The world has become a global village where people interact via digital platforms such as social media, mass media, and mobile telephoning. Likewise, transferring money has now become very easy with various money apps operating in the market. One of the best international money transfer apps is PayPal that operates in over 200 countries.
With money transfer apps, people can now work remotely and get their payments wherever they are. Many freelancers nowadays receive their salaries via apps such as Payoneer, Skrill, and PayPal, among others. Money arrives instantly or within a few minutes into the recipient’s account. Once the money is in your mobile money wallet, you can withdraw it to your bank account.
Most International money apps allow you to withdraw to your bank account. However, you may have to wait for some days for the money to reflect in your bank account. For example, withdrawing from Payoneer to a bank account takes around 1-3 business days for the funds to appear in your bank balance. PayPal withdrawal takes 3-5 business days for the funds to reflect in your account. The time taken varies from one bank to the other, as well as the withdrawal method.
How do I register for a money transfer app account?
Most money apps do not require a lot of things when opening an account. Requirements include;
- Active email address
- Phone number
- The physical address, and
- Government ID
Once you gather the details needed, you can then visit the concerned money app website and start your application. You should fill in all the needed information accurately before submitting it. You then wait for verification of the details, which should not take long.
Once you have succeeded in getting approval for your account, you should then link your app with a bank account or a payment card. Depending on how you will use the account, you may add a bank account or a card to recharge your mobile money app or withdraw money from your app.
What is the importance of money apps?
Various advantages come with money apps. They include the following;
i) Payment of goods and services
Mobile money apps allow you to purchase goods online. For example, you can buy items from Amazon using PayPal. When checking out, you get various options to pay for your items. You can thus select the appropriate money app and enter the necessary information to complete your payment.
ii) Sending money
You can send money from your app account to someone else’s account of the same financial company. Sending money within the same mobile money app network is usually free and instant. You can also send money to a bank account, although some apps such as PayPal will not allow you to send money to someone else’s bank account.
iii) Saving money
Some mobile money apps allow you to set aside money for future use. For example, Netspend has a savings account where you can save money for a future project. Therefore, you do not need a bank account to save money.
iv) Investment
Some apps allow you to invest in the stock market and get returns. Additionally, some stock trading apps allow you to deposit money from mobile money apps.
Do I need a bank account to run a money transfer app?
You do not require a bank account to run most of the mobile money payment apps. Even though adding a bank is essential for loading your account, you will realize that the apps can run very well independently. That is usually possible if you are using the app for peer-to-peer transfers.
A money app like Cash App was mainly started to allow people to send and receive payments. As I mentioned earlier, you can pay bills as well as buy goods using these apps. Others such as Payoneer and PayPal have debit cards that can help you access cash from an ATM.
However, withdrawing money from a mobile app to a bank account adds more flexibility to the money usage. With money in your account, you can send money to other people’s bank accounts if you know how to transfer money to someone else’s bank account.
Bank and credit union accounts also allow you to secure loans and lines of credit. Therefore, making periodical withdrawals to your bank account may qualify you for a loan, thus helping you advance financially.
Are mobile money transfer apps safe?
Mobile money apps are safe to use. Since they require you to connect to the internet to access services, the service providers have ensured that all user information is secure. The apps have end-to-end encryption that ensures no third party can see the information transmission between you and the servers.
Furthermore, the applications ensure that you use a password, PIN, or Touch ID. It means that no one else can access your account except you. Some apps also use two-way verification which involves entering your password and a code sent to your registered mobile phone or email address.
Mobile money apps with debit cards have zero liability protection that ensures that you are not liable for any unauthorized transactions if you lose the card. Furthermore, the issuing banks have FDIC insurance not to lose your money if the app collapses.
Which are the best international money transfer and payment apps?
Various money transfer apps operate internationally. The best money apps you can use today include the following.
1) PayPal
There is no way we can leave PayPal behind when talking about the best international money transfer apps. PayPal has been running for years now and continues to grow every day. There are millions of customers across the world that rely on PayPal services as we speak.
PayPal operates in over 200 countries around the globe. The app allows you to send and receive money from people from all over the world. Also, the mobile money app enables you to link your account to a bank account to withdraw your money. Furthermore, PayPal offers the PayPal Cash Card that you can use to withdraw cash from an ATM instead of withdrawing money into your bank account.
2) Payoneer
Payoneer is also coming very fast. Since its foundation in 2005, the institution has seen a tremendous increase in users. As of 2019, the company had approximately 4 million customers and about 1200 employees. The company’s services are similar to PayPal, whereby you can send money instantly to other Payoneer users across the world.
