How to send money with Remitly: Step-by-step guide

Evidence tier: A1 Evidence type: Auto-discovered official publication Source: Wise Blog Official publication date: 2026-07-16 Captured: 2026-07-18T16:33:15.736Z

Remitly® is a popular money transfer platform in the US. You can use your account to send and receive money worldwide in over 175 countries.¹

We take a closer look at how to use Remitly to send money to friends and family overseas, including a step-by-step guide to sending digital money transfers.

Looking for a low-cost Remitly alternative? Open a Wise account to send and receive your money at the mid-market exchange rate. Let’s dive in!

Learn more about Wise

Is Remitly safe to send money?

Remitly is generally considered safe for sending money. It’s a licensed platform and a registered Money Services Business (MSB) in the US. This means the provider must adhere to regulatory standards when managing your money.

Remitly also uses secure encryption protocols like AES256 and 2048-bit RSA to keep your personal and financial information private. You can set up 2-factor authentication and verify your identity to protect your account.²

Remitly is a legit money transfer service. The provider follows regulatory procedures and completes all the necessary checks to keep your account, and your money, safe.

How to send money through Remitly: Step-by-step

It’s easy to send a money transfer through Remitly, but the exact transfer process may depend on where and how you want to transfer your funds.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to send money through Remitly.

1. Create a Remitly account

First, you’ll need to create your online Remitly account. You can do this via the Remitly website or by downloading the digital app.

Enter your email address and create a strong password for your account. You may also need to enter a few additional details as prompted.³

2. Verify your identity

Remitly may prompt you to verify your identity before you can send your first transfer. The app will request any required information, such as a selfie or a photo of your government-issued ID.⁴

3. Enter your transfer details

Now you’re ready to send your transfer! Enter all your transfer details, including how much you want to send and where you want to send it.

You’ll also need to enter your recipient’s details and choose a delivery method for your transfer, such as bank deposit, debit card deposit, or cash pickup. Your available delivery methods will depend on where you want to send your money.³

For example, you can send money to Mexico via cash pickup, bank or debit card deposit, or mobile wallet payment.⁵ You can send money to India via bank deposit, cash pickup, or United Payments Interface (UPI).⁶

4. Choose your transfer speed

You’ll need to choose your transfer speed: Express or Economy. Express transfers deliver within minutes, but they often come at a higher price point.

Economy transfers take 1-3 business days, but they typically don’t incur the same hefty currency conversion fees and transfer charges as Express transfers.⁷

5. Pay for your Remitly transfer

You’ll need to choose how to pay for your transfer. Remitly offers a range of payment methods, such as bank account, Apple Pay®, and prepaid card.⁸

Before you send your transfer, you’ll receive a full breakdown of your costs, such as exchange rate charges, transfer fees, and any additional expenses.³

Once you’ve entered all your information, you’ll need to confirm that everything looks correct before hitting send.

6. Track your transfer

You can track your transfer to ensure it reaches your recipient safely. Simply log into the Remitly app and click the “Home” tab to view your recent transactions. Select your transfer to find out the status of your payment.⁹

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Remitly fees and costs explained

So, how much does Remitly charge to send money overseas? Your fees will depend on a few key factors, such as where and how you want to send your money abroad. Let’s take a closer look.

Transfer fees

You won’t pay a fee for your first Remitly transfer. However, some future transfers will come at a cost. This will depend on your country, currency, delivery, and payment method of choice.

For example, it costs 4.99 USD to send money to the Philippines for cash pickup or home delivery.¹⁰ You’ll pay 1.99 USD for bank deposits, debit card deposits, and mobile wallet payments to Mexico, or 3.99 USD for cash pickup.⁵

Some payment methods may also come with additional fees. For example, if you choose to pay for your Remitly transfer by credit card, you’ll likely incur a 3% fee.¹¹

Exchange rate costs

You’ll also pay Remitly’s exchange rate to convert your US dollars into the correct currency for your transfer.

First-time customers can access a promotional exchange rate, but for future transfers, you’ll pay Remitly’s regular rate. This may include a markup on the standard rate for currency conversion.

Even for your first transfer, you’ll only access Remitly’s promotional rate on a set transaction limit. After that, Remitly’s regular rate will apply.

For example, for transfers to Mexico, you can access the provider’s favorable exchange rate on the first 1000 USD of your transfer.⁵

This means high-volume transfers may end up costing more, even for first-time customers. If you want to send multiple transfers via the platform, you’ll pay increased transfer fees and exchange rate costs.

Limits and timing: What to expect

Remitly’s transaction limits and transfer times may also differ by country. Let’s take a look at how long it takes Remitly to send money and how much money you can send through the Remitly app.

How long does Remitly take to send money?

To see exactly how long your Remitly transfer will take, you’ll need to enter your transfer details and view available delivery speeds.³

Express transfers typically deliver within minutes, so they’re ideal for urgent payments, whereas Economy transfers may take up to 3 days to reach your recipient. They’re best for affordable and flexible transfers abroad.

How much money can I send through Remitly?

The amount of money you can send via Remitly will depend on your location and delivery method. US account holders can send 100,000 USD internationally, but some countries may limit how much your recipient can receive.

Remitly previously used a tiered transaction limit structure based on verification, but now all customers have been moved to the provider’s new sending limits.

You’ll likely need to verify your identity and follow some additional steps if you want to send a large amount of money through Remitly.¹²

Remitly vs Wise: Choosing the right platform for your cross-border money transfers

If you regularly send money to friends and family abroad, it’s important to choose the right money transfer platform for you.

You’ll need to look out for flexible, global providers that value trust, security, and low-cost international spending options.

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate for all international transfers. That’s the standard rate you might find online – no markups or hidden fees.

Everyone pays the same at Wise. Whether it’s your first transfer or your 100th, you can send, spend, and receive your money across 160 countries.

Wise even offers low-cost large-amount transfers, with automatic volume discounts on payments over 25,000 USD or equivalent.

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Remitly is an easy way to send money abroad, with advanced security features and a wide range of available countries. However, there are a few things to consider before sending your first transfer.

You’ll need to look into Remitly’s exchange rate charges and transfer fees. Although first-time customers can access favorable currency conversion rates, returning users may pay an exchange rate markup for future transactions.

These fees can really start to add up, especially if you regularly send money to friends and family overseas.

Open a Wise account to save at the mid-market rate or transfer large sums - all from just one account!

Sources

1. Remitly - US home
2. Remitly - How Remitly keeps you safe
3. Remitly - Send international money transfers from the US
4. Remitly - How does the verification process work?
5. Remitly - USD to MXN exchange rates
6. Remitly - Send money to India
7. Remitly - Remittance vs bank transfer
8. Remitly - How can I pay for my transfer?
9. Remitly - How can I track my Remitly transfer?
10. Remitly - USD to PHP exchange rates
11. Remitly - How do I pay with a card?
12. Remitly - How much can I send?

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*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.