Please note: You should always refer to quotes you receive from transfer services themselves directly for exact amounts as they may vary from our estimates.
Pros and cons of WorldRemit
Pros
Straightforward website. Signing up and sending money can be done in as little as a few minutes and support can be accessed through phone, email, live chat and FAQs.
Worldwide network. You can send money to over 130 countries using a variety of methods, including bank transfers, cash pickup at thousands of locations, door-to-door delivery and Airtime top up.
Flexible payment options. Pay with a credit or debit card, from your bank account and even with Apple Pay.
Fast transfers. Cash pickups, WorldRemit Wallet transfers and airtime top-ups are typically available instantly after sending, while mobile money and bank deposits may take one or more business days to process.
Cons
Maximum daily limits. Transaction limits depend on how you are sending funds, while a total 24-hour cap of £50,000 applies to all transactions being sent by you out of the UK.
Changing fees. Depending on where you are sending to, how you are paying and how you are transferring money, your transfer fees may vary. You can view your fee once you have input your transfer information.
No hedging options. WorldRemit only offers one-off transfers, unlike some of its competitors that offer additional tools to help you save money. Hedging tools are most often used to lock in an exchange rate, helping you save money on future transfers if the market shifts against your position.
Inconsistent markups. Exchange rates vary through WorldRemit and depend not only on the currency you are sending but also the destination country. Expect mid-market markups from 1-4%.
How much are WorldRemit’s transfer fees?
WorldRemit’s transfer fees vary depending on transfer method and where you are sending money to. For most countries, there is a standard fee of £2.99, but this can drop as low as £0.99, or be waived entirely) depending on the transfer criteria. WorldRemit will often have some sort of promo code available, so it’s worth checking to see if there is one you can use to save yourself some money.
Overall, factors that could affect your fee include:
Location. Transfer fees may vary based on the country you are sending to. Even if two destination countries share the same currency, fees and exchange rates offered by WorldRemit may differ.
Amount. Although the fee for most transfers will be £2.99, you may find this is higher or lower depending on the amount you are sending.
Payment method. Sending cash will typically have higher transfer fees, while sending to a bank account tends to be cheaper.
How are WorldRemit’s exchange rates?
WorldRemit applies a mid-market margin markup to its exchange rates. How much this is will largely depend on the transfer location. The mid-market rate is the exchange rate you’ll see when you look up a currency pair on Google and is the current recognised rate that traders use to buy and sell a pair of currencies. The low the percentage above the mid-market rate that WorldRemit is charging, the better.
As of June 9, 2022, here are the mid-market rate markups for popular destinations when sending to a bank account:
Sending to
Currency
Mid-market rate
WorldRemit rate
% above mid-market
Bangladesh
BDT
116.67
113.97124
2.34%
China
CNY
8.40
8.16116
2.88%
Guatemala
GTQ
9.69
9.44232
2.59%
India
INR
97.64
96.18792
1.50%
Mexico
MXN
24.59
23.96341
1.67%
Pakistan
PKR
251.55
247.38217
1.67%
Philippines
PHP
66.42
65.72403
1.05%
What are the ways I can send money abroad with WorldRemit?
Depending on where you live, the ways to send money through WorldRemit may vary. But the good news is that there are usually plenty of options to choose from. Here are some of the ways to send and receive money using WorldRemit:
Cash pickup. Pick up a cash transfer at one of WorldRemit’s partner network locations – these are typically banks.
Bank transfer. Have the money delivered straight to your bank account. Additional fees may apply, so always double-check with your bank before accepting a transfer this way.
Mobile money. Receive money into your existing mobile wallet service, which you can then use to pay bills or withdraw at authorised agents.
Airtime top-up. Have money sent directly to your telecom network to cover your phone bill.
Door-to-door delivery. Physical cash is delivered straight to your door, but you must present a valid ID that matches the details entered by the sender.
How to send money transfer online with WorldRemit
To send money with WorldRemit, you will first need to set up an account. You will need to wait for this to be verified before you can send your first transfer.
After you have received confirmation that your account has been verified, just follow these steps to have money sent in as little as a few minutes:
Set up your free account, which can be done in just a few minutes.
Your identity will need to be verified before you can make a money transfer using WorldRemit. Acceptable forms of ID must include your photograph, your full name, date of birth and more. If using state ID, it must be issued by the same state you are registering to send money from.
Once your identity has been verified, head online or use the WorldRemit app to choose the country you want to send funds to.
Select the method of transfer. Depending on your destination you can choose from cash pickup, bank transfer. Mobile money, airtime top-up or door-to-door delivery.
Input how much you want to send and then double-check the fees and exchange rates.
Add your recipient’s information including their mobile number and email address, as these will be used to notify them on the progress of the transfer.
The final step is to enter your payment information. You can pay via bank transfer, Apple Pay or with a debit or credit card.
What are WorldRemit’s payment options?
