If you live abroad and need to remit money home – whether you’re a retired expat, a migrant worker, or someone who resides in his own country but is being paid from abroad, you can learn about the leading remittance companies here.

Our page will explain how to remit money internationally for cheap, the different services each remittance company provides and ultimately which are the best remittance companies providers most apt for your needs (and of offering cheap remittance rates). We compare remittance companies for 7 years now and we will give you a comprehensive overview.

The Best Remittance Transfer Service Providers and Companies

Below you can compare remittance transfer providers and rates – including bank-to-bank transfers alongside cash pickups and mobile top-ups. Learn which are the best international remittances services and those most suited to your specific requirements and needs. Choosing the right provider allows you to remit money home for cheap – possibly 50% less than what you would have paid with traditional foreign exchange companies branches (such as WU or Moneygram) or a bank. Compare remittances companies and view the top remittances companies here:

Best Remittance Providers for Bank to Bank

Wise (Previously TransferWise): Best to Remit Money Abroad for Cheap

Wise / TransferWise Review

Headquarters:

17 Avenue Marnix, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

86.8% Editorial rating

124,000 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

No Minimum - Send From: UK, Europe, US, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand

Why Them?

• Largest Money Transfer Provider of its Kind
• Fees for Most Routes under £1
• Fully-Online Journey with Transparent Pricing
• You Pay the Same Percentage of Deal Regardless of Remittance Transfe rSize
• Very Easy to Use - Computer or Mobile
• Quick Transactions - Some Destinations/Recepients Are Instant
• Wide Reach but Many Countries in Asia and Africa are Not Available

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OFX: Remittances Kings of Australia

OFX Review

Headquarters:

Level 19, 60 Margaret St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

90.4% Editorial rating

4,500 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

£100 / €100 / $100 or equivalent, Send From: Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, US, Canada

Why Them?

• Excellent Reach - Transfer to Any Country with no Fixed Fees
• Intuitive Online System, Easy to Understand and Use
• 24/7 Support Wherever You Are on The Globe - Be Treated with Respect
• The Best Money Transfer App
• 115 Bank Accounts Across the World
• Accepting Clients from Everywhere, Almost

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Currencies Direct: Best for Large or Repeat Transfers

Currencies Direct Money Transfer Review

Headquarters:

1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AA, UK

97.8% Editorial rating

5,000 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

£100 / €100 / $100 or equivalent - Send From: UK, Europe, US, Canada, South Africa, India

Why Them?

• #1 Rating on MTC for the Past 2 Years - Tailored to Larger Transfers with Excellent Phone Service
• No Fees on any Transfers, Ever
• Very Friendly Online Platform
• Multi-Lingual Website and Staff
• Fully-Functional App
• Diverse Hedging Options for Businesses
• Will Handle Transfer of Any Size
• Fund Transfers via Domestic Bank Transfer or Debit Card
• Accepts Clients Globally (USA - depending on state)

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One of the Hottest Money Transfer Startups

CurrencyFair Review

Headquarters:

Colm House, 91 Pembroke Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland

86.8% Editorial rating

5,000 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

No Minimum - Send From: UK, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore

Why Them?

• No Fees on GBP payments, EUR Charged at €3
• Very Low Margins, Down To 0.33%
• Great Reputation And Client Reactions
• Regulated By Central Bank Of Ireland
• Well Funded And Stable
• Recent Merger With Assembly Payments

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Azimo: Fees from £0.99, 4.6/5 on TrustPilot

Headquarters:

Milton Keynes Buiness Centre Foxhunter Drive, Suite 140 Milton Keynes, MK14 6GD United Kingdom

77.0% Editorial rating

51,000 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

£1

Why Them?

• Very well known
• Good online system
• Tight margins
• Strong mobile app
• Supporting 60 currencies and 200 countries
• Multiple industry awards

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TransferGo: Rated 4.8 / 5 from over 22,000 reviews

Headquarters:

241 Southwark Bridge Rd, SE1 6FP, London, United Kingdom

72.0% Editorial rating

22,000 Client Reviews

Minimum transfer:

No Minimum, Remit from UK and Europe to over 65 destinations.

Why Them?

• ltilingual Support Team
• Excellent Client Feedback
• Over 2.5 million Customers to Date

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More Worthwhile Mentions:

Our Remittances Focuses

Our focus on this page is to compare remittances options and designated services/companies and their rates specifically for destinations like

Remittances Companies – A Quick Comparison

Compare to Find the Cheapest Remittances

Are the companies featured in this section really cheaper than traditional settlements like Moneygram and Western Union agents? The World Bank has a programme named “Remittances Prices” that has set itself a goal to reduce the remittances fees to developing countries that rely on that inflow of cash from its residents abroad. The most recent report published on remittances prices was December 2020 which calculated the average cost of remitting money home to be a whopping 6.51%. Follow our tips on cheap remittances providers and you should certainly find a better deal than this.

Below you can find statistics based on the World Bank Remittances Prices for Q1 2021:

International Money Order for Remittances?

