Sending money internationally can be a challenge.
Currency exchange rates, delivery difficulties, service fees, regulatory requirements, and other burdens can make it extraordinarily difficult to send even a nominal amount of cash abroad!
Remitly, like other international money transfer services, aims to simplify this process. As the name indicates, Remitly was originally designed for international migrants to send remittances home to their families, but it has evolved into a general money transfer platform.
What most people want to know is if Remitly is safe – the answer is yes, Remitly is a legit business that is well-known for providing international money transfer services!
Also, Remitly is a public company operating in the United States, making it subject to strong regulation.
Remitly stands out for having a lot of different delivery methods – including cash pick up! The platform also supports some countries that other transfer services do not.
However, Remitly is also known for somewhat higher fees than competitors like Xoom or Wise. But Remitly does offer first-time users discounts to entice them to use the service, which makes it a good option for new users.
Check out the intro discount applied to a potential transfer to Mexico below.
So, is Remitly the best money transfer service to use? The answer depends on a number of factors, including speed of delivery and recipient country.
To better understand the platform, let’s start with a general overview, followed by answering some specific questions users are sure to have!
Overview
Remitly is a well-designed platform featuring a good mobile interface, which has made it a popular choice among younger users sending money internationally for the first time.
But what truly matters for a money transfer service is not the user interface. What matters is the speed, security, and cost of getting money delivered.
To better understand how Remitly performs in these areas, we’ll break down the most important features of the platform.
Pro Tip:
Remitly lets you send money to over 145 countries around the world, with plenty of options for transfer speed and delivery method. Get started with Remitly!
Sending Limits
First things first: how much can you actually send on Remitly?
Whether you’re a worker sending home money to your family, or an investor transferring money to a foreign bank, it’s important you understand how much money you’re allowed to send.
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer for how much you can send on Remitly – it depends on the country you are sending to, the timeframe of your transfers, and the amount of personal information you are willing to provide Remitly.
For instance, here is a transfer limit table for sending money to Brazil. As you can see, we can send up to $2,999 in a 24-hour period with our current tier.
If you want to transfer more, though, be prepared to provide identification documents and information about your use of the service!
Delivery Speed
Once we know our sending limits, we’ll also want to know how fast we can get funds delivered to where they need to go.
Unfortunately, like so many things with Remitly, there is no simple answer to how long deliveries will take. Different countries have different delivery options, which of course take different lengths of time.
Additionally, whether we choose to send an ‘Express’ or an ‘Economy’ transfer will impact the delivery time.
Express transfers are faster, but cost more money. Economy transfers are slower, but you’ll get Remitly’s best price.
Since Express transfers are funded with a credit or debit card, money can be transferred almost instantly via certain delivery methods. Economy transfers can be slower. For instance, if you are sending funds to India, Remitly says that money will be delivered in six days.
Delivery Methods
In addition to speed, of course, we also want to know how our money will ultimately get delivered to the recipient.
Not every person has easy access to a bank account, so Remitly offers several different non-bank options.
Delivery method options will ultimately differ by the country that funds are being sent to, but many users report choosing Remitly due to the variety of delivery methods the platform supports.
For instance, Remitly offers the following delivery methods for a transfer to India.
While we can choose a standard bank deposit transfer, Remitly also offers a number of other convenient options!
For instance, we could send funds via a UPI transfer, which is an alternate bank transfer platform specific to India. Additionally, we could select cash pickup, which allows our recipient to pick up the transfer in cash, typically at a bank. Of course, the recipient will need to show a valid ID to get the money!
Finally, Remitly offers mobile money delivery options, which can deliver the funds directly to a recipient’s mobile wallet.
Delivery Cost and Fees
Now, the fastest transfer service in the world with unique delivery options would not be worth it if the fees were astronomical. So how much does Remitly cost to use?
Fees come in two forms: an explicit fee listed on your transfer, and an exchange-rate markup (which is somewhat hidden on Remitly).
Fees will differ based primarily on the country you are sending to and the currency pair you are exchanging.
For instance, sending money to Indonesia costs a flat fee of $2.99, while sending money to Brazil (via Economy) will cost $1.99.
