The Best International Money Transfer Apps in Japan in 2026

The best apps for sending money abroad

The way you fund an app can change both its cost and whether you can use the balance for an international payment.

Foreign bank bills, balances and a linked card

9.2

Wise

Fees

0.1% - 2.6%

Exchange Rate Markup

0%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

"Over 15 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."

Cash funding and fee points for regular remittances

?

Smiles

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Transfer Speed

Visit

Family payments with saved payout choices

8.2

Remitly

Fees

None

Exchange Rate Markup

0.1% - 1.3%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 3 days

Visit

"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."

Convenience-store funding and overseas bills

?

PayForex

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Transfer Speed

Visit

Smaller weekday exchanges and travel spending

8.8

Revolut

Fees

0.3% - 1%

Exchange Rate Markup

0.1% - 0.6%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 5 days

Visit

"Revolut has 70+ million customers globally. You can hold up to 25+ currencies in the app and send money quickly in 25+ currencies to 140+ countries."

US Disclaimer: Revolut is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Fees may apply. See revolut.com/en-US/ for details.

App-only repeat transfers with rate alerts

8.0

Instarem

Fees

$0 - $2

Exchange Rate Markup

0.3% - 1.9%

Transfer Speed

Minutes - 24 hours

Visit

"Most transfers are instant or same-day. Customers can earn rewards on every transaction."

Recipient-linked ATM transfers and remittance banking

?

SBI Remit

Fees

Exchange Rate Markup

Transfer Speed

Visit

Cash collection with app tracking

8.1

Western Union

Fees

None

Exchange Rate Markup

0.2% - 1.5%

Transfer Speed

1 - 5 days

Visit

Wise

Wise combines overseas bank payments with foreign-currency spending

Wise lets you set up a foreign bank payment, save recipients and track its progress without arranging a separate international wire through your bank.

I'd say consider it for tuition or a payment to your own overseas account, especially when you also want to retain foreign income.

You can hold supported currencies, receive eligible foreign payments and spend a matching balance with its Japan-issued debit card.

That makes a multi-currency account in Japan helpful when the money you receive will later pay for travel or another overseas bill.

The default total holding limit is ¥1 million equivalent, with a temporary increase available for qualifying funds you intend to use.

Sending directly from an external funding account allows much larger eligible transfers, so the holding limit is different from the direct-payment limit.

For yen funding, use your own bank within Japan or an eligible debit card, rather than cash, credit-card or third-party deposits.

Identity and My Number checks apply before sending, with accepted documents depending on the verification route offered in your account.

The card costs ¥1,200, while ordinary holding has no monthly fee and converting currencies uses the mid-market rate plus a variable charge.

Bank funding and conversion can take working days, so I'd say follow the order estimate instead of treating every payment as instant.

The ¥100,000 and ¥300,000 examples show the conversion charge and receiving amount for Wise across eight destinations.

Smiles

Smiles rewards repeat remittances and supports cash funding

Smiles lets you register a recipient, choose their receiving method and make repeat family payments from a funded remittance balance.

I'd say consider it when you receive cash or prefer ATM funding, rather than opening another bank account solely for overseas payments.

The Smiles card supports ATM deposits, and the app also offers cardless cash deposits through a QR-based Seven Bank ATM flow.

You can fund by bank transfer from your own account, while credit-card funding is unavailable for the Japanese remittance service.

The app records your recipients and transactions, with support in languages used by several of Japan’s foreign-resident communities.

Transfers earn points that can pay future remittance fees, which gives repeat use a benefit beyond saving the same recipient details.

Points do not remove the exchange-rate margin or an ATM charge, so my suggestion is to compare the final amount your family receives.

Cash collection, bank credit and other receiving options depend on the selected destination and partner in the order.

The Japan service is for adult municipal residents, and registration needs your local identity or residence evidence rather than a visitor-only account.

Its balance is for remittances rather than everyday foreign-currency card spending, so Wise or Revolut offers a different account function.

Remitly

Remitly keeps family payments and receiving choices together

Remitly lets you save the person you send to, select a receiving method and follow the payment status from the same mobile account.

I like it for regular family support when your recipient wants a bank deposit or a supported cash or wallet payout.

You can repeat an earlier payment without recreating the recipient, while the amount and current delivery choice remain part of the new order.

Japanese registration requires a My Number card, with residence evidence also required when you register as a foreign resident.

