MoneyTransfers
/Reviews/PassTo

PassTo Money Transfer Review

PassTo are one of the youngest money transfer providers out there, offering affordable fees and rates for those sending money from the UK. Our experts have reviewed the provider from head to toe - here's what we found out.

Mehdi Punjwani
Author 
Mehdi Punjwani
33 minutes
September 21st, 2023
Visit this site
Expert Rating
8/10

One of the newest money transfer providers on the market, PassTo offers a powerful money transfer tool with an affordable fee structure and flexible payment and deposit options. While they might not have as strong a reputation as other providers, they’re certainly up-and-coming.

The remittance review team at MoneyTransfers.com has analyzed PassTo’s money transfer service from head to toe, breaking it down into its costs, service, ease of use, safety and trust, and customer feedback. We’ve also signed up and sent money using the app, so we’re in the best position to give an honest and full picture on how good PassTo really is.

Rating breakdown

How MoneyTransfers.com rates PassTo

Fees & Rates
9.1

PassTo’s fees and exchange rates are definitely on the affordable side, beating many other providers when it comes to the overall cost of their transfers

Service
8.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Safety & Trust
8.0
Customer Feedback
8.3
"One of the youngest money transfer providers out there, PassTo offers an incredibly simple and easy to use app that allows fast and affordable transfers. While it might not have the cache of bigger providers, it’s worth checking if PassTo can facilitate your transfer as you’ll likely get a good deal if so.”
Mehdi Punjwani, Lead Writer and Editor, MoneyTransfers.com
Mehdi PunjwaniMehdi Punjwani
Pros and Cons

Why do we like PassTo?

  • Wide network: PassTo offers money transfers to a wide range of countries around the world

  • Fast transfers: Many transfers with PassTo are completed within a day or on the next day

  • Easy to use: PassTo's app is easy to use and makes sending money straightforward and quick

Overall cost

How much does it cost to send money with PassTo?

9.1
Fees & Rates

This is how we rated PassTo based on their fees and exchange rates. Find the best rates for your specific transfer with our comparison tool.

PassTo charges a flat fee for their money transfer service, as well as a small markup on the mid-market exchange rate. You’ll be able to see what fees and rates you’re charged when making a transfer.

When sending money with PassTo, the overall cost will depend on:

  • The country you send to: PassTo charge different fees and offer different rates depending on the country you’re sending money to

  • How you pay: You’ll also face different fees based on how you pay - bank transfers are usually cheapest, but they do take the longest to process

  • How the money is delivered: You might find it costs a little extra to send money for a cash pickup, compared to depositing the funds into their bank account

What are PassTo’s transfer fees?

PassTo does not show their fee structure up front, so it’s not exactly clear what different transfers, payment options or delivery methods actually cost. However, once you input your transfer details it shows the fees you’ll face, the rate you get and the total amount the recipient will get, which at least give you a realistic picture.

According to their own website, PassTo transfer fees usually - but not always - range between £1.40 and £2.50, and there are no hidden fees attached. We looked into some of the most common PassTo money transfers made by our customers to get an idea of what it costs and what sending options you have:

Destination country

Payout methods

Fee

USA

Bank deposit

£2.99

India

Bank deposit and cash pickup

£2.50 for bank deposit, £5 for cash pickup

Spain

Bank deposit

£1.99

Philippines

Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet

£4 for bank deposit, £1.50 for cash pickup and mobile wallet

South Africa

Bank deposit

£4.25

As you can see, the actual transfer fees you might face exceed the estimate given on their website, but you do see all prices up front with no hidden costs. And what’s more, if it’s your first transfer then you get a welcome exchange rate which is better than the standard, and you’ll get your first transfer free.

What exchange rate does PassTo charge for international transfers?

In our research into PassTo’s transfers, we found their exchange rates to be excellent - in fact, they were sometimes even better than the mid-market exchange rate. This isn’t common so when this happens it’s a good idea to take advantage.

Compared to other providers, we found that PassTo’s rates were frequently better for transfers from pounds to euros or US dollars than companies like XE, Wise, and WorldRemit.

“Offering a rate better than the mid-market is quite an accomplishment, and this alone certainly makes PassTo stand out. Its transfer fees are low in general too, so PassTo looks to be one of the most affordable - although the lack of an upfront fee schedule isn’t ideal.”
Mehdi Punjwani, Lead Writer and Editor, MoneyTransfers.com
Mehdi PunjwaniMehdi Punjwani
Quality of service

How good is PassTo's money transfer service?

8
Product Offering

Here's how we scored PassTo based on the overall quality of service it provides. They’re on our list of top money transfer companies for their service quality, but not quite as high as other providers like Wise or WorldRemit.

A relatively new money transfer provider on the market, PassTo offers a powerful if somewhat limited service. We’ve closely analyzed their offering to see how good PassTo really is.

