If you’re paying a US supplier, a child’s tuition, or topping up a relative’s account, where you convert your pounds decides how many dollars arrive. The visible fee is the small part; the exchange-rate margin is where the money usually goes.
You can rely on the figures below: we checked them against provider pricing, the mid-market GBP/USD rate, and the US reporting rules in June 2026.
How Much Does It Cost to Send Money to the USA?
Pick by what you’re sending and how fast you need it there: lowest cost on a small transfer, or same-day arrival on an urgent one. For a £1,000 transfer we rate Atlantic Money and Revolut the cheapest, with Wise close behind and fully transparent.
| Key point | Details |
|---|---|
| Destination currency | US dollar (USD) |
| Cheapest on £1,000 (June 2026) | Atlantic Money (flat £3) and Revolut (0.3%, capped £5) |
| Fastest way | Same-day via a USD wire; ACH bank deposit takes 1 to 2 business days |
| What the recipient needs | Full name, 9-digit routing number, account number, account type |
| Typical UK bank charge | £35 or more on £1,000 (2.5% to 4% margin plus a fee), per comparison-service estimates |
| US reporting | Banks report transfers of $10,000 or more to FinCEN and the IRS |
If you just want the cheapest reliable route for a one-off payment, that’s a mid-market provider every time. The bank counter is the convenient option and the dearest one.
On a £1,000 transfer the gap between the cheapest provider and a bank is more than £30. Scale that to a £20,000 property deposit and the bank spread alone can cost you several hundred dollars. The spread costs you, not the visible fee.
You should watch the timing with Revolut: its Standard plan adds 1% if you convert at the weekend, which can wipe out its price edge. That’s the catch with weekend transfers.
Best Providers for Sending Money to the USA
When you pay a supplier or send a relative their money, the cheapest name changes with the amount and how you want to send. We’d match the four below to four common situations on this corridor.
Wise for most transfers
Choose Wise when you want the fairest rate with nothing hidden. It uses the mid-market rate and shows the 0.44% fee upfront, and you can hold dollars in a USD account and pay out by ACH when you need to.
Atlantic Money for large one-off transfers
Choose Atlantic Money when your amount is large and you want a flat fee. It charges £3 at the mid-market rate on transfers up to £1 million, so on a property deposit or a school-fee payment the saving against a percentage fee adds up fast.
OFX for dealer-led business payments
Pick OFX if you’re a business and you want a person on the phone when you pay a supplier. It charges no upfront fee and builds a 0.4% average margin into the rate, and that margin tightens on larger amounts when you deal with a broker.
Revolut for small in-app transfers
Use Revolut if you already bank in the app and your transfer is small. The 0.3% fee is capped at £5 on Standard, but avoid converting at the weekend, when the 1% surcharge lands and the cost jumps.
How GBP Compares to USD Right Now
You should check the live mid-market GBP/USD rate before you commit, then compare what each provider would deposit. On 3 June 2026 the rate sat at 1.3462, so £1,000 buys about $1,346 before any margin.
You can’t time the rate, and we don’t try to: the pair has stayed range-bound through 2026, with the pound held in check by a firm US dollar. The honest move is to compare the dollars you receive on the day and send when you need to.
How Long Does It Take to Send Money to the USA?
You should expect one to two business days if you fund by bank transfer and the money lands via ACH, the US batch-clearing network. Wise, Atlantic Money, Revolut, and OFX all route this way by default.
Pay for a USD wire if you need it there today, and it can clear the same day; that’s the route for a fixed closing date. A wire costs more, so it’s worth it only when the timing is.
Picture your supplier emailing the invoice on a Friday, with the dollars due to land by Monday: a same-day wire makes that deadline, an ACH transfer doesn’t.
Your transfer can also get held for weekend clearing gaps, a source-of-funds check above £10,000, or a recipient bank querying an unfamiliar payment.
What You Need to Send Money to the USA
You should gather four details from your recipient before you start, because a wrong routing number is the usual reason a US transfer bounces. Get these right and the payment goes through cleanly.
- Recipient full name exactly as it appears on their US bank account.
- 9-digit routing number, and check whether it’s the ACH or the wire routing number, as banks sometimes use different ones.
- Account number for the receiving account.
- Account type, either checking or savings.
