How to Send Money Internationally

You send $500 to family overseas, and $60 disappears before it lands. The fee on the screen looked small. The exchange rate ate the rest.

That's the real problem with sending money internationally: the price you're quoted and the price you actually pay are rarely the same number. Banks bury their margin inside the exchange rate. Transfer apps advertise "no fee" and make it back on the rate instead. And if you don't have a bank account to link, some methods won't even let you start. People who send money overseas regularly feel this the most, since small fees add up fast over many transfers.

This guide breaks down six ways of sending money abroad, with real fees and real speeds for each. That includes the classic global money transfer through your bank, plus five other options that might work out cheaper or faster, so you know exactly how to send money internationally without losing more than you have to.

Quick answer

What Is an International Money Transfer?

An international money transfer, also called an international funds transfer, sends funds across borders through the banking system or a payment network built specifically for cross-border payments. Banks route transfers through SWIFT, which is a global messaging system that connects banks. Specialist apps use their own networks instead. Many settle locally on both ends, so the money never technically crosses a border at all. International transfer fees and exchange rates both depend heavily on which method you pick, which is exactly what the next section breaks down.

Families, freelancers, online shoppers, and small businesses all rely on international transfers for different reasons: remittances home, payment from an overseas client, a purchase from a foreign merchant, or a payment to an international supplier. There's no single easiest way to send money that works for everyone without fees. The right choice depends on what matters most to you for that specific transfer.

What Does It Really Cost to Send Money Abroad?

Three separate costs stack on top of each other every time you send money abroad, and most people only notice one of them.

1. The transfer fee. The visible fee, usually $0 to $50 or more depending on the provider and the amount.
2. The exchange rate markup. The cost hidden inside the exchange rate itself. Banks typically mark up the rate 3 to 6 percent against the real, mid-market rate, the same rate you'd see quoted on Google or Reuters.
3. Correspondent bank fees. An extra deduction that shows up when your wire passes through one or more intermediary banks on its way to the recipient. Common with SWIFT transfers, this can add $25 to $100 or more.

Banks are by far the most expensive way to send money abroad. According to the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide report (Q3 2025), banks average a total cost of 14.99% of the amount sent, while apps that operate entirely online average 3.54%. That gap is why it pays to compare providers before you send. A low cost provider on one route can turn out expensive on another, so it's worth checking each time.

Comparing International Transfer Methods at a Glance

Here's how the six options compare side by side.

How to Wire Money Internationally Through Your Bank

A bank wire is the option most people try first, mainly because it's the one they already understand. Your bank sends the funds through SWIFT to international bank account numbers anywhere in the world. You'll need whatever details your recipient gives you to complete the transfer.

What Information You Need to Wire Money Abroad

Get these details from your recipient before you start: full legal name, bank name, account number or IBAN, and the SWIFT or BIC code. Double-check every character; a single wrong digit can delay the transfer for weeks.

Step-by-Step: How to Initiate a Bank Wire Transfer

1. Find the wire transfer option in your bank's app and enter the recipient's details exactly as given.
2. Confirm the amount and fee, then check the exchange rate against the mid-market rate.
3. Submit, and keep the confirmation number to trace the transfer later.

Common Issues: Why Bank Wires Get Delayed or Rejected

Bank wires stall for predictable reasons: weekends and holidays don't count toward the 1 to 5 day window, and a name mismatch between accounts is the top cause of outright rejection. Correspondent banks along the route can also deduct their own fee before passing funds on, so the amount that lands can be smaller than expected.

How to Send Money Internationally with a Transfer App

Specialist apps such as Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, and Xoom (PayPal's transfer service) let you complete an international money transfer online in a few taps. They work differently from banks: most hold local currency in both countries and match balances between accounts instead of routing through SWIFT, which helps keep costs down.

Typical cost runs 1 to 3%, with transfers completing anywhere from seconds to two business days. These apps use a rate close to mid-market and show the fee upfront, rather than folding it into a worse rate.