How fast are PassTo’s transfers?

According to PassTo, the majority of their transfers are completed within minutes, but it does depend on the country you’re sending money to. Some transfers will be completed on the same day or the following business day.

When you input the details of your transfer on their website or app, you should get an estimate for how long your transfer will take when selecting which service you want to use. It won’t be shown for all options, however.

How much can I send with PassTo?

One of PassTo’s limitations is its relatively low maximum transfer thresholds - for most of their routes, you’ll be able to send:

  • £5,000 a day

  • £10,000 a month

  • £50,000 a year

However it can also depend on the individual country’s rules and policies, and PassTo does not give specific information here.

What kind of transfers can I make with PassTo?

When you send money with PassTo, you’ll be able to pay for your transfer via the following methods:

  1. Bank transfer: Bank transfers are the most cost-effective way to send money with PassTo. You make a local bank transfer to PassTo’s UK bank account, and they’ll transfer the same amount - minus any fees and rate markups - from a local bank in the destination country to the recipient. These transfers can take a little longer to process compared to card payments, but the fees are often lower.

  2. Debit card: You can also pay by debit card with PassTo - and often these payments are processed faster than a bank transfer. However keep an eye out for any fees as sometimes providers charge more for card payments.

  3. Credit card: Credit cards are another fast way to pay for your PassTo money transfer, and they offer the extra convenience of being able to pay back the sum at a later date. However, credit card issuers generally see these transactions as cash advances, which come with even more fees and potentially much higher interest rates.

How can my recipient receive money with PassTo?

When you send money via PassTo, your choice of delivery options will depend on the country you’re sending to. While bank deposits are available for most destinations, there may be some other options available - here’s what PassTo can offer:

  1. Bank deposit: The most standard method of sending money abroad is by having it deposited in the recipient’s bank account - it’s often the cheapest way too

  2. Cash pickup: PassTo allows you to send money for a cash pickup in certain countries, and you’ll normally be able to pick the cash up from local bank branches. This is often the fastest way to get money abroad

  3. Mobile wallets: You can also send money to various mobile wallets in certain countries, including the very popular GCash. It’s a particularly useful option if your recipient does not have a bank account

  4. Airtime: Lastly you can top up mobile phone accounts abroad with either minutes for talk time or data for internet browsing

Where can I send money with PassTo?

PassTo only allows money transfers from the UK, but you’ll be able to send money to over 60 countries - they’re listed below:

Europe

Africa

Asia

America

Andorra

Benin

Bangladesh

Colombia

Austria

Burkina faso

China

Ecuador

Belgium

Cameroon

India

French Guiana

Bulgaria

Congo

Pakistan

Saint Martin

Coroatia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Philippines

Saint Barthelemy

Cyprus

Cote d'ivoire

Sri Lanka

USA

Czech republic

Ghana

Thailand

Denmark

Guinea-Bissau

Singapore

Estonia

Kenya

Nepal

Finland

Mali

Malaysia

France

Morocco

Germany

Niger

Gibraltar

Nigeria

Greece

Senegal

Guernsey

Somalia

Hungary

South Africa

Iceland

Togo

Ireland

Uganda

Isle of man

Zambia

Italy

Jersey

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Mayotte

Monaco

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

San marino

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

How good is PassTo's customer service?

PassTo’s customer service team is open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm - you can reach them by phone, email

Live chat

Availability

Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm

Response time

Less than a minute

Languages

English

PassTo’s live chat is available if you’re logged into the app only, which isn’t ideal, but it’s a useful feature and gives you quick access to support. Our questions were answered within minutes and our customer support agent was helpful and understanding.

We asked them to check transfer fees for a few different routes for us, as well as asking them to explain exactly how to use PassTo’s app to send money. They gave us clear explanations, and informed us what fees we would be likely to incur.

Phone

Availability

Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm

Response time

Less than 10 minutes

Languages

English

Likewise our experience with PassTo’s phone support line was positive, with our call being answered in a few minutes. Our agent was helpful and walked us through the process of making a transfer and linking payment methods, as well as explaining how airtime top ups work with PassTo.

Email

Availability

Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm

Response time

Within a day

Languages

English

We emailed with a query about sending money for a cash pickup or a mobile wallet deposit, and we also asked which countries accepted these deposit options. Our email was answered on the same day, with a detailed explanation about the money transfer process, how to choose your deposit option and where you can see the cost/speed of the transfer.

Help center FAQs

Availability

Online

Languages

English

PassTo’s help center is organized and easy to navigate, though it doesn’t come with a search feature which isn’t ideal. However there is plenty of helpful information to look through, with clear explanations and links to relevant resources.

What else can I do with PassTo?

PassTo offers money transfer services to over 60 countries, as well as airtime top ups in over 150 countries through over 1,700 different mobile operators. It does not offer any other services.

