Wise Account Deactivated: What It Means, Appeals, and Your Money

Deactivated, suspended, restricted, and inactive: how Wise uses each word

Wise uses several words for an account that has stopped working normally. Each one has its own Help Centre article, and the steps are different. Read the email Wise sent you first, because Wise’s articles point you back to that email many times.

A suspended account is a pause during a check. Wise’s suspension article says “We may need to suspend your account while we perform a mandatory regulatory compliance check.” The check it describes is about whether you hold, or are related to someone who holds, a position as a Politically Exposed Person. While the account is suspended, Wise says you can’t add money, receive money, or pay bills by Direct Debit. Wise says the account “will unfortunately remain suspended until we receive and verify your response.”

A restricted account is also a pause. Wise says “We may temporarily restrict your account to keep you and your money safe while we complete a routine check.” Wise says one reason is to “Confirm your identity, address, or where your money comes from.” Wise also says its support team “can’t remove the restriction or speed up the review if you call us.” The fastest step, Wise says, is to answer its request by email or in the app.

Inactive is not a status with its own article in the Wise help pages we read. Wise’s US fee disclosure for the Wise Account lists an inactivity fee of $0 “after 12 months with no transactions.” Wise also has a page for people who closed their own account. That page says: “It looks like you deactivated your account a while ago.”

How to appeal a deactivated Wise account

Wise’s appeal article gives two ways in. You can log in and follow the appeal link, or you can go to Wise’s self-service appeals page. To use the self-service page, Wise says you must “have access to the email address registered to your Wise account” and be the Owner of the account. For a business account, Wise adds that “other team members can’t appeal.” If the page does not work for you, Wise says to reply to the email it sent you about the deactivation.

Wise lists what an appeal always includes. The list is a high-resolution photo or colour scan of your photo ID, a photo of yourself holding that ID, and “Your reason for using Wise, including the purpose of your past or future transfers.” Depending on the case, Wise says it might also ask for “Proof of your address,” “Proof of where your money came from,” and “Any other documents to support your appeal.”

Wise is clear that an appeal may not change the result. Its closed account article says “Making an appeal doesn’t mean we’ll automatically change our decision.” The article on accounts being closed says “Our decision to close an account is usually final.” It also says the closure email “will explain if you’re eligible to appeal and the exact deadline for doing so.” Wise says appeals go to “a separate specialist team,” and that the team will email you a final decision.

1. 1Find the email Wise sent you about the deactivation. Check the appeal deadline in it.
2. 2Log in to Wise and follow the appeal link, or open the self-service appeals page.
3. 3Say what you are appealing and follow the on-screen steps.
4. 4Upload your photo ID, a selfie holding that ID, and your reason for using Wise.
5. 5Send any extra documents Wise asks for, such as proof of address or proof of where your money came from.
6. 6Wait for Wise’s final decision by email.

How to get your money back from a deactivated Wise account

Wise says you may see two options on the appeal page: “Appeal our decision” or “Request a refund.” If you request a refund, Wise says “we’ll ask for the bank details of an account outside of Wise where we can send your money.” Wise also says it “must complete due diligence checks before processing any refund.”

If Wise has emailed you that your account is being closed, you may still have time to move money yourself. Wise says you usually have 90 days from its first email to move your money out, or 30 days if the account is registered in Brazil. While the account is still active, Wise says you can send the money to an external bank account. Once the account is already deactivated, Wise says you need to submit a refund request with your external bank details.

Wise lists a few conditions. If you hold a currency that Wise can’t send out, Wise says it may convert it first. If any currency has a negative balance, Wise says “you must add money to clear it before we can return your remaining funds.” For pending transfers, Wise’s closed account article gives refund times by payment method. By bank debit or ACH, it says refunds take “up to 90 working days, while we carry out due diligence checks.”

Save your records early. Wise says that after the closure date “You won’t be able to log in to your account.” If you need statements later, Wise says to use the email address given in the closure message, or to reach out to support.

Can you open another Wise account after deactivation?

Wise answers this directly. Its article on accounts being closed says: “Generally, once we’ve closed an account, you won’t be able to open another one with Wise.” Wise’s duplicate account article says “You can only have one personal Wise account, and one business profile for each of your businesses.” The closed account article lists a duplicate account as one example of why Wise may close an account.

Closing your own account is a different case. Wise’s reopen article says that if you closed your account on your own, or asked Wise to do it, “you can reactivate it whenever you’d like.” If you are eligible, Wise says you reopen it by trying to log in. For a business account, Wise says “you’ll need to contact our Customer Support.”

If you also disagree with how Wise handled your case, Wise says you can lodge a complaint. Its closed account article says a complaint “doesn’t affect our decision to close your account.” Wise says it aims to review a complaint “within 14 calendar days,” and that it can take longer depending on the region.

What Wise asks a business owner to send

For a business account, Wise checks the business as well as you. Wise’s US business verification article says that when you sign up, Wise asks for the business name, company type, and Employer Identification Number. Wise also asks for details about what you sell, your website, why you want a Wise business account, and your expected monthly volumes. Wise says “The more information you can give us about your business, the faster we can verify it.”

Wise collects two business addresses. Its business address article names a registered address and a trading address. For the trading address, Wise says it “must be a physical location.” Wise’s US business verification article lists what Wise can’t accept there, including “Mail forwarding services” and “Virtual addresses.” Wise says “We will eventually ask you for a proof of address document for your business.”

Our guide to the Wise business account address covers which documents Wise accepts for each address. Our guide to proof of address for a business explains how address documents work in general. Send Wise only what its email asks for, and make sure the document matches the details on your account.