How International Money Transfers Work

When you send money to another country, it doesn't travel as physical cash. Instead, a transfer provider takes your payment in one currency, and arranges for an equivalent amount — minus their fee, based on their exchange rate — to be paid out in another currency, usually through a local partner or payment method in the recipient's country.

The basic steps

1. You pay the provider. This might be a bank transfer, card payment, or mobile money, depending on what's available where you are.
2. The provider confirms your payment. Until this happens, nothing moves on the other end.
3. The provider arranges payout. This is usually done through a local partner, mobile money service, or bank in the recipient's country — not by physically shipping money.
4. Your recipient receives the funds. Depending on the method, this can be near-instant or take longer if it involves a bank.

Why speed varies between providers

Traditional bank wires often route through several intermediary banks before reaching the recipient's bank, which is part of why they can take days. Services built around mobile money or direct local payout partners can settle much faster, because there are fewer steps between confirmation and payout.

What to check before you send

• What the fee actually is — flat, percentage, or hidden in the exchange rate
• How the recipient will actually get the money (bank account, mobile money, cash pickup)
• How long the provider expects the transfer to take
• Who to contact if something goes wrong

If you're ready to send, you can check today's fee or start a transfer and we'll walk you through the rest on WhatsApp.