How To Safely Send Your Money Abroad

When you are a frequent traveller abroad and spend much of your time away from home, one of the things you need to think about is how to safely send money abroad. Maybe you are backpacking for a year and need to pay your bills or the landlord back home, or maybe you need to transfer cash to your dependants. There is no lack of ways to send money overseas, but the question is, which method gives you the best bang for your buck? When banks are involved, there are so many hidden fees and commissions, poor exchange rates and the lack of transparency in many money transfer methods that there are a few ways to compare location-based choices and services. Here’s a look at some of the most reliable ways of money transfer.

Photo Credit: mroach | cc

Money transfer operators

Western Union, MoneyGram and other money transfer operators are good for sending small sums of cash. You can pay through debit card or in cash and it’s particularly useful if the recipient doesn’t have a bank account. The only constraint is that you’ll need to find a company agent (you can also transfer money online) and then the recipient will need to visit their nearest money operator branch to collect the money. Transfers are quick in most cases, usually within 10 minutes.

Transferring online

One of the most convenient ways is to transfer money online, via services like Azimo. You can get quick transactions, pay low fees and be able to transfer through your computer or mobile devices. Azimo lets you transfer money to more than 200 countries. As long as you have a secure internet connection and receive or send money to trusted people, you should be good to go.

PayPal

If both you and the recipient have PayPal accounts and email addresses, you can easily send money overseas. PayPal charges up to 3.9% for international money transfers, and a 20p fee for currency conversion. Transfer is almost immediate. If you’re using a smartphone, you can easily download the PayPal app onto your Android, iPhone or Blackberry and text money to the recipient’s email address or phone number.

Currency brokers

In cases where speed is not an issue and you’re only trying to send a small amount, you can use the services of currency brokers like HiFX. You’ll usually get real-time exchange rates, unlike many banks and services that hide unfavourable exchange rates.

Banks

Money transfer through banks via credit cards, debit cards etc. is also easy, but you need to consider commissions, fees, tax, banking hours, type of account etc. Be sure to speak to someone in the bank to find out the exact costs, and any small increments of fees that add up to more than you expected. Make sure to look into the best banks for international travel before you head out of the country.

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When transferring money overseas, always make sure that the services you are using are authorized by the FCA or equivalent, especially if you are sending large sums of money. This will ensure your money is safe. Also remember, the larger the sum you send, the better the rates you may receive.

This post was brought to you in partnership with Azimo – investigating your options when it comes to moving money overseas is always a great idea!

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