Funding note: Xoom lets you pay with your PayPal balance instead of a bank account. Get a Rewarble PayPal reward card, ready within minutes.

Step-by-Step: How Transfer Apps Work

1. Create an account and verify your identity with a photo ID.
2. Enter the amount and the recipient's bank details, then choose your funding method.
3. Confirm the rate and fee, then send. The app pays the recipient's bank account directly.

What to Check Before You Click Send

The fee on screen isn't the full picture. Compare the total amount your recipient actually receives, since two apps can charge the same fee and still deliver different amounts once exchange rates are factored in.

Common Issues: Why Your Transfer App Might Fail

Transfers usually stall over incomplete identity verification or a sending limit tied to your verification level. Contacting support with your transaction ID resolves most issues within a day.

How to Send Cash for International Pickup: Western Union, MoneyGram & Others

Cash pickup needs no bank account on either end. You pay online or in person, and your recipient collects cash from a nearby agent. Western Union international transfers and MoneyGram between them run hundreds of thousands of agent locations across more than 200 countries.

Many pickups complete the same day, some within minutes. Fees and the exchange rate markup (1 to 6%+) vary by destination and amount. Every sender must verify their identity first.

Step-by-Step

1. Start the transfer online or at a physical location, and pay the amount plus the fee.
2. Enter the recipient's full name exactly as it appears on their government ID.
3. Send your recipient the reference number so they can collect cash from any participating agent.

Why This Method Works

It's usually the only fully offline option available, and it suits urgent, one-off transfers where speed matters more than the rate. This is how you send money without bank account internationally on either end, since a recipient no bank account can still walk in and collect cash with just an ID.

Common Issues

The most common problems are a name mismatch at pickup, since the recipient's ID must match exactly, and a transfer flagged for a routine fraud review. Double-checking the recipient's ID details before sending prevents most delays.

How to Send Money Internationally with a Prepaid Card

A prepaid card international transfer works differently from every other method here: it needs no bank account, which every other option on this list assumes you have. If you want to send money internationally without bank account access, this is how.

There are two ways to use one. Fund a transfer app or bank wire with a prepaid card instead of a linked bank account. It's ready to use in minutes, and your main bank details never reach a third party. Or send a digital gift card directly to someone abroad who can spend it online themselves, useful where bank access is limited.

Step-by-Step: Using a Prepaid Card to Fund an International Transfer

1. Get a virtual prepaid card, such as a Rewarble reward card. It activates in minutes with no bank account needed.
2. Add it as your funding method in your chosen transfer app. Enter the card number, expiry date, and CVV.
3. Enter the recipient's details and confirm the amount.
4. Send. You fund the transfer instantly, so you don't have to wait for a bank transfer to clear.

Why This Method Works

A prepaid card needs no bank account, unlike every other method on this list. You can fund it instantly, with no three-to-five-day wait, and your real bank details never touch a service you might only use once.

Get Your Rewarble Prepaid Card

Show me more

Why Prepaid Cards Get Declined, and How to Fix It

Fraud filters can treat prepaid cards as higher risk than a standard debit card. If yours is declined, check that the billing address matches the one registered to the card, and confirm it's active and within its spending limit. A card with a registered billing address, like a Rewarble virtual card, clears this far more consistently than a typical retail gift card.

Sending Money Internationally with Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a fast, legitimate way to send money abroad: transfers settle in minutes, not days, with no correspondent chain or business-hours cutoff, and network fees usually stay under $5 regardless of distance. Using bitcoin to transfer money abroad is the original use case, though newer options can move faster and cost less.

The catch: your recipient needs a crypto wallet, and the exchange rate can shift between sending and converting to local currency. That conversion, called an off-ramp, can carry its own fee. A stablecoin international transfer sidesteps some of that risk. A USDT transfer abroad is a common example, since USDT is pegged to the US dollar and moves far less than most other cryptocurrencies. This suits senders comfortable with crypto, if the destination country has easy off-ramps.

Step-by-Step

1. Send funds from your wallet or exchange to the recipient's wallet address. Double-check it; crypto transfers can't be reversed once sent.
2. Your recipient converts the funds to local currency through an exchange or peer-to-peer platform.

