Remitly Review: Should you Sign up in 2024?

One of the top money transfer providers in the world, Remitly is an online remittance service originating from Seattle, USA.

As part of my comprehensive look at the international money transfer industry, I’ve spent time using Remitly, going into its functionality and fees in-depth, and checking out its ratings and customer service.

If you want to know whether Remitly’s right for you or whether you should opt for an alternative service to send your cash internationally, read on.

Remitly Review: My Verdict in 30 Seconds

Remitly is an excellent option for sending smaller amounts of money abroad, especially for immigrants and ex-pats. Its focus on convenient cash pick-ups and instant transfers to mobile wallets makes it very useful for supporting family and friends in many developing countries.

The ability to choose between the affordable Economy bank transfer service and the faster Express card-funded transfers is a major plus in Remitly’s favour. Most competitors only offer one type of transfer. This flexibility allows me to decide if saving money or transfer speed is more important for each transaction.

While I wish Remitly’s exchange rate margin was more transparent, their rates are usually highly competitive compared to alternatives. In fact, Remitly consistently ranks as a top three cheapest provider for bank and cash transfers in the majority of searches, according to my analysis.

My main concerns are Remitly’s limited country availability, lack of business account options, and some users reporting poor customer service. But sending money to family internationally remains an excellent choice for personal use.

Before choosing Remitly, I would be sure to compare the specific countries, currencies, and transfer amounts to other top-rated providers. But for most typical family remittance needs, Remitly should suffice with its combination of affordable rates, instant transfers, and cash pickup options.

What are the Pros and Cons of Remitly?

Who are Remitly?

Remitly is a digital money transfer service founded in 2011 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company specializes in international money transfers for immigrants and expats sending money back to their home countries.

Remitly is used by over 3 million customers across the globe to send over $6 billion annually. It has raised over $100 million in funding from high-profile investors like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Goldman Sachs, and the International Finance Corporation.

The company operates in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia. It allows funds to be sent to over 130 receiving nations using various pay-in methods like bank transfers, debit/credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Recipients can obtain the money via direct deposit to bank accounts, cash pickup locations, mobile wallets, and home delivery in select countries. Remitly handles translations in 11 languages and has mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Remitly competes with traditional money transfer companies like Western Union, MoneyGram, and Ria, as well as newer digital disruptors like Wise, WorldRemit, Xoom, and TransferWise. It differentiated itself by focusing specifically on immigrants sending money back home.

Remitly Features

Remitly offers some excellent features and advantages for users in the United Kingdom looking to transfer money internationally.

1. Global Reach: Remitly enables users to send money from 16 developed countries, including the UK, to over 50 destinations worldwide. This wide coverage makes it a convenient choice for a diverse user base.
2. Competitive Exchange Rates: Remitly updates its exchange rates daily to reflect market fluctuations, ensuring competitive rates for its users. This feature is particularly beneficial for those sending money to countries with volatile currencies.
3. Flexible Speed Options:
   • Economy: Offers a higher exchange rate with lower fees but takes 3-5 business days for the transfer.
   • Express: Provides immediate transfer within a few hours, useful for urgent transactions, albeit with a higher fee and a slightly lower exchange rate.
4. Transfer Limits: Depending on the user’s verification level, Remitly has different transfer limits. These limits can be increased by providing additional personal information, which is beneficial for those needing to send larger amounts.
5. Varied Payment and Receiving Options: Users can make payments via bank account, debit card, or credit card. Recipients have options like bank account deposits, cash pickup from 140,000 agent locations globally, or home delivery in select countries.
6. Customer Service: Offers support in multiple languages, including 24/7 assistance in English, enhancing accessibility for a diverse customer base.
7. Passbook by Remitly: This is a neobanking service offering a virtual bank account with no physical branches. It’s particularly useful for immigrants and those without traditional banking services. Features include zero transaction fees abroad, no account maintenance fees, and no minimum balance requirements.
8. Remitly’s International Presence: In Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, Remitly has tailored services to cater to the specific needs of these regions, such as bank transfers, cash pickups, and mobile wallet deposits.
9. Security and Compliance: Remitly adheres to anti-money laundering regulations and may require additional documentation for transfers, ensuring a secure and compliant transaction process.