.

“PassTo offer a variety of transfer and deposit types as well as accepting multiple forms of payment. With a solid range of supported countries and currencies and overall fairly speedy transfers, it’s level of service is good. However, low transfer limits and the ability to only send money from the UK put it behind some of the bigger providers.”
Mehdi Punjwani, Lead Writer and Editor, MoneyTransfers.com
Mehdi PunjwaniMehdi Punjwani

Simplicity

How easy is Pass To to use?

9
Ease of Use

This score is based on how simple and straightforward it is to open an account and send money with PassTo. It's on our list of top ten providers for ease of use, ahead of providers like TorFX and Remitly.

We went through the process of signing up to PassTo on their desktop site and app, as well as sending money on both platforms - we’ve reviewed them in detail below.

Signing up with PassTo

Signing up to PassTo is quick and easy - and it starts with the PassTo app.

Download the app
Step 1
Download the app

First we downloaded the PassTo app and opened it on our smartphone

Verify email
Step 2
Verify email

We added our email address and went through the first verification step

Add our information
Step 3
Add our information

We were then asked to add our legal first and last names and our phone number

Verify phone number
Step 4
Verify phone number

Then we had to enter the six-digit verification code sent to our phone

Answer further questions
Step 5
Answer further questions

We had to answer questions about our job, income, and countries we’ll be sending money to

Create pin code
Step 6
Create pin code

We created a 4-digit PIN to protect our account

Sending money with PassTo

We used PassTo to send money to Kenya via M-Pesa - here’s how it went:

Initiate transfer
Step 1
Initiate transfer

We chose the sending and receiving currencies as well as the amount, and were shown fees and rates up front

Add recipient details
Step 2
Add recipient details

We added the recipient’s name, mobile number, and relationship to us

Select source of funds
Step 3
Select source of funds

We were asked about the source of the funds we were transferring

Select purpose of transfer
Step 4
Select purpose of transfer

Then we were asked about the purpose of the transfer we were making

Review transfer
Step 5
Review transfer

We reviewed the fee, rate, amount sent and received, and other details

Verify identity
Step 6
Verify identity

We were asked to upload documents and take a selfie to prove our identity

Connect bank account
Step 7
Connect bank account

We connected our bank account through a deep link to pay for the transfer

We found the process of sending money with PassTo to be extremely easy and straightforward, with no negative feedback at all.

Trustworthiness

How safe is PassTo?

8
Safety & Trust

This is how we scored PassTo based on its transparency, safety and security. They rank high on our list of top providers for safety and trust, alongside other providers like WorldRemit, CurrencyFair and Instarem.

PassTo is a very new provider relative to their competitors, only founded in 2019 - so it hasn’t had much time to carve out a reputation. That being said, like any provider on MoneyTransfers.com it must adhere to the stringent safety and security requirements demanded of all institutions that handle client money.

We took a deep dive into how PassTo practices, who they’re regulated by, and what security features they use to determine how safe it is.

Is PassTo authorized to provide money transfers?

PassTo is only available to UK customers, and therefore it’s regulated and authorized to provide money transfer services by the Financial Conduct Authority - its firm number is 900662. This level of authorization is standard for money transfer providers, so all is as to be expected here.

Is PassTo safe and secure?

Again like all money transfer providers, PassTo keeps customer funds in segregated bank accounts, entirely separate from corporate funds. This means customers’ money is always safe and protected, even if PassTo should become insolvent.

While PassTo does not outline the finer details of their security, it employs two-factor authentication as well as HTTPS and Know Your Customer procedures. It also states on their website that they invest in technological products to automate the monitoring of suspicious activity.

Again, this is all very standard for money transfer providers, so PassTo gets a good score.

Is PassTo transparent?

PassTo is transparent with its fee structure, all shown when you enter the details of the transfer you want to make. There are no hidden fees, and the overall cost is broken down for you. This is a good level of transparency, making it easier for customers to understand the total cost of sending money abroad with PassTo.

User reviews

What do other customers think of PassTo?

8.3
Customer Feedback

This is how we rated PassTo based on the feedback it has received from its customers, both on Trustpilot and both mobile app stores. It just about makes our list of top providers for customer feedback, alongside other providers like TransferGo and Atlantic Money.

Reading customer feedback of any company is going to give you insight into the experiences people have had with it. However, it can be particularly useful with smaller and newer businesses that have yet to carve out a reputation.

We’ve looked at PassTo’s customer reviews on Trustpilot as well as both major app stores to see what people have been saying about the provider.

What is PassTo rated on Trustpilot?

PassTo is rated as Excellent on Trustpilot, with a score of 4.4 from less than 200 reviews when this article was written. This is a good score, but must be taken with a grain of salt due to the extremely low number of reviews - even one good or bad week can massively swing this rating.

