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Whether you move to the United States for school, work, or another reason, you’re likely leaving behind friends and family. Sending money home — often known as remittances — can be a wonderful way to support your loved ones.
Fortunately, there’s been a lot of innovation in the money-transfer space and competition between money transfer companies has pushed down the cost. However, the growth also means there’s more to consider and compare before you send money.
4 options for sending money internationally
There’s no overall best option or company if you want to transfer money. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest way or fast service over saving a few dollars in fees, you’ll want to compare at least a few of the popular options:
Mail cash, a check, or a money order. This may be the worst option as you’ll have to pay for shipping, wait for the mail, and the recipient could still have to pay to exchange the money into their local currency. It also may be the least secure.
Make a transfer or send a wire from your bank. If you’ve opened a bank account in the US, you may be able to make a bank-to-bank transfer or wire transfer from your account to a recipient's bank account.
In-person money transfer services. With traditional money transfer services, such as Western Union and MoneyGram, you can pay with cash and the recipient can pick up the money in-person. These two behemoths in the industry aren’t stuck in the stone age, though, and offer many online and mobile services as well.
Money transfer apps. There are also a variety of money transfer apps that make it easy to send money from your phone. Among the most popular are Remitly, TransferWise, and Xoom. These apps are generally quicker and less expensive than traditional options. They’re held to the same standards as any international money transfer service for security. Apps like Remitly have 24/7 customer service if you run into any difficulties, too.
Setting mailing aside (as it’s the least secure option and won’t necessarily save you a lot on fees), here’s what you should consider when comparing the other three.
What to consider when comparing money transfer services
Money transfer services may have different limitations and benefits. Keep these in mind when you’re trying to figure out which service to use:
Does the company offer transfers to your bank, mobile wallet, or cash pickup of choice? This should be one of the first things you check. Many companies offer transfers to dozens or hundreds of countries, but you’ll want to make sure you can send somewhere trusted and convenient for your recipient.
How long does a transfer take? With some services, the recipient can pick up cash or receive the money in their account within minutes. With others, it could take several business days. The timing can vary depending on how you pay for the transfer, the delivery option, and where you’re sending money.
Are there maximum and minimum transfer amounts? Think about how much money you’ll usually send and make sure it’s within the acceptable range. International regulations mean that all money transfer services must cap the amount of money their users can send at once. Look for that information from your provider of choice.
How can you fund the transfer? You may be able to use cash, a bank account, debit card, or credit card. However, the fees and transfer time can depend on which payment method you use. If you think you’ll favor a specific method, look for a company that offers low fees for that type of funding.
Can you send in your preferred currency? In some cases, you may wish to send money for your recipient in dollars, rather than having them pick up the local currency. Or, you may wish to send in the local currency to take advantage of a favorable exchange rate. Check to see the options. With Remitly, for example, senders to the Dominican Republic can choose to have their funds received as either USD or DOP.
Some factors are harder to quantify, such as whether the company offers high-quality customer service or has an easy-to-use website and mobile app.
If you’ve narrowed down your list of potential options, you can look for reviews of the services online and read about others’ experiences. You can also ask friends and colleagues what service they use and whether they recommend it.
Common international money transfer fees
Unfortunately, sending money isn’t free. The fees can vary depending on where you’re sending money, how you’re sending money, and the financial institution or money transfer service. Here are the common fees to look for and compare:
Transfer fee. You may have to pay a fee to initiate a transfer. Generally, there’s either a flat fee, which could be best for larger amounts, or a percentage of the amount you’re sending, which is best for smaller amounts. Or, you may have to pay a combination of a flat fee and percentage fee.
Wire transfer fees. If you’re sending money using a wire transfer from your bank account, you may have to pay a wire transfer fee.
Exchange rate markups. You may find that there is an exchange rate markup—particularly if there are no other fees. Keep an eye out for favorable rates, as exchange rates change daily. Some companies also offer promotional exchange rates for first-time users.
Cash advance fee. If you use a credit card to fund your transfer, your credit card company may charge you a cash advance fee.
Receiving fees. The recipient may need to pay a fee to pick up the money, or their financial institution may charge them a fee when the money gets deposited into the account. For example, some banks charge an incoming wire transfer fee. This is becoming less common, however; with most money transfer apps, you’ll find that recipients are never charged a fee.
Many factors can affect the cost of your transfer, but you can generally check how much the transfer will cost (or see how much the recipient will get) on the transfer service’s website or app. Additionally, there are comparison services like as Monito and FXcompared that let you quickly compare the fees, exchange rate, and transfer speeds of different services.
Getting started
Once you’ve settled on a service provider, you may need to create a new account before you can send money. Sometimes, you can also save money by looking for promotion codes that waive or lower fees on your first few transfers.
Before you can send money, you may also need information about the recipient, such as their name, mobile phone number, bank account number, International Bank Account Number, or their bank account’s BIC/SWIFT code.
You can then send money directly to the person’s account, or initiate a transfer and give the person a code that they can use to pick up the cash. Some services also let you and the recipient create mobile wallets, which you can use to quickly send money back and forth.
And that’s it. While the initial comparison and setup can take time, once you’re ready, sending the money is often a quick and easy process.
Use your foreign credit history to start your U.S credit history
New to the U.S.? Check if you can use your country's credit history in the U.S. to apply for credit cards and start your U.S credit history using Nova Credit.
Use your foreign credit history to start your U.S credit history
New to the U.S.? Check if you can use your country's credit history in the U.S. to apply for credit cards and start your U.S credit history using Nova Credit.
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