Whether you are sending GBP to the United States for personal or business reasons, millions of international remittances are sent to the United States every year. With an estimated population of 331 million people and the world’s highest GDP, it is safe to say the United States is a global superpower. As the number of money transfer specialists providing services from United Kingdom to United States continues to rise, it has never been easier to send money to the US safely and securely.
Best Providers for Sending Money to United States from United Kingdom
When considering how to send money United States from United Kingdom there are some key aspects of the transfer that will impact the best provider for your needs.
There are plenty of international money transfer providers for United Kingdom to United States. The fastest provider is Azimo. The cheapest provider we found is Azimo at 0.9% Above Mid-Market Rate.
If you’re looking for the best combination of price, speed, and reliability we recommend using XE when sending GBP – USD.
This means that by using XE for online money transfers to United States from United Kingdom, you are likely to save on transfer fees and benefit from fast speeds – so your recipient will get more money and have it delivered in less time.
Alternatively, if you are unable to access XE for any reason, our comparison engine has found WorldRemit and Azimo also to be very good options when sending GBP to USD.
The cheapest way to send money from United Kingdom to United States
The cost of transferring money will depend on the value of the transaction and amount of USD you want the recipient in United States to receive.
In order to avoid high fees, you should consider the cheapest way to send money from United Kingdom to United States.
Azimo has been determined by our comparison engine to be currently offering you the cheapest rates possible.
The fastest way to send money from United Kingdom to United States
When sending money from United Kingdom to United States, speed is one of the biggest factors you need to consider in terms of the service offered by different money transfer providers, particularly if you want to send money instantly. Currently, Azimo is the fastest way to send GBP – USD.
What payment methods are available when sending money from United Kingdom to United States?
Most money transfer providers allow you to deposit and send money using various payment methods, but not all providers offer every option. Typically you’ll find the most common methods are bank transfers and card payments, but many providers also accept cash and some will even deliver funds straight to your recipient’s door.
Sending money to United States from United Kingdom using credit card
To avoid high fees you can opt to use an online money transfer provider such as WorldRemit to pay for your transfer to United States. Our guide on sending money using a credit card has more information.
Sending money to United States from United Kingdom using a debit card
With XE you can send money online to United States using your debit card. But before making a payment, make sure you understand all the processing fees in place. Our guide on sending money using a debit card has more information.
Using a wire transfer to send money from United Kingdom to United States
Bank and international wire transfers are the most common ways of sending money United States as they are secure, reliable, and convenient. However, they often come with the slowest delivery times in case speed is an important factor for you. You can use XE to send money using a bank or wire transfer at a great rate as long as you’re happy for your transfer to take 1-2 days.
When sending money to United States from United Kingdom using bank account transfer you are paying for the outgoing fees, flat fees, currency exchange rate markup, and sometimes an additional incoming transfer fee.
On the other hand, you usually only pay a sender fee and a small exchange rate markup when using online money transfer services such as XE, WorldRemit and Azimo.
Considerations for a GBP to USD Currency Transfer
Before sending money to United States from United Kingdom, you should consider the following:
The amount you want to transfer: It is likely that the more money you send to United States the more value you will get and more USD the recipient will receive. This is because any flat fee charged ends up as a smaller percentage of your transfer amount, and also because many providers allow you to negotiate a better exchange rate margin if sending large amounts.
The GBP – USD exchange rate margin: Money transfer providers charge a small percentage on top of the mid-market exchange rates in order to generate revenue. Current mid market rate is 1.41075 and the lowest exchange rate margin is currently offered by XE at 0.9% above the mid market rate.
Hidden fees & charges: Before sending money to United States, make sure the provider you are using doesn’t charge any hidden fees. Our reviews of the top ranked providers XE, WorldRemit and Azimo will give insight here.
How to send money from United Kingdom to United States at the best rate?
This one’s easy. Simply use our comparison table above to find the best provider to send GBP to USD. After that it’s just a process of making your transfer via the following steps:
Click “Visit Site” inside our comparison table
Register for an account if required
Input how much you are willing to send
Fund your transfer
Receive & save an email confirming your transfer
How to receive transfers from GBP to USD in United States?
Your recipient has a few methods available to receive your money in United States. These will vary between providers, but it is possible to find services that will:
Deposit USD directly into a bank account
Enable the recipient to pick up cash a specific locations across United States
Deliver money directly to their door
Send USD to your recipient’s mobile wallet
If your recipient is going to collect or have the money delivered to them in United States, then they will usually need the following:
A government issued I.D document
The money transfer reference number
Senders details and the amount of money sent
How much money can be transferred from United Kingdom to United States?
The amount of USD you can receive from United Kingdom will largely depend on the money transfer service you are using. There are providers that specialise in smaller remittance payments, and providers who specialise in larger transfers.
You should also check if there are any government regulations pertaining to the amount of USD that can be received in United States or sent from United Kingdom before making your transfer.
Will I be taxed for sending money to United States?