We have created a large guide about international money orders to explain the associated cost of this method for remittances transfers, and our bottom line is that there’s a $10 fee to issue those in the U.S, and that there are other currency costs making it an expensive method to remit money online.

More Cheap Remittances Companies & Money Transfer Firms

Remit money from UK and many other countries around the world using the following options. Here is the complete list of companies remitting small amounts internationally of companies we have covered:

What makes them the cheapest and best rated remittances companies?

✓ Remit online for cheap, without having to go to your bank or foreign exchange office.

✓ Understand exactly how much you are going to get.

✓ Send money internationally for cheap.

✓ Automated regular transfers can be set up with some companies.

✓ Wide global reach that enables sending money to even very remote locations in Africa, South America, and Asia.

✓ Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Approved Payment Provider, so you know that your money is safe.

✓ No upfront charge fees. You only pay in relation to the amount transferred.

✓  Satisfaction from customers who used the service and high media attention and encouragement from established institutions, such as the World Bank.

✓ Different products like a Limit Order or a Forward Contract.

Why are bureaux de change and banks a worse option than the best remittance services?

✗ To trade with a bank you need to go through a lengthy account setup process.

✗ There is no personalised assistance in banks or in exchange offices.

✗ You don’t get a clear indication of the money you will receive in return for the exchange.

✗ There are high transfer fees of up to £30 per transfer.

✗ These often have terrible reviews by clients online (true for most UK banks, Western Union, and Moneygram).

Read our FX FAQ page which addresses all concerns with international money transfers.

Regular Transfers for Expats

Looking for regularly timed transfers, for things like pensions, mortgages or salary transfers?

What makes these companies a great choice for regularly remitting money internationally?

✓ Easy sign-up is available on the website.

✓ You can choose whether to use an online platform or telephone.

✓ Automated regular transfers can be set up.

✓ Personal currency assistants for each client.

✓ Wide global reach, allows for accepting clients from most countries, and dealing with most currencies.

✓ Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Approved Payment Provider.

✓ Charge no transfer fees.

✓ Will beat a bank’s Buy / Sell rates any day of the week.

✓ Expertise in immigration services and the transfer of pensions, mortgages, and salaries.

✓ Great client reviews can be found across the web.

What makes banks a worse choice?

✗ Not easy to sign up. You can only figure out the rates once you’re a client.

✗ No personalised assistance is available. Private clients don’t have direct access to currency dealers.

✗ Non-transparent fees. Fees consist of fixed transfer fees, commissions, and exchange rate markups.

✗ High transfer fees of up to £30 per transfer are charged.

✗ Worse exchange rates than commercial firms.

✗ Often, terrible reviews by clients online.

Word of Advice

Beware of Honeymoon Rates: Some remittance transfer companies will offer you tight margins for your first transfer, but as you use them more frequently, these margins will increase. Make sure to convey to any company you’re dealing with that you will expect the same margin for future transfers, and take a minute to compare between each transfer’s exchange rate and the real current currency exchange rate. The best foreign exchange rate guide can be found here.

The State of Remittances in 2021

Remittances are defined as the transfer of money by a person who lives in a foreign country to his or her home country. The Remittance industry contributes to the economic growth of the countries participating in the practice as well as to the livelihood of the individuals involved. The remittance system comprises of the Remittance Service Providers (RSP), Remittance Corridors, the Remittance Network and the Money transfer system.

For a long while, the Remittance industry continued to grow as a result of several factors. These factors included the increase in labour requirements across the world, an increase in the number of migrants, and a shift towards global cooperation and economic development. COVID-19, however, has disrupted social mobility and caused an increase in the number of return migrants, resulting in a drop in YoY remittance volumes in 2020 for the first time since 2009. Only the fourth time this has happened since remittance flows were measured since 1970.

According to information from the World Bank, migrants sent US$508 billion back to their families in developing countries — down from the $547 billion sent in 2019, but to put this in perspective, still more than the $479 billion sent in 2017. . These inflows of cash constitute more than 10% of GDP in over 25 developing countries and lead to increased investments in health, education, and small businesses in various communities. In some countries this can be even higher – Nepal for example saw remittance inflows of $7billion in 2020, equivalent to 22.6% of Nepal’s GDP.

Key findings:

1. The loss/benefit picture of this reality is twofold: while the migration of highly skilled people from small, poor countries can affect basic service delivery, it can generate numerous benefits, including increased trade, investment, knowledge, and technology transfers from diaspora contributions.
2. More than 247 million people, or 3.4% of the world’s population, live outside their countries of birth.
3. Remittances reached a record $547 billion in 2019 but are estimated to drop to $508 billion in 2020, with forecasts of $470 billion in 2021*.
4. The top migrant destination country is the United States, followed by Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, and Australia.
5. The top six immigration countries, relative to population, are outside the high-income OECD countries: Qatar (91 percent), United Arab Emirates (88 percent), Kuwait (72 percent), Jordan (56 percent), and Bahrain (54 percent).
6. The World Bank projected a decline of remittance flows in 2020 across all regions: Europe and Central Asia (-16%); Sub-Saharan Africa (-8.8%), South Asia (-4%), the Middle East and North Africa (-8%), Latin America and the Caribbean (-0.2%), and East Asia and the Pacific (-10.5%).
7. The global average cost of sending $200 remains high at 6.51 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. Significantly higher than the cheapest remittances companies listed on this page.
8. Sub-Saharan Africa continued to have the highest average remittance costs, at about 8.5 per cent; South Asia had the lowest average remittance costs at 5 per cent. The average remittance costs for the remaining regions were: Europe and Central Asia (6.5%); East Asia and Pacific (7.1%); Middle East and North Africa (7.5%); and Latin America and the Caribbean (5.8%).
9. The five countries to see the largest remittance inflows in 2020 were India ($76bn), China ($59.5bn), Mexico ($40.5bn), Philippines ($33bn) and Egypt ($24bn).

