Our verdict

Secure transfers to more than 165 countries, but a £4,999 daily limit means it’s not an option for large transfers.

Ria is a convenient option for those looking to send money worldwide as a bank transfer or cash pickup. It limits daily transfers to £5,000, but agent locations in over 165 countries make it one of the largest providers in the industry. Apart from this, Ria doesn't stand out from the crowd.

Considering Ria doesn’t use the mid-market rate for transfers, expect to see weaker exchange rates than those offered by many international competitors. And although Ria won’t always be your cheapest option, it’s one of few options that supports economically small countries worldwide, such as Tonga and Mauritania.

Pros

Fast transfers. Money can be transferred almost instantaneously for certain transfer methods. This option can get money quickly to a loved one in an emergency, but check the hours of operation for the location you're sending to work for your recipient.
Multiple payment options. Pay with a debit card, credit card or bank account for online transfers. Or pay with cash at a Ria agent location.
Diverse delivery options. Send money to a bank account, for pick up at an agent location or, in some markets, for home or work delivery or to a mobile wallet.
Worldwide transfer network. With a network of more than 507,000 locations in over 165 countries, Ria is one of the largest providers of international money transfers worldwide.
Bank-beating rates. Using Ria to transfer money internationally from the UK is not only often faster than your bank, but lower fees mean more money for your recipient.

Cons

Maximum daily limits. You can send a maximum of £4,999 in one day, and £4,999 in any month – lower than many digital competitors.
Agent locations. Keep in mind that Ria money transfer agent locations can set their own limits, transfer destinations and fee schedule.
No hedging options. Unlike some of its competitors, Ria does not offer forward contracts, limit orders or any of the other tools you'll find to lock in strong rates on future transfers.
Inconsistent markups. Exchange rates with Ria vary depending on the country you're sending to - anywhere from 0.25% to 4% on top of the mid-market rate.

Good for sending money to a wide variety of countries and for paying through bank transfer, card or cash at an agent.

Not so great for sending larger amounts.

Details

Product details

Product Name	Ria
Pay by	Credit card, Debit card, Bank transfer
Receiving options	Cash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, Home delivery
Customer service	Phone, Email
Available currencies	AED, ALL, AMD, ARS, AUD, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BOB, BYN, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MMK, MNT, MRU, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SCR, SEK, SLL, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VES, VND, VUV, XAF, XCD, XOF, YER, ZMW
Bank account required?	Yes
Personal account manager?	No

Ria is a convenient option for those in the UK looking to send money as a bank transfer or cash pickup. It limits daily transfers to £4,999, but with agent locations in over 165 countries, it’s one of the largest real-time payment networks in the industry. Despite its large reach and fast transfer speeds, Ria is unlikely to be your cheapest option, especially when stacked against smaller money transfer providers.

How much are Ria’s transfer fees?

Ria’s fees vary between online and cash pickup agent locations. But for online transfers from the UK, fees vary depending on where you’re sending from and how much you’re sending.

Sending €500 from the UK to Europe

As of 26 June 2022, it will cost you £8 to send €500 to Europe, regardless of whether you transfer for cash pickup or for transfer directly to the recipient’s bank account. When we checked, Ria’s margin markup for GBP to EUR was 1.28%.

Sending 1000 AUD from the UK to Australia

As of 26 June 2022, it will cost you £14 to send 1000 AUD to Australia, regardless of whether you transfer for cash pickup or for transfer directly to the recipient’s bank account. When we checked, Ria’s margin markup for GBP to AUD was 1.79%.

Once you have created an account with Ria, you will be able to see exactly what fees your transfer will incur when you input your transfer details on its Send money page. You can then compare these against those of other money transfer providers.

How much are Ria’s exchange rates?

Unlike many competitor money transfer services in the UK, Ria offers the same exchange rate no matter how much you send. However, it does still add a margin to the mid-market rate, and these will vary depending on which country you are sending to. From our research, the markup was anywhere from 0.25% to 4% on top of the mid-market rate.

It’s best to compare the displayed rate on Ria money transfers with the current interbank rate to calculate the size of the margin charged. You can then use this as a benchmark for comparing the rates of other money transfer providers.

What your Ria Money Transfer could look like

Use the table below to find out more details about what making a money transfer with Ria Money Transfer looks like. Click the Go to site button to visit Ria’s site and get a quote for your transfer.

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Product AUFMT		Filter Values	Fastest Transfer Speed	Fees (Pay by Bank Transfer)
Ria Money Transfers			Within minutes	$2.89	$0 fee for new customers with code ‘HelloRia’. T&Cs apply. Ria lets you send money to 165+ countries with cash pick-up at 507,000 locations.	View details	loading Fetching your data...

What are the ways I can send money abroad with Ria?

If you are using Ria’s online money transfer service in the UK, then you will first need to register an account for free. Once you have done this, you can follow these six easy steps:

How to send money transfer online with Ria

How can my recipient get the money?

Ria enables your recipient to pick up their money in one of three ways:

Bank deposit
Cash pickup at an agent location
Home delivery (not available in all locations)
Mobile wallets (selected corridors)

When picking up a Ria cash transfer, your recipient will need to bring their government-issued photo ID and the transfer’s unique PIN (personal identification number).

What are Ria’s payment options?

There are several payment options available when funding your online money transfer with Ria in the UK. These include:

Bank account
Credit card
Debit card
Cash (when initiating a transfer at an agent location)

How long does an international transfer with Ria take?

Transfers typically take 1 day. However turnaround depends on how quickly you need your money delivered and how much you want to pay.

Fastest option — within seconds
If you pay for your transfer with a credit or debit card, your money should arrive in real-time. However, you’ll typically find your credit card provider charges you an additional cash advance fee, further increasing the cost of your total transfer.
Cheapest option — up to 4 business days
Using a bank account to pay for your transfer is typically the cheapest way to send money, but it’s almost always the slowest. For your first transfer through Ria, you may have to verify your account, which can take four or more business days. After verification, your delivery can take an additional four business days.

Is Ria safe to use?

Ria Money Transfer has been in operation since 1987 and is a global company that serves millions of customers. It uses multiple security features to keep your data and money safe, including:

Identity verification. Suspicious activity such as logging in from various addresses and sending money to many diverse locations may trigger flags to help protect your account.
24/7 Security Experts. A security team works around the clock to monitor transactions for suspicious activity.
Online storing necessary data. Ria doesn’t store credit card or debit card information on its servers, which means your card information can’t be stolen if Ria is hacked.

Does Ria have a mobile app?

Ria Money Transfers has an app on both Google Play and the App Store. The app makes it possible to:

Send again. Repeat a previous transfer by selecting it from your activity list in the app.
Log in using biometrics. Both face and fingerprint recognition can be used to log in.
Share order details. Sending key order information like the tracking PIN number to your recipient can be done with just a few taps.
Find an agent location. Use the in-app map to find agent locations based on your GPS or around the world.

Platform	Rating
Google Play Store	4.77 Stars (35,300 ratings global)
Apple App Store	4.9 Stars (45,287 ratings global)

Reviews accurate as of 26 June, 2022

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

Frequently asked questions

Go to the Ria tracking page to confirm the progress of your transfer. Here you'll enter your order number, PIN or reference number. You'll also enter the sender's date of birth and the recipient's country. You can track online and at Ria agent location money transfers this way.
Ria's tracking number is 12 digits and is called the Order Pin.
Ria reviews money transfers at random for compliance with know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) industry protocols, which involve knowing the identity of its customers, their financial activities and any risks they pose to Ria's business. Ria typically reviews transfers within 6 hours, contacting you if it detects any problems.