TOP 10 MONEY TRANSFER SERVICES: THE BEST WAY TO SEND MONEY INTERNATIONALLY
TOP 10 MONEY TRANSFER SERVICES: THE BEST WAY TO SEND MONEY INTERNATIONALLY
1. CURRENCIES DIRECT (OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION)
Currencies Direct is a leading company with a perfect five-star review on TrustPilot. The company
was founded in 1996, so it has quite a bit of history and is older than several of the other companies on this list. In that time, they have served over 250,000 customers.CurrenciesDirect does not charge any transfer fees, and the exchange rates are incredibly low and competitive. Accounts are set up online or through mobile devices, and those accounts are free as well, and quick and easy to set up.
This is a company with one of the best rates on the market today; if someone is looking for the best price on transferring money internationally, this might be the company to check out. However, there is a downside to this company as well.
It only transfers money into a little over 20 different currencies. So if you are planning on transferring money to somewhere that isn’t exactly common or “the norm,” you may not be able to use this particular company.
However, as the thousands of five-star reviews can attest, this doesn’t seem to be a major downside for most people. Customers consistently praise CurrenciesDirect’s excellent, 24 hours a day, seven days a week customer service, and the company is well-known for working on behalf of the consumer rather than against him or her.
The company has also won several awards, including the Money Transfer Provider of the Year award in 2018 and the Consumer Champion of the Year award in 2017.
Full Profile: Currencies Direct reviews
2. XE MONEY TRANSFER
Our runner-up, also receiving five out of five stars on TrustPilot, XE has become a globally recognized name in international money transfers. XE offers several great features that aren’t all offered in one place by some of the other international money transfer companies on the market today.
They offer an option to do same-day transfers to most of the 170 countries they serve, and they have the ability to transfer currency into any other available currency. They consistently have some of the best exchange rates on the market, and one of the things that consumers love best about them? They do not charge any additional fees to send your money!
They are an online company that allows purchasers to send and receive money from the comfort of their own homes, and each user has his or her own private account on the company’s website, meaning anyone can monitor his or her account at any time, day or night, twenty-four hours a day.
XE boasts over 285 million visitors to its site each year and has had over 65 million app downloads since the site first launched. They work with over 200 of the leading global brands, such as Apple, Walmart, Google, Amazon, and more, and in the year 2015 alone, over $74 billion dollars was transferred safely and quickly using their service.
XE is authorized by the FCA and protected by Norton Security. Users can set up free accounts on their sites for personal or business use. They offer 24-hour tracking of each of a customer’s money transfers.
Full profile: XE Money Transfer Reviews
3. OFX
Using the same rating system, TrustPilot, OFX was rated four out of five stars. They, too, require no transfer fees for transferring money through their company. They offer transfers directly from the purchaser’s debit card or via wire transfers. They are a bit limited in how the money can be received, however, requiring that it must be deposited directly into the receiver’s bank account.
They are well-known globally; they have offices located in several different countries: the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. They do have a lock-in rate feature, allowing purchasers to lock-in a specific rate before actually transferring the money.
They support 55 different currencies, including, but not limited to, currencies in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, South Africa, China, Indonesia, Israel, South Korea, Russia, and Pakistan. They offer tracking for your transfers, and keeping track of your transfer history is incredibly easy using your private account on their website.
OFX does not offer same-day transfers. Depending on a number of factors, transfers with OFX can take anywhere from one to two days up to three to five days for some of the more exotic locations. There is a full list of the common and exotic currencies they serve on their website.
Full profile: OFX Reviews
4. SENDFX
Based in Australia, but providing global services, Send is another company with a 5 out of 5-star customer rating on TrustPilot. This year they were award ‘Best value international money transfer provider’ by Mozo, one of Australia’s leading financial comparison platforms. Send specialize in assisting clients to move from country to country with excellent exchange rates on high volume transfers, zero fees, the ability to book transfers 24/7 with same days transfers plus local support from their team of account managers that you can speak to and discuss your requirements.
Setting up an account with Send is very user friendly, free and there’s no obligation to use them once the account is setup. Once your identity has been verified you will be introduced to one of their team to discuss and then process your transaction or if you don’t want to speak to anybody then you have the option to self-serve on their secure 24/7 payments platform.
