With the increase in international money transfers, several fintech companies have risen. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right company to transfer money with.
So, what is the best way to send money internationally? In this post, I’ll list the top seven international money transfer services. I hand-picked these companies based on experience and extensive research.
Sending money abroad with online money transfer companies is the best way to transfer money internationally because it is simple, inexpensive, and quick. You can also easily track and cancel the transaction if necessary. This is why the companies I will recommend to you offer online money transfer services.
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What to consider when choosing the best way to send money internationally
Cost
Cost is everything, so I chose companies with the lowest transfer fees and the best exchange rates.
Transfer speed
Nothing is more inconvenient than having to wait days for your money to be delivered. The companies discussed range in delivery speed from instant to 4 days; all you have to do is choose the one that suits you best.
Security
First and foremost, I have thoroughly checked how safe it is to transfer money with these companies; it is extremely unlikely that you will lose money while using these companies.
What are the best ways to send money internationally?
1. Wise (Formerly TransferWise)
Wise is one of the best money transfer companies, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.6. Money can be transferred from over 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Wise is more than just a money transfer service because it includes features that you won’t find anywhere else. You can use Wise to send, receive, hold, and spend money all from the same account.
What makes Wise special?
Wise provides you with bank accounts in over 9 countries, allowing you to use those accounts in those countries just like a local. Because these transfers are the same as local transfers, you can use these accounts to send and receive payments and buy properties in those countries without incurring additional costs. This makes Wise 10 times better than traditional banks. If you work online or regularly send and receive payments from the United States, the United Kingdom, or Europe, you should open a Wise account to help you process such payments at low fees.
You can protect money from your local currency inflation by storing it in any of the 53 currencies available on wise. You can hold and convert money between these currencies using the real exchange rate, so you won’t lose a penny when exchanging money. Money can be held in currencies such as the US dollar, Euro, British Pound, and so on.
Wise also provides a Mastercard, which you can use to withdraw cash from ATMs and shop online in over 195 countries worldwide.
What makes Wise the best way to send money internationally?
The main reason Wise is on this list is how simple, quick, and cheap it is to use when sending money internationally. Wise allows you to send money to over 80 countries, and the best part is that there are no hidden fees when sending money abroad with Wise. TransferWise uses the real exchange rate, so you won’t lose money due to currency fluctuations. When it comes to international money transfers, Wise is probably the cheapest company to transfer money with.
Wise payment methods
When sending money abroad using wise, you can pay for the transaction with a debit card, credit card, Google Pay, or using your bank account. Then the receiver receives the money in their bank account or mobile money.
Wise transfers are completed instantly or may take up to two days depending on the payment method and the speed with which the receiving bank account processes the transaction. Transfers are usually completed within minutes.
2. TransferGo
The London-based money remittance company is one of the best when it comes to international money transfers, with a Trustpilot rating of almost 5 you won’t regret using TransferGo.
Besides Wise, TransferGo is probably the most transparent money remittance company regarding its fees. TransferGo is one of the best ways to send money internationally because it offers speedy transfers at low costs.
TransferGo was founded in 2012 and since then it has evolved to the point where it’s now operating in 63 countries. The company mainly operates in Europe, but it also offers its services in the United Kingdom and Turkey. With TransferGo you can send money to almost any country in the world including the United States, Canada, India, etc.
TransferGo provides two types of money transfers: standard, which takes about a day, and instant, which is completed in 30 minutes. However, the speed with which the money is delivered is determined by the payment method and the recipient’s bank.
You can pay for the transaction using a debit card, credit card, or bank transfer. Transactions paid for using cards are faster. Whereas, transactions paid for with bank transfers are slower but much cheaper.
Money is usually transferred to the recipient’s bank account. TransferGo also supports card-to-card money transfers, so recipients can have funds transferred directly to their bank cards. Furthermore, mobile money is supported as a method of receiving funds in some countries.
Check out this Transfergo vs Wise comparison to determine which service is better between the two.
3. Remitly
Another great alternative to use when sending money internationally is Remitly. Remitly is a fintech company based in the United States that prides itself in helping people transfer money from developed countries to developing countries.
Remitly serves customers in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Money, on the other hand, can be transferred to over 130 countries, with delivery options unavailable elsewhere. Depending on the country to which you are sending money, Remitly offers the following delivery options:
- Bank deposit
- Cash pickup
- Mobile money
- Debit card deposit
- Home delivery
Remitly fees
Remitly has some of the lowest fees on the market, with economy transfers costing no more than $4 for up to $3000. However, Remitly, like any other money transfer company, may add a small markup to the exchange rate, causing you to pay slightly more than their fee. Furthermore, express transfers are slightly expensive, but this is reasonable given that money is delivered within minutes. Fees vary according to payment methods, with bank transfers being significantly less expensive than debit or credit card payments.
Remitly transfer speed
Cash pickup, mobile money, and debit card deposit delivery options are almost instant, whereas bank deposits and home deliveries can take up to a week.
With over 5 million customers, 3400 bank partners, and 380 000 cash pickup locations worldwide, Remitly is one of the best ways to send money internationally. However, some customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s services.
Check out Remitly’s current promotions below;
4. Worldremit
This is a digital payments service that was founded in 2010 and provides international money transfer services in over 130 countries around the world. WorldRemit is the best alternative to Western Union in that it has a lot of delivery destinations and also offers cash pickup in several locations across the globe.
This is the best way to send money internationally if you want the recipient to pick up the money in cash. Compared to Western Union and other money remittance companies, WorldRemit offers excellent services to customers. Foremost, money transfers are carried out online, either through the WorldRemit website or WorldRemit mobile application. So you will not have to leave home to make the money transfer. WorldRemit also has lower fees than companies like Western Union, which have high operating costs.
