The best ways to send money abroad: a quick guide

Need to send money to family or friends overseas? Have funds in foreign accounts you need to access in your new home? Sending money abroad may be cheaper and faster than you might think.

Published: Wed 1 Feb 2017 08:52 CEST
The best ways to send money abroad: a quick guide
Photo: TransferWise

As more people live their lives across borders, the need to send money abroad is greater than ever. There are plenty of reasons expats need to send money overseas, and the number of available options is on the rise as well.

Whether you’re an expat juggling funds across banks in multiple countries, or a small-business owner who needs to pay invoices to an overseas supplier, there are plenty of options for moving money abroad safely and efficiently. And many are cheaper and more-user friendly than an old-fashioned bank transfer.

Below are a few options to consider when you need to make your next international money transfer.

Xoom

Xoom is a PayPal company that allows users to transfer money abroad, reload mobile phone credit balances, and pay bills with an easy-to-use app or online interface. Xoom currently provides service in 53 countries, with manageable fees ($4.99 for using a bank account). The maximum transfer amount is $2,999. And as you can guess by its name, Xoom is fast – delivering funds quickly regardless of which option you choose.

TransferWise

TransferWise is a user-friendly peer-to-peer service that lets users transfer money abroad in 38 different currencies spanning 55 countries. Fees are minimal and always upfront, with transfers under €400 costing only €2 (larger transfers cost just 0.5 percent of the total amount transferred). TransferWise also features the true exchange rate as well as fast delivery times. The app and web interface are also well-designed and easy to use, with a handy comparison tool.

Currencies Direct

This online service is good option for anyone looking to transfer more than £100. Currencies Direct offers international money transfers in 39 currencies and doesn’t charge any fees, and there is no upper limit on how much you can transfer. Exchange rates vary with the size of the transfer – the more you transfer, the better the rate. The website is also translated into 9 languages.

CurrencyFair

Founded in 2010, CurrencyFair is a peer-to-peer currency exchange that allows you to bypass banks altogether. Besides the basic €3 transfer fee, users pay an additional fee (0.38 percent on average) based on the amount exchanged and how easily they match with another user. The service is currently available for 20 currencies.

OFX

OFX (formerly known as UKForex) allows users to make international transfers in 155 currencies. There are no fees, although there is a minimum transfer of £100. Users can make transfers online or over the phone, and with offices across the world, OFX offers 24-hour customer support. Setting up recurring transfers is a snap, and OFX also offers different hedging tools to minimize risk.

This article was produced by The Local and sponsored by TransferWise

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