Once you have agreed and accepted an exchange rate either via your personal account manager or online you will receive a copy of the contract and instructions to complete your transfer. Once Send have received your funds they are typically transferred to your nominated bank account overseas on the same day.
Send are trusted by some of Australia’s largest international relocation and removal companies who recommend their services to their clients for the purpose of transferring money internationally, safely, and securely.
SendFX Pty Ltd ACN 617 647 220 is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (‘ASIC’), is a registered remittance provider with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (‘AUSTRAC’) is a member of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (‘AFCA’) and holds an Australian Financial Services Licence (‘AFSL’) (number 509635).
5. TORFX
Based out of the United Kingdom, TorFX is another transfer company with a five out of five-star rating on TrustPilot. It has also won a few awards, such as the Moneyfacts Consumer awards for Best Customer Service and Exceptional Money Transfer Provider; that last one was won four years in a row. Like the two companies listed above, TorFX does not charge any transfer fees for sending money with their company. They also have great exchange rates.
The process for setting up an account with TorFX is also quite simple. It takes only moments to set up an account on their website. After that, TorFX assigns you a specific agent to act as your Personal Account Manager. The two of you will work together to agree on a rate that works best.
After the rate is agreed upon, a confirmation will be sent to you, and you will give your agent the details about the second party who will be receiving your money on the other end of the transfer. Then you will add the funds to your account; they will be cleared and sent immediately to the account of the receiver in the country you’ve specified.
One of the best things about TorFX is that it is safe and secure. Not only is it authorized by the FCA, but it was also awarded a Level One rating from the leading UK agency, Dun & Bradstreet. This rating is the highest rating that can be given to an institution like this. TorFX also holds segregated client accounts with Barclays, a well-respected and highly secure credit company.
Full profile: TorFX Reviews
6. WORLDFIRST
WorldFirst is another United Kingdom-based money transfer company. It has a four-star rating on TrustPilot, and it offers many competitive benefits. It has a 24 hours a day, seven days a week customer service and account monitoring guarantee, and it offers both same and next day transfers to many countries.
As long as you are transferring to another WorldFirst customer, the transfers are also free of transfer fees; however, if you are transferring money to a recipient in another way, fees will be added to your transfer. Despite the fees, many people love WorldFirst because it offers one of the largest pools of transferrable currencies, boasting a huge 187 different currencies.
WorldFirst currently has over 400,000 individual customers and more than 150,000 business clients across the globe, and since the company’s launch in 2004, those customers have transferred over 70 billion pounds, roughly 90 billion US dollars, using the company as a facilitator.
The big complaint concerning WorldFirst is that as of February 2019, they no longer have operations in the United States and no longer serve online customers from the United States. Customers from the United States can, however, switch over to their new platform under the name of Omega.
Full profile: WorldFirst review
7. TRANSFERWISE
With a TrustPilot score of 9.1 out of 10, TransferWise is another safe and secure choice for sending money internationally. They have 12 offices around the world, and approximately $4 billion dollars are sent through their company every month by their six million customers in 59 countries.
TransferWise does charge a fee for sending money, but they are generally quite low, some as low as $1 dollar plus 10% of the total transfer amount per transfer. These low fees make TransferWise one of the best possible sites for transferring smaller amounts of money. For transfers that are larger than $10,000 dollars, though, other companies might be cheaper in the end. Despite these fees, there are no surprises or hidden fees, and TransferWise is very upfront and clear about all its charges.
TransferWise also offers several different available options for how to send money. Money can be sent using direct wire transfers; customers using this method can actually transfer as much as a million dollars. Other methods of transferring include debit and credit cards, direct ACH transfers from one’s bank account and even Apple Pay.
This company also offers next day transfers, but this is not available for all transactions. Although purchasers can send money through TransferWise at any time, the receiver may not have access to the transferred money right away. For instance, if a customer sends money on a Friday evening, the recipient of the money may not be able to pick the money up until his or her bank or another institution opens once more, which could potentially be as late as the following Monday.
The biggest draw for most people who choose to use TransferWise is that they use the actual exchange rate released by the government, and they adjust their exchange rate as the exchange rate is adjusted. This means the purchaser is never paying an inflated exchange rate to transfer his or her money.