*Note that even as of May 2021, the figures for 2020 remittance flows are still estimated by the world bank.

Remittances rates are decreasing but inequality grows

The world’s inequality has grown tremendously, and some of the currencies belonging to developing countries have declined. The exact split between different remittance providers is unknown, but it is clear Western Union and Moneygram have the biggest market share, which is slowly eaten away by new providers like Wise (Transferwise), Currencyfair, World Remit, and Azimo.

An overview of remittance inflows and outflows

Countries with highest remittances flows

There are several different methods by which funds may be transferred. The best ways to send money abroad are:

• Cash to cash
• Bank account to bank account
• Via cellular/mobile phone
• Via credit and debit cards
• Via prepaid debit cards

Costly Corridors

The most costly corridors in USD are South Africa to Malawi, South Africa to Botswana, South Africa to Angola, South Africa to Mozambique, and South Africa to Zimbabwe. The least costly corridors are Singapore to Thailand, Singapore to Bangladesh, UAE to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to Pakistan and Spain to the Dominican Republic.

Value of Funds Transferred by Transfer Method

Mobile payments are on the up across the world. Many countries are even skipping the card generation and moving straight from cash to mobile. Great opportunities exist in this area for money transfer services which we have covered on our Best Money Transfer Apps page and below:

Mobile Money Transfer Apps Are Becoming The New Normal For Sending Remittances To Countries In Africa

The remittance market to sub-saharan Africa is currently estimated to be at $44 billion.

Until the unforeseen events of 2020, remittance inflows wereonly getting bigger, yet there have been few easy and cheap ways to transfer that money into the respective countries. Banks charged high fees, up to 29% when transferring from certain countries.

Some of the most important remittance corridors are the most expensive:

• South Africa still charges high rates for remittances to other African countries. A transfer from South Africa to Lesotho, which is the largest “corridor” in Africa, can easily cost 10%+ of the sum being transferred.
• Burkina Faso is another country where one can expect to pay 16% on remittances, usually to Nigeria.
• It costs a lot to send money from Nigeria, with fees between 10% and 13%.

Remittances have been a major part of the economies of many African countries. So much so, that the continent was deeply impacted by the 2008 economic crisis, despite African banks having little to do with the sources of the collapse. Therefore, the money lost in transfer fees is not insignificant in its effect on the economy.

It is understandable then that Kenya is home to the world leader in mobile money transfer capabilities. Safaricom’s M-Pesa service has for a long time had a monopoly on the local transfer market, with extremely functional technology that can be used even on mobile phones not considered “smart”.

A competitor to M-Pesa was launched in 2015 in an attempt to foil the dangers of such an important monopoly. Equity and Airtel partnered to create Equitel, a service which uses “thin SIMs” – a microchip you can slip easily over a SIM card, allowing you to switch operators easily.

Now cross-border mobile transfers are becoming possible.

• MFS Africa and
• Terra Connect are becoming big players.
• WorldRemit  and Azimo has also been strengthening its hand by improving payment systems for remittances to Africa

The most important factor in the popularity of these mobile services is, of course, the huge amount saved on fees. Their significance to the economy has not gone unnoticed by the Kenyan government, who are a major shareholder in Safaricom.

But there are other factors leading to the rise of mobile transfer capabilities. The ease of the process is vitally important, especially since many residents of recipient countries do not have easy access to banks. Extra transparency in the process is also a factor, as people become less trusting in systems that have cost them so much for so long.

The general consensus is the more payment operators there are, the better, as migrants have long known the literal costs of a monopoly. Remittances will continue playing a big part in African economies for the foreseeable future, and we’ll be seeing more and more innovative mobile payments technology emerging in the next months and years.

Concluding Words for Remittances & Inequality

Remittance providers are continually enhancing their payment services. Offering not just bank-to-bank transfers and cash pickup services but also mobile payment and bill payment services. With WorldRemit for example, remitters sending money home to Kenya have the choice between four different payment types; bank-to-bank, cash pickup, mobile money and airtime top up. 

Terminology matters

When it comes to transferring money internationally for remittances, one should become familiarized with all aspects, including currency terminology. For example, did you know that in India they also use Lakh which stands for 100,000 Indian Rupee?

Indian Lakh? How do you convert it?

Last Words on the Best Remittances Companies