Once the money enters your account, you can withdraw it into your bank account or use it online to pay for goods and services. The app also offers a debit card that you can use to withdraw money at an ATM or pay for goods and services.
Generally, Payoneer is secure. Even when you add your bank account number on the app, no one can see them. But can someone withdraw money with my account number? Definitely, no. you cannot use someone else’s account number to withdraw money unless you have other details such as PIN, password, or their payment card linking to their account. The app supports over 150 currencies.
3) WorldRemit
Worldremit also allows you to transfer money from the USA to various parts of the world since it supports over 140 destinations. The app is safe and reliable since its transfers are instant. Creating a WorldRemit account is easy and straightforward since you only need your address, email, and phone number.
WorldRemit allows for high transfer limits per day. You can transact up to USD 5,000 per day. The app also offers cash pick-up locations so that you do not have to move money to your bank account and proceed to withdraw over the counter. You can pay for your WorldRemit transactions using a bank account or debit card (depending on the country).
4) Western Union
Western Union has been around since 1851. It is one of the oldest money transfer platforms that most people have been relying on. The company operates from Denver, Colorado, USA. It has grown bigger over the years and as of 2018, the company had US$1.1 billion operating income.
With the advancement of technology, Western Union has gone digital, and people can now use its services via smartphones. Users can send money to various parts of the world where recipients can either have the money in their bank accounts or collect cash at pick-up points. In general, Western Union is one of the safest money transfer platforms in the world.
5) OFX
OFX is another international money transfer platform that you can use to move money from the US to another country or from other countries to the US. Registering for an account with OFX is simple as it takes around 5 minutes to complete the registration. Some people wonder whether OFX is legitimate. The platform is real, and moving money from one country to another is easy and straightforward.
OFX has physical offices in the US and other countries. It means that you can visit a branch physically for services. However, the branches do not offer cash pickup services. OFX exchange rates are also competitive, and thus, you can minimize the costs of sending money internationally.
6) Wise
Wise was formerly TransferWise. You can sign up for an account for free online over the web or using their app. Transfer of money using Wise is fast, easy, and straightforward. You can transfer money from the US to various nations globally, where recipients can collect the money in their bank accounts. The app has a transparent fee structure where you can see the exchange rates.
The good thing with Wise is that you will not be charged any additional fees for international transfers. Interestingly, the app offers large limits of up to $1,000,000 per transfer. However, your bank may limit you to $5,000 per day. There are reasons why financial institutions tend to limit the amount you can transfer per day, one of them being to prevent money laundering.
7) Remitly
Remitly is a mobile money transfer service that allows the transfer of funds affordable, faster, and more transparent. The company is purely online as it does not have physical locations like Western Union and OFX.
Therefore, Remitly does not incur any high operational costs and thus takes advantage to lower the costs for you. Signing up is easy as you just need to download the Remitly app to get started or visit Remitly.com.
If you want to send money instantly, you will incur some costs. You will need to pay $3.99 for instant transfers that happen in minutes. You can also opt for the zero-fee transfer, which takes 3-5 days to complete. Even though it is cheap to use Remitly to transfer funds, it does not support many currencies like the Western Union.
8) MoneyGram
MoneyGram started a long time ago, in the year 1940, even though Western Union is a bit older than the platform. In 2007, the institution dropped in performance due to increased competition and weak operating conditions. However, MoneyGram has continued to struggle with the current competitors, and up to date, the company is still surviving.
The company operates from Dallas, Texas, in the USA. It has an operations station in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and other offices across the world. Many people have been using its services, and more so, the MoneyGram international money transfer services.
Transfer fees vary with the country you are sending to. For example, sending $100 to Brazil costs you $5 while sending the same amount to Australia costs you $10. MoneyGram transfer costs are a bit lower than that of Western Union.
9) Skrill
Skrill lets you create a free account to send money internationally or buy goods and services online. The company has a license to work in the USA, and you can use it to send money abroad. Withdrawal processes are also faster, and you can get your money in 24 hours once processing begins.
Skrill is also safe to use. The institution has been running since 2001 and could have closed by now if it did not have good services. Recipients can deposit funds in their bank accounts for free.
Bottom line
Globalization has increased the need to move money from one country to another. There are various money transfer and payment apps that allow users to send money to others in other countries.
Most of these applications enable withdrawals to bank accounts. A few, such as MoneyGram and Western Union, have cash pickup points where recipients can get their money even when they do not have bank accounts.