8. CURRENCYFAIR
CurrencyFair has been in business for nearly a decade and has already facilitated the exchange of over 8 billion euros, which is the equivalent of right at 9 billion US dollars. It has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on TrustPilot and is known and trusted globally. They are based out of Ireland and the United Kingdom, but they also have offices in Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well.
Setting up an account on their website is fast, free and easy, and it gives you access to sending and receiving money from over 150 different countries. CurrencyFair customers seem to use this company more as a way to receive money rather than transfer money, although both of those things can be accomplished through the company.
Receiving money that comes directly from a bank transfer into your CurrencyFair account is free; however, if you receive money into your account from any other type of transfer, there are fees associated with the process. The website also mentions that there may be other bank fees associated with the transfer process depending on any third-party institutions that have to be involved in the process.
Two of CurrencyFair’s most interesting and innovative features are its ChatBot and the ability for the customer to set up automatic transfers.
The ChatBot is an online help tool that is available around the clock on the CurrencyFair website. It allows users to ask questions and work through problems in real-time without the hassle of sitting on the phone waiting for someone to pick up on the other end of the 1-800 line.
The automated transfer feature is fairly self-explanatory. Customers are able to set up automatic transfers to be sent up to two weeks before the actual transfer date. They can be canceled or adjusted during this time period, as well. There are detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to set up this process on the CurrencyFair website, and if you have trouble with the process, the ChatBot is always there to help, as well.
9. WORLDREMIT
WorldRemit has over 125,000 5-star reviews on TrustPilot and an overall TrustPilot rating of over 4 stars. This company allows you to send money to over 140 different countries globally. With WorldRemit, customers can also send money from over 50 different countries around the world.
There are some fees associated with sending money through WorldRemit, but they are reasonable, and their exchange rates are fiercely competitive. The company also takes its payment from several various sources including, but not limited to, the following:
- Google Pay
- Apple Pay
- Prepaid Cards
- Debit Cards
- Credit Cards
- iDEAL
- Trustly
- Bank Account Transfers
- and More!
Another thing that customers love about WorldRemit is that it offers several different and innovative ways to transfer your money to its recipient. In addition to the normal bank transfer option, WorldRemit also offers a cash pickup, a door-to-door payment method, an airtime top-ups method, and mobile methods of payment.
Cash pickups are exactly what they sound like. They allow your recipient to physically go to a trusted location with his picture id and the transaction reference and pick up cash money from a WorldRemit employee. These pickups can usually take place nearly instantaneously, as well, which is incredibly convenient for both parties. Door-to-door delivery is quite similar, except in that case, the money is delivered in cash to your recipient’s home.
Airtime top-ups are a little more abstract. Basically, any time a person connects a mobile phone to a telecom network, that person will be required to buy credit to utilize that particular Telcom network’s airtime. The airtime is, of course, what gives a person access to his or her phone’s functions, such as data, text messaging, voice mails, and more.
Adding this type of credit to a pre-paid cell is known as “topping up.” WorldRemit allows customers to top up their own phone or someone else’s phone through the site. These transfers, too, are almost always instantaneous.
Finally, mobile methods of transferring work very similarly to any digital wallet service, such as Google or PayPal Wallet.
10. MONEYGRAM
In the United States, MoneyGram is probably one of the most recognizable brands of international money transfers there are. Stop by any Wal-Mart, head to the service desk or money center, and logos, and signs for MoneyGram will be everywhere.
Even though they only have a 3.5 out of 5 stars rating, which is lower than some of the other companies’ ratings, MoneyGram is one of the most widely used money transfer services throughout the entire country. It also has one of the most comprehensive lists of countries to which they send money, including over 350,000 locations in more than 200 countries.
MoneyGram is one of the quicker methods of sending money, with many of their transfers arriving the very same day on which the transfers are purchased. In the case of banks being closed or holidays, the transfers can sometimes take a little longer, but even so, they usually arrive by the next business day. There is a transfer and monthly limit, both of $6000 dollars.
Despite the wide variety of countries available and the speed and convenience of delivery, or perhaps because of those things, MoneyGram is one of the more expensive transfer services. They have, at times, added markups as high as three percent.
However, there is one other great benefit to using MoneyGram. They make it very easy for people without bank accounts to receive money because they have so many physical locations where people can go and pick up money that has been sent to them in person, without having to set up any accounts or go through any banks.
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