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How does WorldRemit compare to Wise?
WorldRemit is a leading online money transfer company incorporated on 22 December 2009 in the United Kingdom. It plays a key role in facilitating the transfer of billions of dollars that expatriates and immigrant workers send home to their families. With a customer base of more than 4 million, WorldRemit allows sending money from 50 countries to recipients in 150+ countries globally.
Compared to brick-and-mortar agents, WorldRemit gives its clientele a convenient, fast and low-cost alternative to sending money across borders.
Wise is another global brand in the money transfer industry. It claims a significant share of the $700 billion international remittance market. The company was incorporated in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2010. One of the standout features of Wise is that it processes international transfers at the mid-market rate. It doesn’t charge any exchange rate margin, and its transfer fees are lower compared to most providers and banks.
On paper, it may look simple to draw the line separating the two providers. However, in real practice, WorldRemit vs Wise comparison have overlapping or compensating strengths that make it a little difficult to prefer one over the other.
Which brand has lower fees?
Money transfer providers charge their transfer fees based on the transfer destination, the transfer payment option and the payout method. Cash pickups are normally costlier than direct-to-bank transfers.
Wise
Wise transaction fees comprise the payment method fee and the fee charged by the provider. Both fees are lumped together and change depending on the amount transferred. The fees are charged on a percentage basis and smaller transfers attract the highest fees in percentage terms. As the transfer amount increases to the regions of $5,000, the transfer fee settles lower.
Here are a few examples of various currencies and amounts:
Currency pair | Wise fees | Receive amount |
|---|---|---|
USD / CAD | $8.76 | $675.68 |
USD / COP | $18.38 | $1,863,267.38 |
USD / GBP | $8.65 | £360.24 |
USD / INR | $9.44 | ₹43,046.64 |
USD / MXN | $9.88 | $8,966.6 |
USD / NGN | $10.72 | ₦736,312.58 |
USD / PKR | $10.23 | Rs 137,882.5 |
USD / ZAR | $17.22 | R 8,380.48 |
WorldRemit
WorldRemit charges a transfer fee of 3.99 USD to most countries. When sending from the United Kingdom, you will be charged 2.99 GBP and from Australia 3.99 AUD.
Similarly, here's a summary of live fees for WorldRemit:
Currency pair | WorldRemit fees | Receive amount |
|---|---|---|
USD / CAD | $2.99 | $670.03 |
USD / COP | $1.99 | $1,888,770.57 |
USD / GBP | $1.99 | £354.59 |
USD / INR | $0.99 | ₹44,439.98 |
USD / MXN | $1.99 | $8,899.78 |
USD / NGN | $0.99 | ₦751,081.56 |
USD / PKR | $1.99 | Rs 140,214.72 |
USD / ZAR | $1.99 | R 8,585.73 |
✅ Winner
Both providers charge less when you send higher amounts but WorldRemit has lower fees at all levels of comparison.
If you're looking for the lowest fees, use our simple guide to find the cheapest way to send money abroad.
Which Brand Offers Better Exchange Rates?
Exchange rates for any given currency pair keep on rising and falling depending on market performance. For this reason, it makes much more sense to compare exchange rate margins instead. If you're just getting started, check out our guide on finding the best exchange rates.
Wise
Wise charges zero exchange rate margins. All transfers are processed at the mid-market rate for any currency pair. The exchange rates are guaranteed for a period of up to 48 hours, depending on the currencies being exchanged.
This is what Wise's live exchange rates look like.
Currency pair | Wise exchange rates | Receive amount |
|---|---|---|
USD / CAD | 1.3755 | $675.68 |
USD / COP | 3868.7500 | $1,863,267.38 |
USD / GBP | 0.7332 | £360.24 |
USD / INR | 87.7500 | ₹43,046.64 |
USD / MXN | 18.2947 | $8,966.6 |
USD / NGN | 1504.8900 | ₦736,312.58 |
USD / PKR | 281.5250 | Rs 137,882.5 |
USD / ZAR | 17.3588 | R 8,380.48 |
WorldRemit
WorldRemit makes money from exchange rate margins, which depend on the currency pair. It can be as low as 0.5% or as high as 1%. On its website, the provider displays an exchange rate calculator widget that can help you figure out how much the recipient will get.