You’ll also need your own ID to verify your account, and for a business payment your company details. Above £10,000 expect a source-of-funds question, so have proof of where the money came from ready.
US-Specific Regulations and Rules
You should know the US reporting rules before you send a large sum, because they create paperwork rather than blocking the transfer. None of these stop a legitimate payment; they just mean it gets recorded.
Bank reporting at $10,000
When you send $10,000 or more, the receiving US bank files the report, not you. Under the Bank Secrecy Act it reports any transfer or cash deposit of $10,000 or more to FinCEN and the IRS on a Currency Transaction Report.
Gift, inheritance, and account rules
Watch three thresholds if your recipient is a US person, because each creates a filing. A foreign gift or inheritance above $100,000 means they file IRS Form 3520.
Your recipient also crosses two more lines worth knowing: a foreign account that tops $10,000 in the year triggers an FBAR, and anyone carrying more than $10,000 in cash into the US files FinCEN Form 105 at the border.
Common Reasons People Send Money to the USA
Match your provider to your reason, because most GBP to USD transfers fall into a few buckets and the right pick follows from why you’re sending. Knowing your category points you straight to the cost-versus-speed trade-off.
- Family support: regular top-ups to a relative’s US account, where a low percentage fee matters most.
- Property: a deposit or completion payment, where a flat-fee provider and a same-day wire earn their keep.
- Tuition: US college fees, often on a fixed deadline that rewards planning ahead.
- Business payments: paying a US supplier or contractor, where a dealer and clean records help your bookkeeping.
Step-by-Step: Sending Money to the USA
- Open and verify an account. Sign up with your chosen provider and upload ID; personal verification usually takes minutes, a business account one to two days.
- Get a live quote on the corridor. Enter your GBP amount, check the rate against the mid-market GBP/USD figure, and confirm the dollars the recipient will get.
- Fund and send. Pay by Faster Payments for the lowest cost, or by debit card for instant funding, then track delivery in the app.
Final Verdict: Best Way to Send Money to the USA
For the typical sender we’d use Wise or Atlantic Money: both give the mid-market rate, and on £1,000 you’ll pay £3 to £4.43 rather than the £35 or more a bank takes. Compare the dollars that land and the choice is clear.
If you send a large one-off, Atlantic Money’s flat £3 wins outright. Need the money there today and a USD wire beats them all on speed, even at a higher fee. The bank counter is the one route we’d avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the cheapest way to send money to the USA from the UK?
Compare the dollars that land, not the headline rate, because most of the cost hides in the exchange-rate margin. On a £1,000 transfer (June 2026) Atlantic Money (flat £3) and Revolut (0.3%, capped £5) are the cheapest, with Wise close behind at £4.43 and fully transparent. A high-street bank can take £35 or more on the same amount.
How long does a transfer to the USA take?
A bank-funded transfer that lands via ACH takes one to two business days. A USD wire can clear the same day if you fund it early enough, which is worth the higher fee when a deadline is fixed.
Is there a limit on how much I can send to the USA?
There’s no fixed cap, but a US bank automatically reports any transfer of $10,000 or more to FinCEN and the IRS under the Bank Secrecy Act. That’s a record-keeping step, not a block on the payment.
Does my US recipient pay tax on money I send?
A normal transfer isn’t taxed, but a foreign gift or inheritance above $100,000 means the US recipient files IRS Form 3520, and a foreign account over $10,000 in the year triggers an FBAR. For large or business transfers, get professional tax advice.
What details do I need to send money to a US bank account?
You need the recipient’s full name, their 9-digit routing number (check whether it’s the ACH or wire number), the account number, and the account type, either checking or savings.
Methodology and Disclosure
How we reviewed this
Sources: We verified provider pricing (Wise, Atlantic Money, Revolut, OFX) against each provider’s own pages, the GBP/USD mid-market rate, and the US reporting rules against FinCEN, the IRS, and US Customs and Border Protection, in June 2026.
FX margins: High-street bank GBP to USD margins aren’t published by the banks; the 2.5% to 4% range reflects independent comparison-service estimates, not a bank-published figure. Provider fees and rates move, so confirm the current figure before you send.
Not advice: This is editorial guidance, not regulated financial or tax advice.
Affiliate disclosure: BusinessExpert may receive referral fees from some providers mentioned on this page. This doesn’t affect our editorial assessments.