You can fund through a Japanese bank transfer or an eligible debit card, choosing the payment method inside the order.

The per-transfer ceiling is ¥1 million, with your destination and verification level able to reduce the available amount.

Pricing combines the sending fee and exchange rate, without requiring a monthly subscription to make ordinary personal remittances.

A first-transfer promotion can change the first quote, so I suggest judging recurring family payments on the price after that offer ends.

It is a remittance app rather than a card-linked multi-currency account, which keeps the focus on your recipient’s payment.

Remitly’s fees, rate and delivery estimates appear below for the selected yen amounts and receiving currencies.

PayForex

PayForex adds overseas bills and convenience-store funding

PayForex lets you create a remittance and manage the deposit needed to fund it, with options beyond an ordinary bank transfer.

I like it for overseas family bills or when paying into the transfer through a convenience store suits your day better.

Bank transfer, Pay-easy and supported convenience-store deposits give you several ways to pay for the order created in the app.

The deposit method can have its own charge, so a low remittance fee does not automatically make the complete payment cheaper.

You can also pay supported overseas utility bills and top up a recipient’s mobile phone, rather than sending money for them to pay separately.

Bank deposits and other receiving options vary by destination, with the payment amount and currency chosen before confirming the order.

Registration is for Japan-resident users and includes local identity and My Number evidence before international payments can be completed.

Its pricing includes the destination-based remittance fee and exchange cost, with some eligible payments having no separate sending charge.

A zero sending fee still needs checking against the receiving amount, particularly when another app offers a different exchange rate.

PayForex is a payment and remittance account, so I suggest looking elsewhere for a foreign-income spending card.

Revolut

Revolut suits smaller weekday exchanges and foreign spending

Revolut combines saved bank recipients with several currency balances, card controls and transaction notifications in one mobile account.

I think it is worth considering for a smaller overseas payment when you also want to convert money for travel spending.

You can hold and exchange foreign currencies, then spend a matching balance through the linked card without converting everything back into yen.

Its Japanese personal account has a ¥1 million total balance ceiling, rather than an unlimited place to park foreign savings.

Bank-funded money can be transferred or withdrawn, while debit, credit and prepaid-card top-ups are restricted to card purchases.

This means a large displayed balance can still leave you without enough transferable money if you loaded it by card.

Standard has no monthly subscription, with a ¥300,000 exchange allowance per billing cycle and a 0.5% charge above it.

An additional 1% exchange charge applies outside market hours, which can outweigh the saving on a weekend payment.

Paid plans change allowances and other benefits, but I'd say check whether an occasional small remittance justifies paying a subscription.

Japan’s personal terms restrict salary and external overseas receipts, so I suggest Wise for the foreign-income account role instead.

These Revolut examples show the quoted exchange cost and receiving amount, which you can weigh against your plan’s exchange allowance.

Instarem

Instarem keeps repeat bank-funded payments in a dedicated mobile flow

Instarem’s Japanese service is app-only, so registration, recipient setup and payment orders stay in the mobile account rather than a separate website.

I'd say consider it for repeated overseas bank payments when rate alerts and transaction-history tracking fit how you manage those payments.

You fund from your own Japanese bank account, with local identity and Individual Number evidence required during registration.

The sending range is ¥5,000 to ¥1 million per transfer, which rules out both very small payments and larger one-off bills.

Bank payments are supported, with cash and wallet receiving also available on some routes, including options for the Philippines.

The app earns InstaPoints on transfers, but my suggestion is to compare the fee and conversion margin before valuing the rewards.

Ordinary transfers do not require a card-spending subscription, and the Japanese service should not be confused with Instarem’s separate foreign card products.

Payments typically take one or two working days, with the current order estimate more relevant than assuming every route is immediate.

Instarem’s examples show its fee and exchange rate for the same yen amounts, helping you judge the price separately from rewards.

SBI Remit

SBI Remit makes repeat ATM-funded payments easier

SBI Remit lets you manage registered recipients and overseas payment orders through its renewed app, with support in nine languages.

I like it when you send cash to the same person regularly and want a recipient-linked ATM remittance card.

A Remit Card is tied to a registered recipient and receiving method, so depositing through it starts that person’s remittance automatically.

Japan Post and Lawson ATM funding have their own limits and charges, which are separate from the recipient’s payout conditions.

A general deposit card funds your remittance reserve instead, giving you a different flow when you want to choose the recipient afterwards.

