Xoom is a digital remittance provider that allows customers to send money, pay bills and mobile top-up, with over 150 supported sending countries. A wholly-owned subsidiary of PayPal since July 1, 2015, Xoom corporate headquarters are in San Francisco, CA. This review dissects all aspects of Xoom money transfers, from the fees and exchange rate markups, to the types of transfers it allows and customer feedback.
About Xoom
The Xoom platform allows customers to pay for their transfers using bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards and have it paid out to their recipients through direct deposits, cash pickup and door-to-door cash deliveries. While the speed and reliability are great, Xoom has often been criticised for lack of transparency in its exchange rate mark-up and higher total cost of transfers when compared to other money transfer companies.
Xoom exchange rates, fees and costs
Xoom makes money from currency exchange markups and fees. Knowing how much the provider charges in fees to your destination and the exchange rate your transfer will be processed at, is so important.
Exchange rates
Xoom doesn't come out clear on the formula it uses for the exchange rate margins it charges when converting one currency to another. It only states that it makes some money on currency conversions. Looking at the four scenarios below you can get an idea of exchange rate markups Xoom charges in percentage terms.
100 USD to: | Live rate (XE) | Xoom rate | Difference | % Mark-up |
Australian Dollar (AUD) | 144.747 | 140.52 | 4.227 | 2.92% |
British Pounds (GBP) | 76.5308 | 73.74 | 2.7908 | 3.65% |
Brazilian Real (BRL) | 407.661 | 393.35 | 14.311 | 3.51% |
Nigerian Naira (NGN) | 36,189.67 | 34770.69 | 1418.98 | 3.92% |
Higher transfer amounts attract better exchange rates than smaller amounts. Ensure you use the Xoom transfer widget to determine the rates before sending.
Transfer fees
The destination and transfer payment method you choose will determine the fees you pay. Consider the below scenarios:
Sending $200 to Bolivia and paying via bank account will cost you $6.99
Sending $200 to Bolivia and paying via credit card will cost you $10.99
Sending $200 to India and paying using bank account will cost you $2.99
Sending $200 to India and paying via credit card will cost you $6.49
When you pay via credit card, the card-issuing company may charge you extra fees for the cash advanced.
Other fees
Xoom only mentions the cash advance fees that card issuing companies charge for the use of credit cards. However, it is also important to note that some fees such as bank processing fees, intermediary fees and landing fees may be charged to either the recipient or sender.
Compared to other providers such as Wise and OFX, Xoom fees and exchange rate markups are not competitive. However, compared to banks that charge anywhere between 4-6% in exchange rate markups and about $40 in fees per transfer, Xoom scores really well.
Top destinations for sending money with Xoom
Xoom sends money from the United States and Canada to lots of countries across the globe. Of the 159 markets the provider actively serves, the following are the top corridors: India, Japan, Nepal, Philippines.
Pros and cons of using Xoom
The following are the unique advantages that put Xoom ahead of many other online money transfer services.
- Multiple transfer payout options: Though it varies per destination, Xoom allows for cash pickups, direct transfers to bank accounts and door-to-door cash deliveries.
- Wider disbursing network coverage: The provider boasts a market size of 159 countries to which customers can make transfers.
- Faster transfers: Subject to receiving agents hours of operation, transfers can be delivered within minutes or hours. It is in rare circumstances do you find cases of transfers taking days to be completed.
- Reliable customer service: As part of the PayPal family, Xoom has benefited from a harmonised and well-established customer support system available on both email and phone.
- Mobile airtime recharges: You can top up your recipient's mobile phone directly from the Xoom platform.
- Exchange Rate Markup: Xoom doesn't have a clear schedule of how it charges its exchange rate markups. That notwithstanding, its percentages are higher compared to other providers.
- Higher Transfer Costs: When matched against other online money transfer services, Xoom charges higher fees. You can pay up to $10 for a transfer. For lower fees, pay for your transfer using your bank account or PayPal balance.