Common Issues

The main risks are sending to the wrong address, which can't be undone, so always double-check, and rate volatility between sending and converting, which can leave your recipient with less value than you sent.

Sending Money by International Money Order

An international money order is the paper option: you buy it at a post office or retailer, mail it to your recipient, and they cash it locally. It needs no bank account on either end and costs a flat fee that varies by issuer. The trade-off is speed. It travels by post, so it can take days or longer to arrive, making it a fit for small, non-urgent amounts rather than anything time-sensitive.

5 Tips to Save Money on Every International Transfer

These are practical tips to save on international transfer costs, and a few small choices make a real difference to the total:

1. Compare the total cost, since the fee is only part of it. Check the exchange rate against the mid-market rate every time to find the best exchange rate international transfer providers actually offer. This is how you avoid hidden fees wire transfer providers can bury in the rate instead of the fee. A "no fee" provider with a bad rate can still cost more than one that charges a visible fee.
2. Fund with a bank transfer, not a credit card. Credit cards are usually the most expensive way to fund a transfer once cash advance fees are factored in.
3. Time your transfer if you're not in a rush. Exchange rates fluctuate day to day. A rate alert money transfer tool lets you send when the rate favours you, instead of whenever you happen to remember.
4. Choose a specialist app over your bank. If the cheapest way to wire money matters most to you, the honest answer is that a specialist app almost always beats a bank wire. The saving is typically well above 10% per transfer once the exchange rate markup is accounted for.
5. Use a prepaid card if you'd rather not link your bank. It keeps your main account details private and still gets your transfer funded instantly.

How to Spot International Transfer Scams and Keep Your Money Safe

International transfers are hard to reverse once sent, which makes this the one area where a moment of caution is worth the delay.

Romance scams and fake emergency requests target people sending money internationally, usually involving someone the sender has never actually met in person. "Government official" fee scams ask for payment upfront to release a supposed prize or refund; no legitimate agency asks for payment this way. Verify your recipient independently, through a phone call or video chat rather than the channel that requested the money, and use only licensed, regulated providers, such as those authorised by the FCA in the UK or FinCEN in the US. A real provider will never ask you to ignore a security warning or rush past a verification step.

Choose Now

Cost and speed pull in different directions. A specialist transfer app funded by bank transfer usually wins on price, while the same app funded by a debit or prepaid card wins on speed.

If a bank account isn't in the picture at all, get a Rewarble prepaid reward card and be ready in minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to send money internationally?

Specialist apps such as Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, or Xoom are usually cheaper than banks, with fees under 1 to 3% and rates close to mid-market. On a $1,000 transfer, that gap alone can mean paying roughly $150 through a bank versus $35 through a specialist app. Banks average 14.99% total cost, per the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide report (Q3 2025).

How long does an international money transfer take?

Speed depends heavily on the method, anywhere from minutes to five business days. What the individual estimates don't cover: your recipient's local banking hours matter too. If a transfer arrives outside their bank's business day, it usually waits until the next business day to clear.

Can I send money internationally without a bank account?

Yes. Cash pickup services like Western Union or MoneyGram need no bank account. A prepaid Visa or Mastercard, such as a Rewarble virtual card, works the same way: you can fund a transfer through any major app without linking a bank.

What information do I need to wire money internationally?

You typically need the recipient's full name, bank name, account number or IBAN, and SWIFT or BIC code. Some banks also ask for the bank's address. Verify every detail with your recipient first, since errors can delay the transfer or misdirect it.

Is it safe to send money internationally online?

Yes, with a licensed, regulated provider. Look for authorisation from a regulator such as the FCA or FinCEN. Verify your recipient independently before sending, since international transfers are difficult to reverse.

Why was my international transfer declined or delayed?

Common causes include incorrect recipient details, incomplete identity verification, an exceeded sending limit, or a routine fraud review. Contacting your provider's support directly resolves most of these within 24 hours.