When transferring from the UK, you can pay by any of the following methods:
Debit, credit or prepaid cards issued on Visa or Mastercard networks (but not Amex)
Apple Pay (but not Google Pay)
Bank transfer
When transferring to the UK, the payment methods you can use vary from country to country (and can even include Klarna!).
Can I pay with cash at WorldRemit?
No. Since WorldRemit doesn’t have any agent locations from which to send money, paying with cash is not an option.
How long does a WorldRemit transfer take?
WorldRemit claims that more than 90% of its money transfers are ready in minutes. However, the transfer speeds depend on the delivery method you choose. If you opt to send money via cash pickup, mobile money or airtime top-up then your funds probably will arrive within minutes. However, bank transfers can take up to five business days, and home delivery up to seven days.
WorldRemit Wallet, mobile money and airtime top-ups explained
Some of these services you may know under different names and not all of them are available worldwide.
WorldRemit Wallet
Similar to other digital wallets, the WorldRemit Wallet enables users in select countries to store money without having to move it to a bank account or for cash pickup. The WorldRemit Wallet comes included in the WorldRemit mobile app in participating countries and can currently store US dollars, Philippine pesos, Ugandan shilling and Central African francs.
WorldRemit mobile money
Mobile money is an ewallet service that is available for use in more than 80 countries and may be particularly useful for the underbanked and unbanked. Mobile money uses smartphones and basic phones to store money that can be saved, withdrawn and sent by the user through their phone. Users can use their mobile money to buy things in participating stores and online shops as well as to pay bills and more.
Airtime top-ups
Many mobile service providers allow you to pay for service through money transfers. This is where airtime top-ups come into play. WorldRemit allows you to pay for service in other countries, perhaps for your friends or family, so that they will have airtime minutes and text balances to stay in touch with you.
Is WorldRemit safe to use?
World Remit was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in London. These days it’s active in over 100 countries and, as you might expect, holds many licenses around the globe. In the UK it’s authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Any legitimate money transfer service operating in the UK will be regulated by the FCA.
While your funds are held with WorldRemit, they aren’t protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which can protect consumers in the event that a bank goes bust. That’s normal for specialist money transfer companies because they technically arn’t fully-fledged banks.
WorldRemit uses machine learning to monitor all transactions, and anything suspicious is forwarded to dedicated teams for human attention. When problems pop up, customers can contact WorldRemit 24/7 by phone, email or live chat.
What information will I need to send a transfer?
To send money through WorldRemit, you’ll need the following:
A WorldRemit account. Creating an account is free and can typically be done in a few minutes or less.
Valid payment. Payment options for transfers out of Australia include debit, credit and prepaid cards, bank account transfers, Apple Pay and Android Pay.
Recipient’s name and contact information. To make sure your transfer goes smoothly, have your recipient’s legal name, bank account information and contact info ready when setting up your transfer.
Valid identification. Valid ID is required to transfer with WorldRemit. Acceptable forms must include your photograph, your full name, date of birth and more. Typically accepted forms of ID include the following:
UK or international passport
UK driver’s licence
UK military ID
UK refugee document
UK visa
UK National Insurance number
Does WorldRemit have a mobile app?
Yes, WorldRemit has an app available on both the App Store and through Google Play. Through the app, you can do the following:
Save contact information. Store your frequent recipients to make starting a transfer to them even quicker.
Get daily price notifications. Keep an eye on multiple currency pairs to send your money when the exchange rate is in your favor.
Track transfers. See the progress of your transfer in the app and opt in or out of SMS notifications.
Access customer support. Find live chat, telephone numbers and email options to contact customer support through the app.
Platform
Rating
Google Play Store
4.3 out of 5 — based on 120k customer reviews
Apple App Store
4.7 out of 5 — based on 74k customer reviews
Reviews accurate as of 8 August 2022.
Frequently asked questions
No, WorldRemit requires ID when sending money from the UK to verify your identity.
Whether sending online or through the WorldRemit app, your transfer will automatically be tracked and you’ll automatically be updated. You can opt in to text updates so you’ll know exactly when your transfer arrives or if it has hit any snags along the way.
Contact WorldRemit customer service in the following ways:
Live chat – You’ll start by talking with a bot but can navigate to a real agent.
Email – Use WorldRemit’s onsite email form to send an email about your problem or concern.
Phone – Call +44 203 9666899 to reach WorldRemit customer service in the UK.
If you need to cancel a transfer you should contact WorldRemit as soon as possible. Refunds can take up to 7 business days to return to your account. In some circumstances, though, your transfer cannot be cancelled, for example, if it has already been picked up in cash.
Yes, for UK-based businesses only. Just go to WorldRemit’s homepage, click on Sign Up, select a Business account and provide the information requested.
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Kate Steere is an editor at Finder, specialising in fintech, banking and cryptocurrency. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run. See full bio
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