Remitly Fees & Exchange Rates

Remitly has a tiered fee structure depending on the transfer speed, amount, currency, and country corridor.

In my testing it found it came out as the cheapest provider approximately half of the time. But for certain locations, it was much less competitive.

For example, sending £1000 to India, it came out as the third cheapest:

As an alternative comparison, if I wanted to send £10,000 to Brazil, the fees came out like this.

Transfer Fees:

• Economy (bank transfer) – No fixed fees for transfers above $500-$1000 USD depending on receiving country. Delivery within 3-5 business days.
• Express (debit/credit card) – Fixed fees of $1.99 to $4.99 USD per transfer. Near instant delivery.

Other Fees:

• Card processing fees (around 3% for credit/debit card payments)
• Cash pickup fees at partner locations
• Receiving bank fees outside of Remitly’s control

Exchange Rates:

• Remitly offers competitive FX rates that are typically 0.5-2% below the mid-market rate.
• The exact exchange rate offered depends on the transfer details. Rates are locked in when the transfer is initiated.
• Remitly builds their margin into the exchange rate instead of charging an explicit percentage-based FX fee.
• Receiving in the local currency of the recipient country generally provides the best rate.

Who Should Use Remitly?

Remitly is designed for immigrants and expats who need to send regular, smaller amounts of money home digitally in a fast, affordable way. Its cash pickup and mobile-first experience give it unique advantages over banks and some competitors.

• Immigrants and expatriates sending money back home regularly: Remitly is designed for frequent smaller remittances to support family and friends internationally. Its economy pricing and cash pickup options cater to this demographic.
• People needing to make quick emergency transfers: Remitly’s Express transfers can be delivered in minutes via debit/credit card funding.
• Those sending smaller amounts infrequently: Remitly has lower minimum transfer amounts and sizes many of its fees for smaller sums. Larger or less frequent transfers may find better pricing elsewhere.
• People needing cash pickup: Remitly offers cash pickup networks in over 130 countries, often with better rates than traditional remittance companies. This is a key advantage.
• People without bank accounts: Recipients without bank accounts can use Remitly’s cash pickup option in many countries. Other digital remitters require bank accounts.
• Those wanting mobile-first experience: Remitly’s excellent mobile apps make transfers easy from iOS and Android smartphones.
• Senders in Remitly’s 28 supported countries: Remitly currently supports senders located in around 30 primarily developed nations. If you live elsewhere, it won’t be an option.

Who Shouldn’t Use Remitly?

Here are some cases where Remitly may not be the best option for money transfers:

• Sending large or infrequent transfers: Remitly is designed for smaller, regular remittances. For amounts over $5,000+, the fees are higher and limits more restrictive. For one-off big transfers, other providers such as Currencies Direct or Torfx may offer better pricing.
• Business payments: Remitly only supports personal consumer transfers for friends and family. It does not offer business accounts or higher volume business transfers.
• Obscure currency pairs: Although Remitly supports over 130 receive countries, if you need an obscure currency pair, rates and availability may be better elsewhere.
• Recipient needs physical check: Remitly does not offer check payouts to recipients. Only bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallets, and home delivery.
• Senders without bank accounts: Remitly typically needs a bank account to withdraw funds for Economy transfers. If you don’t have one, options will be more limited.
• Cryptocurrency Senders: Remitly does not accept cryptocurrency directly as a funding source for transfers.
• Slow delivery okay: For recipients where slower 5+ day delivery is acceptable, a bank wire may provide better rate/fees than Remitly Economy.
• Senders outside of ~30 supported countries: Remitly’s coverage only supports around 30 primarily developed nations currently as senders.

How Easy is Remitly to Use?

I found Remitly’s service to be straightforward and convenient to use. The account setup was quick – I just needed my email and some basic personal information to get started, which is less tedious than some bank forms.