This is what live WorldRemit exchange rates look like in comparison to Wise.
Currency pair | WorldRemit exchange rates | Receive amount |
|---|---|---|
USD / CAD | 1.3481 | $670.03 |
USD / COP | 3792.6358 | $1,888,770.57 |
USD / GBP | 0.7120 | £354.59 |
USD / INR | 89.0563 | ₹44,439.98 |
USD / MXN | 17.8707 | $8,899.78 |
USD / NGN | 1505.1433 | ₦751,081.56 |
USD / PKR | 281.5500 | Rs 140,214.72 |
USD / ZAR | 17.2401 | R 8,585.73 |
✅ Winner
Between WorldRemit vs Wise, Wise is a clear winner because of the mid-market rate. Even the tight margins of WorldRemit cannot beat that!
Which Brand Covers More Locations?
The countries you can send money from and those you can send money to for any given provider are crucial. If a provider covers fewer countries, it may inconvenience senders from other regions when transferring money home.
Wise
With Wise, you can send money to 59 countries worldwide in 52 currencies both exotic and standard.
WorldRemit
WorldRemit allows its customers to send money from 55 countries to 150+ countries and territories globally. It covers Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia Oceania, Europe and the Middle East.
✅ Winner
Looking at the numbers above, WorldRemit carries the day. It serves more countries and territories than Wise.
Which is Faster?
There are two main components that determine the speed of funds transfers. The first component is the length of time money takes from the sender's payment method such as a bank account to the provider. The second component is the time it takes for the transfer from the provider to the recipient.
Wise
Wise can takes 0-3 days for the money to get to the recipient. When making larger transfers it may take a little longer but for smaller transfers, it can take minutes.
WorldRemit
WorldRemit takes anything from minutes to about two days to get the funds to the recipient’s mobile, cash pickup location or bank account.
✅ Winner
Although it is too close to call, transfers made through WorldRemit score the highest in speed. Compared to Wise, WorldRemit serves more mobile wallets and has cash pickups which guarantee faster delivery times than direct bank deposits.
If you're looking for the fastest provider, use our simple guide to find the fastest way to send money internationally.
Which Brand Offers More Transfer & Payment Options?
In WorldRemit vs Wise comparison, the speed of transfer discussed above is mainly influenced by the transfer payment option and the payout method.
Wise
Wise offers bank deposits as the main payout option. When paying for your transfer you can choose debit or credit card, bank transfer, Facebook messenger, ACH bank debit, or bank wire transfer. If you are sending money to Indonesia, Ghana, the Philippines, Kenya or Bangladesh, you can now opt for mobile money which is instant.
WorldRemit
WorldRemit has six payout options which are mobile money, cash pickup, bank transfer, airtime top-up, door-to-door, and WorldRemit Wallet. Door to door cash delivery is only available when sending to Vietnam.
Depending on the country you are registered in, the provider allows you to pay for your transfer using any of the following payment methods. Debit or credit card, bank account transfer, Poli, Interac, iDEAL, Sofort, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Trustly.
✅ Winner
WorldRemit has more transfer payment and payout options compared to Wise thus WorldRemit carries the day.
What Users Have to Say About Each Brand?
Wise
Wise has a total of 77,365 reviews on Trustpilot. Out of these, 94% are rated as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Great’ or experiences. Below are a few of the comments from customers.
Faster transfers
A simple platform to navigate
Affordable transfer fees
Very good rates
WorldRemit
WorldRemit has attracted a high percentage of positive customer reviews on Trustpilot and social media. On Trustpilot, WorldRemit has a total of 32,970 reviews 94% of which are rated either ‘Excellent’ or ‘Great’. This shows a high level of customer satisfaction. Most of the company customers cited the following experiences.
