RemitBee international money transfers and FX review
- Minimum Transfer Amount
- $10
- Fastest Transfer Speed
- Within minutes
- Receiving Options
- Cash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, e-Wallet
Our verdict
RemitBee offers low-cost money transfers, but hedging options are not available.
RemitBee is a FINTRAC-regulated money transfer and currency exchange platform that offers personal and business transfers to 80+ countries. Popular currencies include INR Indian Rupee, PHP Philippine Peso, USD United States Dollar and EUR Euro.
It offers exchange rates and fees that are competitive against banks and other money transfer specialists, and you have several ways to pay for and receive your money transfers. This makes RemitBee a solid choice if you're looking to send money abroad from Canada. However, it does not offer currency hedging options, so consider other providers if this is important to you.
Pros
-
Low-cost money transfers
-
Transfers in 1-3 business days (sometimes within minutes)
-
Money-back guarantee
Cons
-
No hedging options
-
Can’t pay by credit card
Details
Product details
| Product Name | RemitBee |
| Pay By | Debit card, Bank transfer, Interac e-Transfer, Online bill payment, Direct debit (EFT), Interac Online |
| Receiving Options | Cash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, e-Wallet |
| Customer Service | Phone, Live chat, Email |
| Available Currencies | AED, ARS, AUD, BDT, BOB, BRL, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CZK, DKK, DOP, ETB, GBP, GHS, GNF, GTQ, HNL, HUF, INR, JMD, KES, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NOK, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RWF, SAR, SEK, SGD, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR |
What is RemitBee?
RemitBee is a cross-border money transfer and currency exchange platform for personal and business users. It was launched in 2015 by Canadian immigrants with the goal to offer all Canadian immigrants a low-cost way to move money internationally. Its head office is located in Mississauga, Ontario.
What are RemitBee’s services?
RemitBee offers the following services to both personal and business users:
- Money transfers from Canada. Send money to 80+ countries in local currency, USD and CAD formats.
- USD/CAD exchange. Convert USD to CAD or vice versa between your own bank accounts.
- Micro payments. Make international micro payments, such as mobile recharge, utility bills and gift cards.
RemitBee exchange rates and fees
RemitBee adds a relatively small markup to exchange rates. For example, they add a 0.0050% margin when sending money from Canada to India. Generally, their markup ranges from 0.0050% to 3%. Currencies such as the South African Rand have a 2.10% margin, whereas Indian Rupee (INR) has 0.0050%.
The fees you’ll pay depend on how much money you’re sending, as well as the payment method you choose, such as whether you’re paying from your RemitBee wallet methods (e-transfer, EFT, bill payment) or with a debit card.
If you send more than $500 CAD, you can avoid paying a $2.99 transfer fee. Compare fees in the table below to get a better idea of what your transfer will cost.
| Amount | Wallet | Interac | Visa or Mastercard debit |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0-$500 | $2.99 | $2.99 | $8.99 |
| $501-$1000 | Free | $2.99 | $8.99 |
| $1001-$1500 | Free | $2.99 | $14.99 |
| $1501-$2000 | Free | $2.99 | $19.99 |
| $2001-$2500 | Free | $2.99 | $24.99 |
| $2501-$3000 | Free | $2.99 | $29.99 |
Available currencies
RemitBee sends money to 80+ countries worldwide – popular currencies include:
- INR Indian Rupee
- PHP Philippine Peso
- USD United States Dollar
- EUR Euro
- SGD Singapore Dollar
- THB Thai Baht
- LKR Sri Lankan Rupee
- PKR Pakistan Rupee
- GHS Ghana Cedi
- NPR Nepalese Rupee
- BLR Brazilian Real
- JMD Jamaican Dollar
What types of transfers can you make with RemitBee?
Although it varies from country to country, RemitBee offers a range of ways you can send money, including:
- Bank transfer. Your chosen bank account will receive a direct deposit of your funds. RemitBee has established partnerships with numerous banks worldwide to guarantee the secure and punctual delivery of your money.
- Mobile wallet. Your money will be deposited into the recipient’s mobile e-Wallet account linked to their phone number (e.g. GCash in the Philippines). This option is helpful if your recipient doesn’t have a bank account and isn’t near a cash pickup location.
- Mobile top-up. Money transferred is directly credited to the recipient’s mobile wallet. For example, if you are sending money to someone in Ghana, they might have a smartphone wallet associated with a telecommunications company like MTN. The recipients can use the money for various mobile-related transactions.