Transfers amounting to less than $100,00 USD which are categorised as a “financial gift” will be not taxed, but should be reported to the IRS.
If the amount exceeds $100,000 the recipient will need to declare this amount and complete an IRS Form 3520: gifts from a business or a partnership that exceed $15,601 also must be declared via this form. The IRS Form 3520 is filed annually, used to report transactions received from overseas, including large gifts or bequests, such as stocks, bonds and cash. Depending on the size of the transfer, the recipient in United Kingdom will not always be required to pay taxes on this amount, however, failure to include this information in their annual tax return filing could result in a $10,000 fine. To learn more about taxation laws associated with overseas payments, read our guide: Are Money Transfers Taxed?
Which authorities regulate and monitor money transfers sent to United States?
In 2010, following the global financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was introduced by the Obama administration, to protect the American economy.
This legislation is enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and they are the organisation responsible for monitoring financial markets and enforcing certain rules to protect consumer rights. The CFPB is responsible for reviewing all international money transfers sent over $15.00 USD.
How much do banks in United States charge for receiving international money transfers?
Incoming international payments sent to banks are often accompanied by landing fees. These fees can vary and largely depend on the country the payment is sent from, the currency and the transfer size. Personal and business bank accounts incur different fees for receiving money transfers too. For example, Bank of America fees range from $15 – 45, Wells Fargo fees typically cost between $15 – 30 and CitiGroup transfers incur fees of $10 – 35 on average. Customers can read through our Bank Reviews to find out more about the various charges issued by major US banks.
How much money can be transferred from United Kingdom to United States?
The amount of USD you can receive from United Kingdom will largely depend on the money transfer service you are using. There are providers that specialise in smaller remittance payments, and providers who specialise in larger transfers.
You should also check if there are any government regulations pertaining to the amount of USD that can be received in United States or sent from United Kingdom before making your transfer.
Can I send money with MoneyTransfers.com?
No. MoneyTransfers.com is a comparison website aiming to match you with the best money transfer providers for your needs when transferring money online.
How to find the best exchange rate?
Finding the best exchange rate is crucial to maximising the money received on the other end. Usually, you will receive better exchange rates with money transfer provider compared to a traditional bank. Here’s are a few tips to find the best exchange rate online:
Start looking early: various providers will offer different exchange rates on different days, start looking as early as you can to identify the best provider for your currency pair.
Pay attention to the current exchange rate: staying up to date with the current exchange rate will give you the advantage to buy and sell on time. Currencies fluctuate daily due to supply and demand, so checking it frequently is advised to get the best rate possible. Alternatively, you can sign up with our price alerts to know when your currency reaches the desired price.
Avoid using your bank: banks are trustworthy, reliable and convenient, but they do not provide value for money. They charge high fees and usually have higher costs compared to the money transfer provider. Some money transfer companies will even provide a mid-market rate.
How we compare?
What do we mean by the top provider?
The top provider is the money transfer service that we believe is the most suitable for the country you’re sending money to. In order to keep our service free we factor in the commercial agreements we have with partners into this ranking.
How do we choose providers to display?
We make sure that each table displays the most relevant brands to the country you are sending money to and from. We consider many factors when choosing the providers to display in the table.All of the providers we display are fully regulated to provide money transfer services in the jurisdiction you are searching, relevant regulatory authorities are the FCA, ASIC, Fincen, FINTRAC & AMF. Alongside being regulated the services are manually checked by our team for both quality of service and online trust from such platforms like Trustpilot and Google reviews.We base our rankings primarily on the quality of the service provided, the benefit to the consumer and to keep our service free – the commercial agreements we have.
How do we order our comparisons?
We are affiliated with some of the partners displayed in the tables. However, the order of the providers is based on the quality of the service for the particular country corridor followed by the commercial agreement in place. You don’t pay any extra and the deal you get isn’t affected by our commercial agreement with the money transfer provider. We may receive a commission when you click through to a listing or when you make a transaction.We aim to find the balance between the quality of the service, customer satisfaction and the commercial agreements we have, and continue comparing services in a transparent way.If you have any questions about our listings, please don’t hesitate to email us at contact@moneytransfers.com
What can I use money transfers for?
It might look confusing and unusual to use anything other than a bank to send money for any reason other than a generic transfer, however, there are many more ways to use money transfers.
For instance, you can sign up with a money transfer provider to receive your pension abroad. Many money transfer companies have dedicated teams and resources for that particular reason.
You can save a lot on fees if sending large sums at once. For example, if you’re looking to buy a house abroad you can benefit from the better exchange rate and lower fees by using a money transfer company compared to a traditional bank.
You can use money transfer services for the same reasons you use your bank, but with lower fees, quicker delivery times and better exchange rates. If you are just getting started you can read our selection of guides to help you grasp on the basics.
Can I trust MoneyTransfers.com comparison?
Yes. We’re a team of money transfer experts working tirelessly comparing providers to find you the right provider for your transfer needs. Find out more about us here
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