The world is getting more global every day, which means that we need to be able to send and receive money across borders with ease. It can be hard to figure out where to start, though—there are so many apps in the App Store!
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best apps for sending and receiving money internationally. These apps make it easy to transfer funds from one country to another, even if you’re not familiar with the currency or banking system.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Sending And Receiving Money
If you need to send someone money—to split a check, settle a bet, or just for a treat—there’s no need to spend time swapping bank account details or searching for bills and notes. All you need is a smartphone and the right app.
In fact, you’ve got multiple apps to pick from, so you can choose the one that’s most convenient for your specific needs.
- Venmo
This platform’s main objective is to make it easier for you to quickly send money to friends and family, but Venmo (available for Android and iOS) is also simple, uncluttered, and friendly.
To pay someone, select them directly from your contacts, enter their phone number or email address, or scan their Venmo profile QR code. Then, enter the amount, write down a subject line describing the payment, and tap Pay.
There are no fees if you use a debit card or bank account as your funding source, but if you go for a credit card, Venmo will charge you a three percent fee.
[Related: Paying with your phone is safe and convenient. Here’s how to start.]
The money appears in Venmo accounts instantly, and you can keep it there if you want to use it for future payments. You can also transfer it to your bank account for free, but it’ll take between one and three business days. If you’re in a hurry, you can also make an instant transfer for a 1% fee.
Venmo also has a social media aspect to it—you’ll see a feed in the app where you can browse your past incomings and outgoings, and also take a peek at how your friends are spending their own money.
- Paypal
If you’re looking for a comprehensive platform, there’s PayPal (available for Android and iOS). But the functionality for sending money to people you know is almost as straightforward as Venmo.
From the home screen, tap Send, then enter a name from your contacts list, an email address, or a mobile number. Enter the amount and an optional message, and tap Next to move on.
Choose Friends and family as the transfer type, and then select your funding source. You can use your existing PayPal, but if that doesn’t cover the amount, you can also link a debit or credit card, or a bank account. To finish, tap on Send.
Transfers take up to one business day and there are no fees for payments.
- Apple Pay
This platform comes built into iOS and, unfortunately, it’s not available to download on Android devices.
Apple Pay doesn’t charge any fees for personal transfers, making it a great alternative between Apple users. To get started, go to your iPhone Settings and select Wallet & Apple Pay. Here you can add debit and credit cards, and link new ones to the app to use as funding sources. Make sure to enable the Apple Cash toggle switch at the top for person-to-person payments.
With that done, go to the Messages app and open or start a new chat with whom you want to send money to. There, tap the Apple Pay button at the bottom, enter the amount, and select Pay. To finish transfering the money, tap the send button (upward arrow).
Transfers are instant on this app, though bank withdrawals can take up to three days.
- Google Pay
This platform comes installed on Android phones by default and it’s also available for iOS.
Like Apple Pay, it’s a comprehensive payment option for all kinds of goods and services (there’s even a ‘split the bill’ feature), but it works well for sending money to friends and family too.
[Related: How to raise money for charity on your phone]
First, set up a funding source on Google Pay—you can use debit cards and bank accounts. Then, tap Pay friend or group and choose a name from your contacts. You can also set a recipient by entering an email address or phone number. Tap Pay, enter your amount, and you’re done.
There are no fees with Google Pay and transfers are instant, but bank withdrawals can take from minutes up to five business days.
- Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay comes preinstalled on phones from the company, but the platform is also compatible with any Android device.
As with Apple Pay and Google Pay, you can use it to make contactless purchases in stores and online, and it also lets you send payments to people. The only downside, is that for this platform to work, both the sender and receiver need to have a virtual card inside the app called a Samsung Pay Cash card.
You can add funds to this card from a debit card or a bank account. Once that’s done, all you need to do to transfer money to someone else is tapping Pay and choosing a contact name or entering a phone number.
There are no fees, and transfers are instant, though Samsung doesn’t give a timeframe on how long it takes to withdraw money from a bank account.
- Cash App
Previously known as Square Cash, Cash App (available for Android and iOS) makes personal payments as straightforward as they can possibly be.
As soon as you open the app, you’ll be able to input the amount you want to send. Then you’ll need to tap the Pay button and pick a recipient. You can choose one from your contacts list, input an email address or mobile number, or use the user’s $cashtag, a sort of profile name that makes it easier to find the person you want to send money to.
[Related: The Nigerian prince scam is still fooling people. Here’s why.]
As with other platforms on this list, you can link debit cards and bank accounts to Cash App and transfer money for free. But if you use a credit card for funding, the app will charge you a three percent levy.
Cash App says most transfers take just minutes, but depending on your bank, they can take up to three days.
- Facebook Messenger
Even if you don’t spend a lot of time on the news feed these days, you may be using Facebook Messenger (available for Android and iOS) to keep in touch with friends and family.
Well, this is also a convenient place for sending and receiving money for free. The only drawback is that transfers can take up to five business days to complete.
