Ouribank is one of Brazil’s leading foreign exchange banks. Founded in 1979, it has processed more than $290 billion dollar transactions, funded over 2.5 million in foreign exchange transactions, and served over 900,000 clients. Ouribank's mission: open a new world of opportunities for its clients in Brazil and worldwide.
With over 900,000 clients served and more than $290 billion in dollar transactions processed, Ouribank has been a leader in the Brazil foreign exchange market since 1979.
In 2024, Ouribank chose to pilot Nium Connect to send international payments in real time via Swift message. The result didn’t just shorten settlement; it set a new benchmark for client experience in Brazil.
The Challenge
Ouribank powers fintechs whose customers include Brazilian families and expats living across Europe, and for them, a SEPA payment that arrives "tomorrow instead of today" is precisely the problem. These are clients who will move to whoever gets their money there fastest.
"Our industry is all about somebody doing something different and, if it works, everyone else copying it,” said Bruno Foresti, Director at Ouribank. “We wanted to be the first one to offer our clients this kind of solution.”
The blocker: Ouribank’s internal payments orchestration is designed to run final compliance and sanctions checks just before a transaction is sent to Swift. Rebuilding that entire governance chain on an API integration wasn’t an option.
The Solution
Ouribank was already familiar with Nium’s real-time payments network and collaborative approach. Piloting Nium Connect was the lowest-friction way to prove the idea on the rails the bank already trusted.
“We were keen to test sending Swift messages instead of connecting via APIs,” explained Foresti. “Nium was the first player who said, ‘Okay, we’re up to doing that.’”
Once live, Ouribank could send Nium a Swift message, who transformed it into a local payment across its network of local rails.
The Results
More than a year on, clients who formerly wouldn't have thought twice about waiting a day (or more) for a payment to arrive now call the bank if it takes three or four hours to settle.
Clients have also taken notice of the total cost to send and receive payments. When routed well, Ouribank helps businesses and individuals save on deductions.
These results have spread by word of mouth, which for a bank who wants to be known for being first, is the biggest win of all.
Looking Ahead
Ouribank doesn't wait for the industry to catch up. It builds real technology on the back-end, staying ahead of Brazil's constantly evolving payments landscape.
On the horizon for the bank: improvements to collections and deepening digital capabilities with stablecoins.
Along the way, Ouribank will have the partnership and infrastructure they need from Nium to push the boundaries and stay one step ahead of client needs.