The linked SBI Remit NEOBANK account offers bank funding and remittance-balance functions, with its opening administration fee now abolished.

Its renewed app has a lower rating than the other shortlisted apps, so I like it for ATM convenience rather than the best mobile experience.

Registration includes local identity and My Number evidence, and a mailed welcome pack or card can delay your first fully set-up payment.

The sending fee, exchange rate and ATM funding charge all affect what reaches the recipient, with bank and cash methods priced by destination.

A bank payment can take working days, so the ATM deposit itself should not be mistaken for instant overseas receipt.

Western Union

Western Union connects app orders with cash collection

Western Union lets you create an international payment, save the recipient and track it using the transfer reference in its dedicated Japan app.

I'd say consider it when your recipient needs to collect cash and has a convenient receiving agent nearby.

The app helps you locate agents and monitor the payment, while collection still needs the recipient’s matching identity and reference.

You can fund an online order by bank transfer, with staffed-agent cash funding available through a separate sending channel.

Bank or mobile-wallet delivery can also be available for selected destinations, so cash collection is one reason to choose it rather than its only function.

Japanese resident verification needs local identity and My Number evidence, with accepted documents differing for Japanese and foreign residents.

The cost includes a transfer fee and exchange-rate margin, and the app quote can differ from a staffed-agent price.

I'd say choose the collection method before comparing prices, because a cheaper bank payment does not solve a recipient’s need for cash.

There is no compulsory monthly subscription for a personal transfer, but it does not provide the foreign balances and spending card offered by Wise.

Cheapest apps for international transfers

For bank-funded payments, I suggest comparing Wise, Remitly, Revolut and Instarem’s receiving amounts rather than choosing by the sending fee alone.

Smiles and SBI Remit can suit cash funding, while PayForex adds deposit methods that a cheaper bank-only order may not provide.

Our comparison shows current prices for the selected yen amounts, with the available providers changing across the eight destinations.

The cheapest way to send money abroad from Japan also depends on deposit charges, your exchange allowance and the receiving method.