The mobile app is cleanly designed and makes it simple for me to initiate transfers within a couple taps. I like that I can save my recipient details so I don’t have to re-input their information every time. Tracking the status of my transfers is also easy with the timeline feature.

Receiving SMS text and email notifications when my transfers are paid out gives me added peace of mind. I also appreciate that Remitly supports multiple languages.

The process of inputting the transfer details, delivery method, and confirming the transaction details is intuitive. I also find the rate lock feature useful – it lets me lock in a rate for a few hours so I don’t have to complete the transfer immediately.

What’s the Remitly Customer Support like?

Availability:

• 24/7 phone, email, and chat support in English and Spanish
• Additional languages supported via chat: French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese

Response Time:

• Phone support is immediate after short automated message
• Chat support typically connects within 1 minute
• Email support response time is slower – within 1-2 business days

Knowledge Level:

• Phone and chat support agents are generally knowledgeable about transfer processes, policies, and technical issues
• Provide helpful troubleshooting for error messages, transfer issues

Communication:

• Agents are polite, patient and try to solve customer issues
• Explanations are clear and easy to understand

Negative Feedback:

• Some reports of agents providing incorrect information
• Occasional difficulties escalating issues to a supervisor
• Follow-up on issues not always timely via email channel

Remitly Customer Ratings and Reviews

• Trustpilot – 4.1 out of 5 stars based on over 37,000 reviews. This indicates generally positive sentiment toward Remitly overall.
• Play Store – 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 182,000 reviews. The Android app experience tends to be smooth and convenient for most users.
• App Store – 4.9 out of 5 stars based on over 463,000 ratings. Similar to Play Store, the iOS app provides a positive experience.
• SiteJabber – 4 out of 5 stars based on around 1,300 reviews. Lower than other sites but still skews positive overall.

The most common positive feedback includes:

• Fast transfer speeds and easy tracking
• Smooth app and user experience
• Helpful and knowledgeable customer service
• Low fees compared to other options

Top negative themes in critical reviews include:

• Excess ID verification requests
• Transfers delayed or cancelled in some cases
• Lack of transparency about total fees
• Poor communication when resolving issues

Remitly vs Competitors: A Brief Comparison

Remitly vs OFX: Remitly offers unique delivery options like cash pickup and home delivery, which OFX does not provide, focusing mainly on bank transfers. Although OFX has a wider reach with 190 countries compared to Remitly’s 170, Remitly’s versatile delivery methods cater to a broader range of recipient needs.

Remitly vs Wise: Wise stands out for its ability to facilitate payments via Apple Pay or Google Pay, a feature not available with Remitly. However, Remitly excels in offering home or business deliveries, an option that Wise does not offer.

Remitly vs Xoom: Xoom offers unique services like international bill payments and mobile phone top-ups, which are not available with Remitly. However, Remitly’s Economy transfer option is often more cost-effective than Xoom’s offerings, and it also provides more delivery options, including cash pickup and home delivery.

Remitly vs Revolut: While Revolut operates as a digital bank offering a range of financial services including international transfers, Remitly focuses specifically on remittances. Remitly charges per transaction with varying fees, while Revolut’s transfer costs are influenced by its subscription plans. Remitly’s diverse delivery options, such as cash pickup and home delivery, provide a level of convenience that Revolut’s purely digital approach does not match.

Remitly vs Western Union: While Remitly provides a digital-first approach with options for cash pickup in many countries, Western Union’s strength lies in its extensive physical presence and ability to handle cash transactions more broadly. Both services offer different fees and exchange rates depending on the transfer details, and their transfer times vary, with Western Union generally offering faster delivery options for certain transfers.

Remitly vs WorldRemit: WorldRemit serves a broader range of countries and also provides airtime top-up services. The choice between the two often comes down to the specific country of transfer and the services required. In terms of fees and exchange rates, both companies vary based on the destination, amount, and service type, with WorldRemit generally offering a wider range of services but Remitly focusing on a more streamlined set of options.

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