms-and-conditions/
- worldfirst.com/uk/security-and-safety/
- worldfirst.com/uk/personal/
- worldfirst.com/uk/help-center/making-payments/world-card-user-guide/
- worldfirst.com/uk/legal/terms-and-conditions/world-card-cashback-promotion/
- worldfirst.com/en-hk/about-us/
Authorisation
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Operates under
- Its own licences
The FCA authorises the firm as an electronic money institution under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011, with Firm Reference Number 900508. It was previously an FCA-authorised payment institution (reference 502759) until that authorisation was cancelled in February 2016.
| Authority | Licence or registration | Number | Held | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom | Authorised Electronic Money Institution | 900508 | In its own name | Active | register.fca.org.uk ↗ |
| Financial Conduct Authority United Kingdom | Authorised Payment Institution | 502759 | In its own name | Withdrawn or expired | — |
| Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) Canada | Foreign Money Services Business registration | M12551579 | In its own name | Withdrawn or expired | — |
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 accountsAccording to its World Account terms, the firm holds funds equal to customers' e-money balances in bank accounts kept separate from its business accounts, safeguarded as the law requires.
- Payment schemes and card networks
- Mastercard Access not stated worldfirst.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 offers businesses multi-currency accounts with local receiving details, international and supplier payments (including to China), spot and forward FX, and the World Card on the Mastercard network. Personal transfers on the WorldFirst UK site are provided by a separate firm, AIUK Services Limited (FRN 927634).
It serves business customers in the United Kingdom under its FCA authorisation. Its FINTRAC registration for Canadian customers ceased on 3 December 2024.
- Revenue
- GBP 19.7m
- Sells to
- Small businesses · Enterprises · Platforms and marketplaces
- Serves customers in
- United Kingdom
Leadership
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
- Executive
- Leiming Chen Director
- Executive
- Wenyi Shi Director
- Executive
- Hoi Yan Irene Lau Director
Recent events
Researched 29 Sep 2026 · Sources
-
Leadership
Director Yi Zhou left the board on 31 May 2026.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Other
The firm moved its registered office from Millbank Tower to International House, 1 St Katharine's Way, London, on 13 June 2025.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Merger / acquisition
Ant International was spun off from Ant Group on 4 December 2024 and became the firm's ultimate parent company.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Merger / acquisition
Between September and December 2024 the firm sold its Singapore, Dutch, Australian and Japanese subsidiaries to other Ant International companies.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Leadership
Yi Zhou was appointed a director on 29 October 2024.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Leadership
Director Ying Zhao left the board on 13 March 2024.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗ -
Leadership
Co-founder Jonathan Quin stepped down as a director on 10 October 2023.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk ↗
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.
Identifiers
Head-office record
- BIC
- WFSTGB2LXXX
- How the BIC breaks down
- WFSTBank
- GBCountry · United Kingdom
- 2LLocation
- XXXBranch · head office
- Branch description
- Not recorded in the directory
- LEI
- 549300OQHYGBN8W1QP06
- LEI record
- View on GLEIF ↗
- Licence no. · FCA-EMI
- 900508
- Licence no. · FCA-PSD
- 502759
- Licence no. · FINTRAC-MSB
- M12551579
- 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: Matched by Elucidate to GLEIF on name, country and address.
- Register-entry IDs
- 5dc7470dfd6e · 3d3a963f1ba3
- Companies House no.
- 05022388 ↗
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
- 3 entries on 3 registers
- Activities
- Payment services
- E-money / stored value
- Money remittance
- Currency exchange
- Licensed in
- United Kingdom
- Website (register)
- www.worldfirst.com/uk ↗
- 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
- Direct parent
- Worldfirst (Singapore) Holding Pte. Ltd. · Singapore254900REIBMS9X8PBK56 ↗
- Ultimate parent
- 蚂蚁科技集团股份有限公司 · China30030071TC2VB5OCSC22 ↗
Group membership follows the accounting-consolidation relationships reported to GLEIF. It does not show ownership shares or control.
Persons with significant control
Companies House · company 05022388 ↗ · as at 9 October 2026
The company states that no person or legal entity has significant control over it.
Companies report persons with significant control to Companies House. Elucidate has not verified them.
A person with significant control holds more than 25% of the shares or votes, can appoint or remove the board, or has significant influence or control. Dates of birth and addresses are not shown.
Matched on the Companies House number that the FCA register gives for this firm.
See the register at Companies House ↗Addresses
- Registered address
- 2ND FLOOR, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE 1,ST KATHARINE'S WAY LONDON E1W 1UN UNITED KINGDOM
- Operational address
- INTERNATIONAL HOUSE FLOOR 2 1 ST KATHARINE'S WAY LONDON LONDON E1W 1UN 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>WFSTGB2LXXX</BICFI>
<LEI>549300OQHYGBN8W1QP06</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>WFSTGB2LXXX</BICFI>
<LEI>549300OQHYGBN8W1QP06</LEI>
<Nm>WORLD FIRST UK LTD</Nm>
<PstlAdr>
<TwnNm>LONDON</TwnNm>
<Ctry>GB</Ctry>
<AdrLine>2ND FLOOR, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE 1, ST KATHARINE'S WAY LONDON E1W 1UN</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.
Network
Branch codes
| BIC | Branch | City | Address | LEI | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WFSTGB2L001 | — | London | INTERNATIONAL HOUSE FLOOR 2 1 ST KATHARINE'S WAY LONDON LONDON E1W 1UN UNITED KINGDOM | 549300OQHYGBN8W1QP06 | 2026-04-04 |
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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 - E-Money Institutions—Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) · register ↗ as at 25 September 2026
- FCA Financial Services Register - Payment Institutions & RAISPs—Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) · register ↗ as at 25 September 2026
- Money Services Business Registry—Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) · register ↗ as at 25 September 2026
- Ownership and group—GLEIF Level 2 relationship records (accounting consolidation), matched by LEI.
- Persons with significant control—Companies House · source ↗ as at 9 October 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: worldfirst.com (official website) · original.
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