Depending on the country where you are registered, you can pay for your WorldRemit transfer using the following methods:
- Debit/Credit cards
- Bank transfer
- Apple Pay
- Klarna(Sofort)
- Poli
- Mobile money
If you’re wondering how your recipient will receive the funds, WorldRemit offers several delivery options, here are some:
- Bank account
- Cash pickup
- Mobile money
- Airtime top-up
How long does it take to send money through Worldremit?
According to WorldRemit data, the time it takes to transfer money depends on the delivery method used. You should expect to complete 90% of bank transfers in one day. 95% of cash pickup transfers in three minutes or less, and 90% of mobile money and airtime top-up transactions in ten minutes or less.
Many customers have described WorldRemit as easy to use, fast and reliable. If you think WorldRemit is what you’re looking for, check out their website below.
5. Paysend
Paysend has been in operation for less than 5 years and is now available in over 150 countries; this rapid growth is a result of the company’s excellent service. This is the best way to send money internationally if you want to transfer money directly to bank cards. The best part is that the majority of these card-to-card money transfers on Paysend are instant. Besides card-to-card money transfers, Paysend offers the following delivery options; bank transfers, digital wallets, mobile money, and in some locations cash pickup.
Paysend fees
Paysend charges a flat fee of not more than 2 dollars on all international money transfers, making it to have some of the most competitive rates in the market. Although Paysend only charges $2, some fees result from the exchange rate. Paysend adds a little percentage to the mid-market exchange rate, so are going to pay more than the stated fee. Nonetheless, Paysend is significantly less expensive than the majority of money transfer companies.
Paysend transfer speed
Digital wallets, mobile money and card-to-card money transfers are instant, but in some cases, it can take up to one hour for the money to reach the recipient. However, bank transfers can take up to three days.
Paysend is the company I’ve used the most for international money transfers, and I’ve had no problems. Because I was mostly sending money to mobile money wallets, most of my transactions on the platform were instant.
6. XE Money Transfer
XE Money Transfer is an international money transfer service run by xe.com, a Canadian company that provides online exchange tools and services. Founded in 1993, XE Money Transfer is one of the market’s oldest and most reputable online money transfer companies.
XE Money Transfer is the best way to send money internationally when transferring large sums of money using banks. This is probably the cheapest and fastest way to send huge sums of money across the globe, with a rich network of banks, you can send money almost to any country and in any currency.
XE Money Transfer payment and delivery options
You have two payment options when sending money with XE. You could pay with a bank transfer or a credit/debit card. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. Use a card if you want a faster transfer. Use a bank transfer if you want to avoid paying high fees.
XE Money Transfer Fees
Foremost, all small transactions of less than 500 dollars are subject to a 3-dollar or equivalent fee. However, if your transfer exceeds $500, you will not incur this fee. As a result, XE Money Transfer is less expensive when sending large sums of money and a bit expensive when sending small sums of money. Some fees result from the exchange rate; there is a small difference between the exchange rate by XE and the mid-market rate (the rate which appears when you search on Google).
XE Money Transfer Speed
Because of its extensive bank network, XE Money Transfer offers quick bank transfers. The majority of transfers take one day but may take up to four days.
XE is probably the company on this list with the highest customer satisfaction rate. Most customers are happy with the company’s service.
7. Western Union
If you’ve been looking for the best way to send money internationally, I’m sure you’ve come across Western Union. This is because Western Union is the world’s largest money transfer company. This list would be incomplete without mentioning Western Union, which is not only the largest financial services company in the world but also the oldest, having begun operations in 1851.
Western Union is the leading pioneer of in-personal money transfers. You can send money online or in person to friends and family in over 200 countries and territories around the world.
Western Union payment methods
You can send money directly from your Internet banking if your bank has Western Union integrated, or you can simply walk into any of Western Union’s stores near you and make the payment in person.
Western Union delivery options
Western Union has two delivery options; bank transfers and cash pick-up.
Western Union fees
There are two ways of sending money using Western Union; bank transfers and in-person transfers. Bank transfers are way cheaper compared to in-person transfers. Generally, Western Union has higher fees compared to other money transfer companies. Western Union, on the other hand, has the most extensive coverage in terms of delivery destinations, with over 500 000 stores worldwide.
Western Union transfers are among the fastest on the market; cash pick transfers are available to your recipient within minutes of making the payment. Bank deliveries take up to 5 days.
Bonus: Cryptocurrencies
With the increased use of cryptocurrencies, I thought it would be remiss of me not to include crypto as one of the best ways to send money internationally. This is due to the fact that it is the cheapest, fastest, and most secure way to send money in the world.
With crypto, money transfers are fast and incur no additional cost because there are no middlemen, no geographical barriers, and no time constraints.
To send money using cryptocurrencies, both you and the recipient must create an account on one of the cryptocurrency exchanges. You need the recipient’s crypto wallet address, which can be found within the recipient’s account, to send money to them. If you’re new to cryptocurrency, I recommend signing up for an account on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange. Learn how to send money using cryptocurrencies in this video.
Conclusion
To summarize, the best way to send money internationally varies from person to person. However, there are some features that every good international money transfer should have, which are as follows: low cost, security, quick transfers, and ease of use.
This article lists the seven best ways to send money internationally; I’m confident that one of the companies mentioned will meet your money transfer needs.
Which of the above companies do you intend to use or have you previously used? Are there any other money transfer services that you use that I haven’t mentioned? Please leave your feedback in the comments section below.