Faster transfers
Simple and interactive interface
Great exchange rates
Low transfer fees
✅ Winner
Wise has a lot of positive reviews almost double that of Wise. For this reason, it carries the day.
What Brand Offers Better Ease of Use, Accessibility & Security
Wise
Wise supports 12 languages on its website: English (both US and UK versions), German, French, Portuguese, Turkey, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Romanian, Italian, Hungarian and Russian. In case you want to contact customer care, they are available on live chat, email and telephone.
The provider also has a mobile application available as a free download both on android and iOS platforms. Through the app, users can check rates, send money, make transfers, check historical transactions among other functionalities. With bank-grade security, 3D secure feature and two-factor authentication, customers can be assured of maximum protection.
In the various countries Wise operates, it is regulated by the respective bodies. Below is a list of all the regulatory authorities by country.
Financial Transactions Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (“FINTRAC”) in Canada.
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the United States
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)
Customs and Excise Department (CCE) in Hong Kong
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Kanto Local Financial Bureau in Japan
Bank Negara Malaysia
Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand
The Monetary Authority of Singapore
WorldRemit
WorldRemit has an easy to navigate website interface supporting 4 languages. You can browse in English, Danish, Spanish, French, and German. Apart from the FAQs, WorldRemit has an email and phone option to getting help from the customer helpdesk. The phone lines are grouped based on the region. WorldRemit also has an app available on Google Play and the App Store. The mobile application allows you to transfer money, track your transfers, check real-time exchange rates among other services.
WorldRemit takes customer security seriously. It has invested in industry-leading processes for screening transactions and has machine learning systems in place. It uses 3D Secure technology to ensure payment systems are protected. In addition, the provider is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and expected to operate in accordance with the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and Payment Service Regulations 2017.
✅ Winner
Wise is the most regulated, has more customer support channels and the website is accessible in 12 languages, 7 more than WorldRemit. Therefore, Wise is the winner.
Additional Features
Wise
The Wise Borderless Account (TBA) is a gamechanger in cross-border money transfer. Through the TBA account, customers can spend, send, and receive money in 30+ currencies from around the world at real exchange rates. You get bank details for countries around the world so that you can receive local money directly into your account at zero transfer fees.
Wise also gives its customers the Wise debit Mastercard for free. Users can spend through the card at no cost and withdraw up to £200 per month for free.
WorldRemit
WorldRemit doesn't offer any more additional featured other than the ones mentioned above.
✅ Winner
Wise has a well-developed product portfolio and with clear provisions for freelancers, e-commerce entities, and enterprises.
Sending various amounts with Remitly and Wise
To further understand the features discussed above for the WorldRemit vs Wise comparison, here are a few examples of sending money with Wise and WorldRemit for different amounts and currency pairs.
Bottom Line - Who Is Better?
To make this decision, we have to do a round-up of the different categories and see which of the two providers scores the highest.
Wise
Use Wise if you are looking for:
Domestic Payments – Wise was originally designed to make international transfers. However, due to customer demand, it now processes domestic EUR to EUR and USD to USD payments. WorldRemit handles only international transfers.
Overseas Payments – Wise has the best exchange rate (mid-market). Even with the lower WorldRemit fees, Wise still delivers more money to the recipient.
Business Payments – Wise has customised its portfolio to cater for e-commerce entities and enterprises.
Large Transactions -Wise is best for large transactions of up to USD 1 million, GBP 1 million and EUR 1.2 million in addition to other currencies.
WorldRemit
And WorldRemit for:
Smaller Transactions - For transactions below $100, WorldRemit is best suited for that. It delivers more money to the recipient than Wise.
Coverage - WorldRemit covers 150+ countries and this gives the provider a clear lead over Wise which has listed 59 supported countries on its official page.
✅ Winner
Overall, Wise is simply faster, quicker, and cheaper. However, WorldRemit does offer more coverage and transfer methods.
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
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