- Sending from fewer Currencies: Despite the wider coverage, Xoom allows you send from only four currencies USD, EUR, CAD and GBP. If you want to send from other currencies, you'll have to first convert your transfer to any of the above currencies or use your PayPal balance.
What type of transfers can you make with Xoom?
When sending money using Xoom, you can send three types of transfers:
Direct-to-bank transfers: The transfer is deposited into the recipient's bank account
Cash Pickups: The recipient collects money from designated Xoom pickup locations near them. The company has partnered with a lot of providers to facilitate the pickup function.
Door-to-Door delivery: In countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, recipients can have transfers delivered at their doorsteps.
Recipients on prepaid mobile phones can have their phones topped up directly from the platform.
How long will it take to receive money using Xoom?
Xoom transfers can take minutes, hours or even a few days depending on the transfer destination. Non-traditional transfer routes normally take a little longer while the frequent or preferred routes take a much shorter time to complete.
For faster transfers, ensure you pay using a debit card, credit card or PayPal balance. Bank account transfers to Xoom can take time depending on whether there are intermediaries or not.
What payment methods can I use when sending money with Xoom?
Paying for your Xoom transfer is simple. There are four main transfer payment options you can use:
Credit card
Debit card
Bank account
PayPal balance
For lower fees, pay using a bank account or PayPal balance.
What are the best reasons to use Xoom?
Xoom money remittance service can be used to transfer money for various causes such as:
Bill Payment- Xoom's money transfer service can be used to pay for utility bills, insurance bills, mobile network and loans. On November 26, 2019, Xoom announced its partnership with Paykii Inc, a global cross-border bill payment platform.
Medical Bills
Education
Talk time Top-up
Pay remote workers
Pay for merchandise
Can I trust Xoom?
Xoom was founded in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. In July 2015, it was acquired by PayPal Holdings, Inc., in a $1.09 billion deal. The company is now a private subsidiary of PayPal.
To help offer efficient and secure money transfer services, the company has employed and trained 295+ professionals positioned in its different offices and support centres. In the United States, Xoom is licensed under the applicable laws such as Money Transmission Services Act, Sale of Checks Act, Currency Transmissions Act, Check Cashing Registration Act among others.
At the federal level, Xoom is registered as a money services business and licensed by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The provider is also subject to the Dodd-Frank Act that regulates consumer protection and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, for handling nonpublic personal information.
Together with PayPal, Xoom has maintained PwC as its auditors since 2015. In line with the federal requirements, the company is meant to rotate the lead audit partner after every 5 years hence it is still within the timeframe.
Xoom takes the security of its customers seriously. It uses 128-bit data security encryption which ensures all information transmitted between customers' browsers and the Xoom website is well secured and private. In addition, the company maintains both electronic and physical servers firmly protected by industry-grade firewalls. Xoom is also certified by VeriSign Secure and Better Business Bureau (BBB).
What do users have to say about Xoom?
As of Nov 30th 2021, Xoom has a total of 22,281 reviews on Trustpilot, 90% of which are categorised as either 'Excellent' or 'Great'.
Positive
Fast transfer services
User-friendly website and app platforms
Safe and secure
Customer support quickly respond to calls
Inexpensive transfers
Negative
Cancelled transactions without sufficient explanations
Transfer delays on non-traditional routes
Some exotic currencies attract higher exchange rate markups
How to get started with Xoom to send and receive money
Sending money on the Xoom platform to family and friends is such a quick and easy process.
Step 1- Create a Xoom account or log on with your PayPal account if you have one. All you need is your name and email address. Go to My Account tab and choose the country you want to send money to.
Step 2- Enter the amount of money you want to send
Step 3- Choose the payout method. Depending on the destination of your transfer, you can choose from cash pickup, to direct bank deposit, to door-to-door delivery.