Positive feedback references their competitive exchange rate and overall cost, the speed of their transfers, and how easy it is to use. However there are a few negative reviews that call out missing funds and canceled transfers, poor customer support, and frequent mentions of ‘technical issues’.

What is PassTo rated on the Apple App Store?

PassTo’s iOS app is rated 4.4 out of 5 on the Apple App Store, from over 800 ratings. Again this is not a massive number of reviews, but at least significantly higher than on Trustpilot. Some of the positive comments cite speedy transfer, low fees and good rates, but again there is criticism of PassTo’s customer service and occasional transfers taking a long time, sometimes a few days.

What is PassTo rated on the Google Play Store?

PassTo’s Android app is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 433 reviews and over 10,000 downloads. Many of the good reviews praise the provider’s rates and fees, and the overall transfer process seems to have been well-received by most. However, some customers have experienced technical issues with the app, occasional long transfer times (in some cases weeks), and not the best customer service.

There are some common themes in all of these reviews, despite the low numbers compared to other providers. It is a small company, so some inconsistencies are to be expected, but on the overall it seems to be a positive experience for most.

“PassTo is a solid choice for sending money abroad, with relatively low fees and a transparent pricing structure. They offer a wide range of remittance corridors, and they allow you to make money transfers in a variety of ways - making them a reliable option.

“However, comparing money transfers online is the best and most reliable way to get the best deal for sending money abroad. When you compare with MoneyTransfers.com we’ll show you deals from all the providers catering to the money transfer you need to make - you’ll be able to compare deals by the overall cost, transfer speeds, and exchange rates to ensure you find the right price.”
Jonathan Merry, Founder, MoneyTransfers.com
Jonathan MerryJonathan Merry
FAQs

Frequently asked questions about PassTo

Do I need an account to receive money with PassTo?
Do I need a bank account to join PassTo?
Is PassTo legal to use?
Who owns PassTo?
Can I open a PassTo account in any country?

Compare PassTo to our other providers

PassTo
PassTo
Visit
Fees & Rates
9.1
Transfer Speed
9.0
Safety & Trust
8.0
Product Offering
8.0
Transfer Limits
7.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Customer Feedback
8.3
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.3
Fees & Rates
9.4
Transfer Speed
9.0
Safety & Trust
9.5
Product Offering
8.8
Transfer Limits
9.5
Ease of Use
10.0
Customer Feedback
8.5
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
9.2
Currencies Direct
Currencies Direct
Read ReviewVisit
Fees & Rates
9.8
Transfer Speed
9.0
Safety & Trust
9.0
Product Offering
8.0
Transfer Limits
9.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Customer Feedback
8.4
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.9
Fees & Rates
9.3
Transfer Speed
9.0
Safety & Trust
9.0
Product Offering
8.0
Transfer Limits
9.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Customer Feedback
8.7
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.9
Fees & Rates
9.1
Transfer Speed
8.0
Safety & Trust
9.0
Product Offering
9.0
Transfer Limits
8.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Customer Feedback
9.0
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.7
Fees & Rates
9.4
Transfer Speed
8.0
Safety & Trust
8.5
Product Offering
8.8
Transfer Limits
9.5
Ease of Use
8.2
Customer Feedback
8.3
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.7
Fees & Rates
8.5
Transfer Speed
7.0
Safety & Trust
9.5
Product Offering
8.8
Transfer Limits
9.0
Ease of Use
9.5
Customer Feedback
8.0
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.6
Fees & Rates
8.0
Transfer Speed
8.0
Safety & Trust
7.9
Product Offering
10.0
Transfer Limits
10.0
Ease of Use
7.0
Customer Feedback
8.2
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.4
Atlantic Money
Atlantic Money
Read ReviewVisit
Fees & Rates
9.3
Transfer Speed
7.0
Safety & Trust
8.5
Product Offering
6.5
Transfer Limits
9.0
Ease of Use
9.5
Customer Feedback
8.7
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.4
Fees & Rates
8.9
Transfer Speed
9.0
Safety & Trust
8.8
Product Offering
8.5
Transfer Limits
6.5
Ease of Use
8.0
Customer Feedback
8.8
MoneyTransfers Score 2024
8.4
Summary

Our final verdict

The team of experts at MoneyTransfers.com rates PassTo as a good money transfer provider, although it has its limitations. If you're in the UK, it's definitely worth considering - especially if you want to send money via airtime, mobile wallet, or cash pickup.

Contributors

Mehdi Punjwani
Mehdi is an accomplished writer and editor, specializing in personal finance with over five years of experience. His expertise is reflected in his work for prominent brands such as MoneySuperMarket, Equifax, and The AA. Additionally, Mehdi contributes as an author at USA Today, further showcasing his proficiency in the field.