When you need to send money abroad, you can easily get overwhelmed by the dozens of money transfer service options available. Some offer low commissions, others encourage better exchange rates or more coverage of supported countries.
So, when you are already faced with such a choice, you should make sure that you choose the best solution for your needs.
Later in the article, we will compare some of the most popular money transfer services and provide recommendations on how to choose the best international money transfer app.
1. Translation speed
In addition to the commission, transfer time is one of the important aspects to consider when transferring money abroad. Due to complexity (currency exchange, banking arrangements, etc.), sending international transfers often takes longer than domestic transfers.
Many people make international payments using their bank’s mobile app, as they are already familiar with the process. But international bank transfers (also known as SWIFT transfers) are one of the slowest ways to send money abroad.
They usually take 1-3 business days, with national holidays, weekends and currency conversions adding even more time and therefore extending the transfer up to 5-7 days in some cases.
Fin.do money transfers from card to card are delivered in a matter of minutes to any place, in 150 countries of the world. Fin.do is a very intuitive and easy to use platform. It only takes a couple of minutes to set up and make an international payment. Recipients can instantly access funds as they receive the money directly to their Mastercard or Visa cards.
2. Transfer limits
While not always convenient or pleasant, limits are indeed necessary to comply with anti-fraud requirements. Most money transfer providers have certain sending limits.
Sometimes these limits may be too low for your needs, or they may apply to the regions where you need to transfer.
Wise, for example, is available for international transfers in over 50 countries and has a $120 (equivalent) limit per transaction for Pakistani customers.
With Paysend, you can only transfer up to 15,000 Tajik somoni (about 1500 euros) 3 months before Tajikistan.
Fin.do has a transfer limit of $2,500 per month that applies to all 150 supported countries. This means that you can transfer any amount you want to and from any card, including Pakistan and Tajikistan cards.
3. Currency restrictions
Other types of restrictions include the availability of currencies that can be sent or received. That is, depending on your location or transfer destination, you may only be allowed to send a specific currency.
Paysend, for example, allows you to make transfers in your national currency and, in some cases, in international currencies such as euros. But usually you can only send UAH to Ukraine, RON to Romania, etc.
With Wise, for example, you cannot make transfers from US dollars to US dollars abroad (or any other combination in the same currency), while in some countries transfers are only allowed in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling.
With Fin.do you can send any currency anywhere and from any card. This means that you can send USD from a GBP card or EUR from a Hryvnia card, etc., no matter where the card is issued. You can learn more about the currency transfer method here.
4. Balance replenishment
Basically, money transfer services work in such a way that you first need to replenish the balance of the account, which is then used for payments. This system of balance has several consequences.
Firstly, it increases the time required for your transfer to reach the recipient, because after confirming the transfer, you must wait for the service to release these funds.
Secondly, it makes the transfer process inconvenient, since you need to constantly make sure that you have enough money in your account to complete the transfer. And replenishment of the account using a bank account or card is also subject to a bank commission.
Revolut is one of many examples where you need to fund your account before you can transfer money. While Revolut money transfers are not subject to restrictions, top-ups are – the service’s minimum transfer amounts can often be inconvenient.
Fin.do does not have its own balance, which allows you to instantly process your transfer. This is convenient both for you, because you never need to replenish the account, and for your recipient, who gets instant access to the transferred money.
5. Transparency
While many applications reflect the fees and exchange rates at the time of your transfer, the final amount received by the recipient usually remains a mystery.
This is important because exchange rates may change between the time you initiate the transaction and the time the transfer is completed, so your recipient may receive a different amount than what you intended.
This is the most common scenario even for popular money transfer platforms like Wise.
With Fin.do, you always see the exact amount you are sending and the exact amount of money your recipient is receiving at every step. Because Fin.do transfers are instantaneous, there is no risk of currency fluctuations, so you and your recipient always know what to expect.
No matter which app you choose for international transfers, just make sure it meets all your needs, whether it’s fees, speed, convenience or flexibility!
This concludes our guide to the best international money transfer apps in 2023. We hope it will be useful for your next international transfer.