Step 4- Select how you would like to pay for your transfer. Xoom has four main transfer payment methods which are PayPal, bank account, debit card and credit card.
Step 5- Enter the recipient details and pay for your transfer
In case of any hitches during the transfer process, you can always get human support from the customer service team.
Does Xoom have a mobile app?
Xoom is on mobile and you can access its services by downloading the Xoom money transfer app on Google Play or App Store.
What is the Xoom App?
Xoom was established in 2001, is owned by PayPal and permits global transfers to over 160 countries. It offers various services such as sending money to bank accounts, pick up locations and other PayPal users.
The app gives you multiple ways of sending money, which includes from your PayPal balance. Their headquarters are in San Francisco and was acquired by PayPal in 2015 for $1.09 billion - for $25 per share. Read onwards to learn about the highlights and limitations of the Xoom app for making transfers. The app has lots of functionalities some of which include:
Sending money on the go, 24/7
Transaction tracking
Checking fees and exchange rates through the built-in Fees and Exchange Rate Calculator
'Quick send' feature to your existing recipients without having to re-enter their details
Reloading airtime to prepaid mobile phones in minutes
Accessing customer support right from within the app
On Google Play, the app has a rating of 4.2/5.0 and a total of 45,238 reviews. On App Store, Xoom as 505,000+ reviews and an overall rating of 4.8/5.0
How do I get the Xoom app?
You can download the Xoom app on your Android or Apple smartphone and it’s called the “Xoom Money Transfer” app. You will not spend more than a few minutes searching, downloading and installing the app. The first time the app is used, you’ll need to set up the security settings to ensure that only you can access the account.
Can I make international transfers with the Xoom app?
Yes, you can send money to more than 160 destinations worldwide using the Xoom app. Furthermore, you can send money to other PayPal users, banks and physical cash pick up locations. Flexibility is one of the main attractions of the Xoom app.
How does the Xoom app perform?
It’s a smart idea to consider the Xoom app performance to determine if it’s the right choice for your needs. Get a sneak preview of what you can expect to see when you load up the Xoom app on your smartphone.
User interface: Xoom has a white and blue interface, which is not surprising since the parent company is PayPal. They are well known for that color scheme too. The information on the Xoom Money Transfer app is clearly displayed and has a logical layout. Also, you have a chance to review transactions before finalizing them to see what fees you’ll encounter.
Speed and bugs: the Xoom Money Transfer app has an excellent score on both, the Apple and Android platforms. It indicates that it’s free from serious technical problems that would leave customers pulling their hair out. During our testing the app performed flawlessly. We were impressed by the responsiveness of buttons and fast loading times.
How to Send Money with the Xoom App
The step-by-step procedure to send money with the Xoom app is simple, but you’ll need to learn the process on your first try. The steps are similar regardless of your source funds and where the money is going.
Step 1: Log into your Xoom app. If you already have a Xoom account, you can use the same log in details. The first time you log in you’ll need to setup the security, which might be a fingerprint or an SMS code.
Step 2: To start a payment you’ll need to select the funding source, which can be PayPal and a credit or debit card.
Step 3: Next, select where the money is being sent. You can choose a bank account or physical pick up location. Based on the destination, you’ll need to enter the appropriate details, such as the recipient name, address, bank address, currency and account numbers.
Step 4: Review the transaction to make sure you’re happy with the exchange rate and fees.
How long does it take to send through the Xoom App?
The smooth user interface of the app means it will take no more than a few minutes to complete the transaction. The process is faster if you are sending to the same destination a second time. That’s because the recipient details will be saved and auto-populated. However, it can take 5-10 minutes extra for the first transfer since you’ll need to learn the app functionality. Having all the required payment details nearby will speed up the process.
Can you add money directly to the Xoom App?
It’s not possible to load money to your Xoom account, because it’s a service that transfers money from the funding source to the destination. However, you can load money to the PayPal app and use it to send money via Xoom.