If you haven’t registered any payment information with Facebook already, you’ll first need to set up your funding sources—you can use debit cards and PayPal accounts. Once you’ve done that, open or start a conversation with the person you want to send money to. Tap the + button and then the $ button, and enter the amount you want to transfer. Click the Pay button to confirm.
Correction – June 14, 2021, at 10:39 a.m.: This story stated that bank accounts and debit and credit cards could be used as funding sources for Google Pay. However, the platform only accepts debit cards and bank accounts.
David Nield
David Nield
David Nield is a freelance contributor at Popular Science, producing how to guides and explainers for the DIY section on everything from improving your smartphone photos to boosting the security of your laptop. He doesn’t get much spare time, but when he does he spends it watching obscure movies and taking long walks in the countryside.
money transfer apps in africa
Immigrants from Africa, all over the world, are constantly looking for more efficient ways to send money to their families back home. We travel all over the world looking for opportunities in a bid to improve our lives and the lives of those we love. When the time comes for us to send money back home, it becomes a challenge to try and find the best method possible to ensure that our families receive the maximum amount possible and that we also make sure that they get the money and it is used for the purposes intended. So what are some of the best apps that one can use to send money to Africa?
Top four apps for sending money to Africa
Sendwave
Sendwave is one of the fastest-growing money transfer apps that is available for people that want to send money to their families back home. You can download the app on any smartphone and money transfers are instant. This is especially convenient in emergency situations where you might need to get money to your intended target quickly. The app can be linked to your debit card from which funds will be directly withdrawn and sent to the individual you want to send money to. Sendwave is still growing and is currently only serving markets in Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. International transfers on Sendwave do not attract any charges but you may need to compare the exchange rate on offer as it might be significantly lower than that on other money transfer platforms.
Western Union
This is one of the most traditional money transfer applications that exist in the world. Western Union has been in business for 145 years and counting. With over 500 000 agents across the world, it is one of the easiest money transfer services to access. Money transfers on Western Union can be made instantly with recipients being able to receive funds through cash pickups or in their bank accounts. If you want to send money through Western Union, you can do so through a bank transfer, a debit or credit card, cash deposit at an agent, or through Apple Pay.
The size of Western Union’s facilities means that there is a wide range of currencies that are available on the service. However, Western Union charges are usually high when compared to other money transfer services. They also have high exchange rate margins which are more aligned with traditional banks than with services that focus on remittances. If you need a service that is available in most places and will deliver funds to your destination with little to no hiccups no matter the cost, then Western Union is the one for you.
World Remit
World Remit hasn’t been around for long but the platform has made massive strides to become one of the top money transfer apps in the world. Recipients of funds sent through World Remit are able to receive funds through their mobile money wallets and through cash pickups which can be done at any World Remit shop. The service was founded by Ismail Ahmed, an Ethiopian immigrant who decided to solve the challenges he was facing when trying to send funds to his family back home.
The service is available in 44 African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, which makes it one of the most accessible money transfer services on the continent. Besides transferring funds to your families back home, World Remit can also be used for airtime top-ups in certain countries. They also have the option for home delivery of remitted funds in particular territories. Charges on World Remit are usually lower than on other services in the industry but as always, it is important to make comparisons of charges and exchange rates when you intend to send money to your family back home.
Fleri
There are many reasons why people need to send money to their families back home, but one of the biggest ones is for medical attention. Fleri has come up with a way to ensure that immigrants all over the world can be certain that their families back home receive the medical attention that they need. Unlike most of the apps on this list, Fleri does not remit money but you can buy medical care that is then delivered to your intended recipient.
Through Fleri, you can secure health care for your family in Africa by following these easy steps:
Open the Fleri website and select the beneficiary country.
Sign up with your email address.
The Fleri team will get in touch with you and walk you through the different health care packages on offer for your beneficiary country.
Select preferred packages, make your payment, and secure healthcare for your loved ones.
Making sure that your family gets the best health care is that easy. Fleri provides you with real-time updates on the health status of your beneficiaries whenever they receive medical attention. There is no need for you and your family to go around looking for the best doctors, specialists, or general because Fleri has partnered with several healthcare professionals to make access to quality health care easier for you.
While Fleri provides a direct and fail-safe route to healthcare, traditional money transfer apps come with a number of challenges when it comes to health care. These are some of the challenges and the solutions that come through using Fleri Health.
There is no guarantee that the intended beneficiary will receive the health care they need. Fleri guarantees that your beneficiaries receive the health care they need, giving you control that other money transfer services cannot.
Some money transfer services are not available 24 hours and in case of emergency, that could be dangerous for the patient. Fleri’s services are available 24/7. Responses to medical emergencies are immediate.
Intended beneficiaries may end up receiving sub-standard medical attention. Fleri comes with access to the best medical care providers, including specialists from other parts of the world through Telemedicine.
Fleri provides a direct route from your pocket to the best medical practitioners.
Conclusion
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Check out other publications to gain access to more digital resources if you are just starting out with Flux Resource.
Also contact us today to optimize your business(s)/Brand(s) for Search Engines