Amount

AmountJPY 100,000JPY 300,000Custom

Last updated at 2026/10/16

JPY USD

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = $0.0063¥1 = $0.0063

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

Currencies Direct

1

Revolut

2

Currencies Direct

3

Instarem

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / USD

$634.00

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / USD

$631.29

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / USD

$630.20

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / USD

$1,896.31

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / USD

$1,890.30

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / USD

$1,890.00

¥0.00

0.0063

0.56%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY GBP

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = £0.0048¥1 = £0.0048

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Instarem

2

Remitly

3

Revolut

1

Revolut

2

Remitly

3

Currencies Direct

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / GBP

£480.00

¥0.00

0.0048

-0.82%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / GBP

£477.00

¥0.00

0.0048

-0.82%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / GBP

£474.22

¥0.00

0.0047

1.28%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / GBP

£1,425.30

¥0.00

0.0048

-0.81%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / GBP

£1,425.00

¥0.00

0.0047

1.30%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / GBP

£1,421.40

¥0.00

0.0047

1.30%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY EUR

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = €0.0056¥1 = €0.0056

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

Currencies Direct

1

Revolut

2

Remitly

3

Currencies Direct

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / EUR

€565.00

¥0.00

0.0056

0.70%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / EUR

€562.01

¥0.00

0.0056

0.70%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / EUR

€560.90

¥0.00

0.0056

0.70%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / EUR

€1,689.03

¥0.00

0.0056

0.76%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / EUR

€1,686.00

¥0.00

0.0056

0.76%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / EUR

€1,683.30

¥0.00

0.0056

0.76%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY PHP

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = ₱0.3994¥1 = ₱0.3991

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

OFX

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

OFX

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / PHP

₱40,110.00

¥0.00

0.4011

-0.44%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / PHP

₱39,677.01

¥0.00

0.3968

0.64%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / PHP

₱39,675.82

¥0.00

0.3968

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / PHP

₱119,340.00

¥0.00

0.3978

0.33%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / PHP

₱119,125.00

¥0.00

0.3971

0.51%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / PHP

₱118,959.21

¥0.00

0.3965

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY VND

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = ₫163.8392¥1 = ₫163.8267

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

OFX

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

OFX

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / VND

₫16,408,000.00

¥0.00

164.0800

-0.15%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / VND

₫16,285,220.00

¥0.00

162.8522

0.60%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / VND

₫16,277,420.45

¥0.00

162.7742

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / VND

₫49,050,000.00

¥0.00

163.5000

0.20%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / VND

₫48,943,686.00

¥0.00

163.1456

0.42%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / VND

₫48,828,549.72

¥0.00

162.7618

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY CNY

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = ¥0.0424¥1 = ¥0.0424

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

OFX

3

Wise

1

Remitly

2

OFX

3

Xe

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / CNY

¥4,265.00

¥0.00

0.0427

-0.78%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / CNY

¥4,209.36

¥0.00

0.0421

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / CNY

¥4,158.62

¥1,833.00

0.0424

-0.07%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / CNY

¥12,714.00

¥0.00

0.0424

-0.06%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / CNY

¥12,629.57

¥0.00

0.0421

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / CNY

¥12,534.00

¥0.00

0.0418

1.36%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY INR

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = ₹0.6014¥1 = ₹0.6016

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

OFX

1

Instarem

2

Remitly

3

Revolut

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / INR

₹60,240.00

¥0.00

0.6024

-0.16%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / INR

₹59,816.74

¥0.00

0.5982

0.54%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / INR

₹59,752.27

¥0.00

0.5975

0.65%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / INR

₹180,330.00

¥0.00

0.6011

0.09%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / INR

₹180,000.00

¥0.00

0.6000

0.27%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / INR

₹179,862.30

¥0.00

0.5995

0.35%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY NPR

Mid Market Rate ¥1 = Rs 0.9626¥1 = Rs 0.9628

Transfer Amount ¥100,000¥300,000

1

Remitly

2

Revolut

3

Wise

1

Remitly

2

Instarem

3

Revolut

Currency pair

They get (after fees)

Transfer fees

FX Rate

Markup

Delivery time

Cheapest payment method

JPY / NPR

Rs 96,380.00

¥0.00

0.9638

-0.12%

Within minutes

Debit card

Visit

JPY / NPR

Rs 95,455.90

¥0.00

0.9546

0.83%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / NPR

Rs 94,548.00

¥1,764.00

0.9625

0.01%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / NPR

Rs 288,570.00

¥0.00

0.9619

0.09%

Within a week

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / NPR

Rs 287,400.00

¥0.00

0.9580

0.50%

Minutes - 24 hours

Bank transfer

Visit

JPY / NPR

Rs 286,968.42

¥0.00

0.9566

0.65%

Within minutes

Bank transfer

Visit

Show moreShow less

Cash deposits and card top-ups are different funding routes

Smiles and SBI Remit can work when you want to deposit physical cash, but their ATM cards serve different payment flows.

A recipient-linked SBI Remit Card starts a payment to that person, while an ordinary wallet deposit leaves you to choose the transfer afterwards.

PayForex’s convenience-store deposit option offers another local funding route, with the deposit cost included when comparing the complete payment.

Revolut’s card top-ups have a different restriction, since that money can pay for purchases but cannot fund an overseas bank transfer.

For Wise, follow the assigned funding instructions and pay from your own Japanese bank account or an eligible debit card.

Set up your identity documents before the first payment

Japan’s overseas remittance services need identity and My Number evidence, but the accepted combination is not identical across every app.

Remitly requires a My Number card, while other registration flows can accept alternative number evidence alongside the required identity document.

If you live in Japan as a foreign resident, keep your residence card and registered address current in the remittance account.

I suggest completing that registration before an urgent family payment, particularly when the chosen service mails a welcome pack or funding card.

Moving out of Japan changes your account eligibility, so update the provider before treating your former Japanese account as a permanent sending route.

A remittance app does not replace every account or domestic payment

Wise and Revolut can combine transfers with foreign-currency spending, while the other shortlisted apps mainly organise overseas payment orders and funding.

For an ordinary payment within Japan, your domestic banking app or supported local payment service can be simpler than creating an international remittance.

PayPay spending and a local furikomi are different from sending converted yen to a foreign bank or overseas cash recipient.

A transfer exceeding a service’s product cap needs an appropriate higher-limit route, rather than splitting payments solely to avoid verification.

Wise’s larger directly funded sending limit does not remove its holding limit or the need to verify the payment’s source and purpose.

How to send money abroad through an app

Enter your destination and JPY amount below to compare available transfer prices from Japan before choosing how to send.