- Cash pickup. You can send money to a RemitBee cash pickup location for your recipient to collect in person. If you choose this option, the person picking it up will need a valid photo ID on hand and the reference number.
How long does a transfer with RemitBee take?
Most transfers with RemitBee will arrive in one to three business days, depending on how you’ve paid for it and whether your account needs to be verified. Some transfers are completed within just a few minutes.
How much is the transaction limit or sending limit?
| User type | Transaction type | Daily limit | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | Money transfer | CA $20,000 | CA $200,000 |
| Personal | Currency exchange | CA $500,000 | – |
| Business | Money transfer | CA $100,000 | CA $1,000,000 |
| Business | Currency exchange | CA $500,000 | – |
If you have a RemitBee personal account, you can send $10 – $20,000 CAD per day.
Your sending limit or transaction limit is the amount of money you can send per day or per month based on your verification level. A higher level of verification allows you to send bigger amounts of money.
What payment methods does RemitBee accept?
You can pay for your transfer with RemitBee through a bank transfer or a card.
If you’re sending through debit card, you’ll pay higher fees than if you use your RemitBee wallet (e-transfer, EFT, bill payment), which offers free transfers above $500.
Is RemitBee legitimate and safe to use?
Since 2015 RemitBee has built up a strong reputation as a safe and reliable money transfer provider in Canada. The company is regulated by FINTRAC and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. Also, RemitBee is Better Business Bureau accredited. On Trustpilot customers rated them 4.3 out of 5, based on around 211 reviews (October 2023).
Benefits of RemitBee
- Low money transfer fees. You’ll pay zero fees for transfers above $500 CAD.
- Competitive exchange rates. RemitBee’s markup ranges from 0.0050% to 3%, which is cheaper than Canadian banks.
- Money-back guarantee. RemitBee offers a money-back guarantee should anything go wrong with your transfer.
- Multiple countries and currencies. Send money to 80+ countries in local currency, USD or CAD formats.
- Personal or business. Send money abroad for personal or business use.
- Referral program. Earn rewards when you refer friends, family members or business owners.
- Easy-to-use website and app. We were able to sign up and start a transfer in about five minutes.
- Multiple payment options. Pay via e-transfer, EFT, debit card, bill payment, bank transfer or Interac online.
- Multiple receiving options. Receive the money transfer via bank account deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet or e-Wallet.
What to watch out for
- Transaction limits. Personal money transfers are limited to $20,000 CAD per day and a maximum of $200,000 CAD per month. On the other hand, business money transfers are limited to $100,000 CAD per day and $1,000,000 CAD per month.
- No credit cards. You can’t use your credit card to pay for your transfer.
- No transfers within Canada. You can only use RemitBee if you’re sending money abroad.
- Can’t receive money. You can’t use RemitBee to receive money from abroad.
- Low monthly transfer. Personal transfers can’t be more than $200,000 per month.
- Fewer countries and currencies. They’re aiming to add more to the list, but for now you can only send money to 80+ countries.
- Other limitations. RemitBee doesn’t have recurring transfers, limit orders or other hedging options to help you gain extra money by planning your transfer or currency conversions in advance.
How does RemitBee make money?
RemitBee, like other FX providers, makes money by charging a margin on the exchange rate.
For example, a provider may quote you CAD 1=PHP 41.4637 for a money transfer to the Philippines, while the rate you can see on Google is CAD 1=PHP 41.9499. This difference is the margin, and it’s how providers like RemitBee cover their own fees.
Any fees associated with payment methods go directly to the payment method provider (e.g. Interac) and not RemitBee.
RemitBee requirements
You can send money abroad via RemitBee if you’re based in Canada and verify your identity with a piece of ID. A Canadian bank account and phone number are also required.
Verification has four levels. Higher levels give you higher sending limits, but you’ll also need to fulfill more requirements.
How to create a RemitBee account and send your first transfer
You can sign up for RemitBee for free and use a piece of government ID to verify your account at the first level (which will allow you to send up to $1,000 CAD daily or up to $3,000 CAD monthly). Then all you need to do is add your recipient details and figure out how you want to make your payment.
You can also track your transaction from start to finish using your tracking ID.
How does RemitBee compare to other providers?
Frequently asked questions
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