It’s important to model your transfer for free before sending it, as the only way to know exactly what the process will cost is to enter the specific transaction amount and destination country on Remitly!
Exchange-rate markups are difficult to determine, but the exchange rate listed on Remitly is not the market rate, so there is certainly an additional fee being paid by the sender. This is in contrast to a platform like Wise, which offers the mid-market rate.
Thankfully, despite these costs imposed on the sender, the recipient is not responsible for any additional fees to receive the money!
Pro Tip:
Remitly lets you send money to over 145 countries around the world, with plenty of options for transfer speed and delivery method. Get started with Remitly!
FAQ
Clearly, Remitly is a platform with a lot of value, but the true value will depend on which country you are sending money to and what delivery methods you require.
With that being said, we can answer some common questions about Remitly to help figure out if this is the right money transfer service for you!
Is Remitly Legit?
Yes, Remitly is legit. It is a public company with a good track record of reliably sending money internationally via different delivery methods.
Some users have run into trouble with Remitly’s anti-money laundering requirements. These regulatory requirements, which require money transfer services to identify their customers and what they are using the platform for, often mean users have to upload specific documentation.
For most users, though, ensuring a valid government ID and answering some common risk questions should be sufficient to use the platform without trouble.
Remitly is regulated by a host of government agencies around the globe, most notably as a money services business by the US Department of Treasury.
Which Countries Can I Send Money to?
Remitly advertises that users can send funds to more than 150 countries around the globe.
The specific list of countries you can send to, though, will depend on the country you are sending from.
For instance, from the US, users can send money to Albania, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Mexico, India, Nigeria, Poland, Turkey, Kenya, and a whole host of other countries. Check out Remitly’s site for yourself and enter your home country for the full list of available countries!
Is Remitly or Xoom Better?
Xoom is a competing money transfer service to Remitly, which can sometimes be a better fit for certain users.
Xoom is a PayPal service, so it might be especially useful for existing PayPal customers. Both Xoom and Remitly are reputable services, so safety is not a major difference between the two.
While most reports indicate that Remitly’s fees are higher than Xoom’s, this is not always the case. The fee you end up paying will depend strongly on the individual circumstances of the transfer. Therefore, your best bet is to model your transfer on both sites to determine the best fee structure for you.
Is Remitly or Wise Better?
Wise is another money transfer service. One thing that makes Wise great is they have much more exchange-rate clarity. Wise offers transfers at the mid-market rate, which is the fairest price you are likely to get from any money transfer service.
Wise does have a variable service fee, which can get large for bigger amounts. The platform may be best for small transfers, but since fees change all the time, it’s best to compare the current rates on the two respective websites.
One area where Remitly stands out compared to Wise is in delivery methods. Remitly has more varied delivery methods, making it easier to get your money where it needs to be!
Pros and Cons
While Remitly is a compelling choice to transfer money internationally, it’s important to consider the whole picture.
Here, we list the major pros and cons of using the platform.
Pros
- Variety of delivery options and speeds for most transfers, including cash pickup and mobile money deposit.
- Good introductory offers, including promotional exchange rates and no flat fees for initial transfers.
- Excellent UI and mobile-first approach makes it easy to send money from your phone or through the web app.
- Wide range of country and currency coverage that competes strongly with other services.
Cons
- Vague exchange-rate markup makes it uncertain whether you are getting a good price on the currency conversion.
- Some transfers will require additional documentation, including identification and statements of purpose.
- Limited sending countries, primarily restricted to the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe. This means transfers are typically one-way.
Pro Tip:
Remitly lets you send money to over 145 countries around the world, with plenty of options for transfer speed and delivery method. Get started with Remitly!
Final Verdict: Is Remitly the Best?
So, after reviewing all this information, can we say if Remitly is the best money transfer service?
Remitly may be the best if you are looking for a service that supports many different countries and currencies, while offering a variety of delivery methods. But if you are looking for a service with the lowest price and clear fee transparency, it may not be!
Therefore, which money transfer platform to use depends on your specific circumstance. But if you decide Remitly is right for you, they offer good introductory offers to make your initial transfer as cheap as possible!
If you’re living outside of the U.S. and are looking for more finance platforms, read our eToro review!