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Find the best way to send money to India

Compare money transfer specialists with competitive rates and maximize how much your recipient in India will get.

Looking for the best way to send money from Canada to family, friends or businesses in India (or even to your own overseas bank account)?

Don’t head straight to your Canadian bank – compare specialist money transfer services instead. They nearly always offer better INR exchange rates and lower fees, so for the same amount of Canadian dollars you send, your recipient will receive more Indian rupees.

Of the companies we’ve compared, RemitBee is among the cheapest, with competitive exchange rates and fees starting from $0. Need a really fast transfer? Wise can get money to your recipient in India within minutes.

Best ways to send money to India from Canada

The best way to send money to India depends on your payment method, how you want your money to be received and how fast you need it to arrive.

  • Online money transfer provider. When buying CAD dollars or Indian rupees money transfer specialists typically offer better rates and cheaper fees than a local bank.
  • Bank transfer. Bank transfers are an easy way to send money to India but they charge extra for the convenience and are often slower than other methods.
  • Cash pickup. If you need your money to arrive fast, cash pickup gives your recipient instant access to the money you’ve sent when they collect it from their agent location in India.
  • Mobile wallet. Essentially an electronic wallet service, mobile wallets allow users to store, send and receive eligible currencies using their phone, often with fees attached.
  • Home delivery. If your recipient may struggle to get to a cash pickup location, you may be able to opt for door-to-door cash delivery.

Compare money transfer specialists to send money to India

1 - 7 of 7
Name Product _compare_ Filter Values Fastest Transfer Speed Fees (Pay by Bank Transfer)
OFX
Finder Award
OFX
24 hours
$0
Exclusive offer: Discounted exchange rates for your first and ongoing transactions. $0 transfer fee.
OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 50+ currencies.
Remitly
Finder Award
Remitly
Within minutes
From $0
Special offers like free transfers and better exchange rates available for new customers.
Remitly has quick, affordable transfers around the world, with both express and economy options.
Xe Money Transfers
Within minutes
$0
Xe has fast transfers with low fees and a range of foreign currency tools.
Wise (TransferWise)
24 hours
From 0.41%
Wise uses the mid-market rate and transparent fees to help you send money in 45+ currencies.
MoneyGram
Finder Award
MoneyGram
Within minutes
From $4.99
For a limited time, get $0 fees on your first money transfer from Canada. Conditions apply.
MoneyGram has fast cash pick-up transfers to more than 350,000 agent locations worldwide.
Instarem
Within minutes
From $0
Use code HELLO to get $20 off on first two transfers on a min transfer of $250. Valid until November 30, 2023.
Instarem offers zero transfer fees on all transfers.
WorldRemit
Within minutes
From $0
Use promo code 3FREE and pay no fees on your first 3 transfers. Conditions apply.
WorldRemit sends money to 110+ countries for bank-to-bank deposits, cash pick-ups or mobile top-ups.
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We only list services that are overseen by a government regulator.
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Every service we compare has been assessed and reviewed by our editorial team.

The cheapest way to send money to India

  1. Go with a money transfer specialist. Skip the bank and opt for money transfer specialists who can offer better exchange rates and fees.
  2. Pay via bank transfer. Once you’ve chosen a provider, pay for your money transfer via bank transfer. Other payment methods, such as credit or debit cards, come with extra fees.
  3. Transfer to your recipient’s bank account. Other delivery methods, such as mobile wallet and cash pickup, come with extra or higher fees.

The transfer above can take one to six business days.

Some of the cheapest money transfers to India:

  • RemitBee
  • Xe
  • WorldRemit

The fastest way to send money to India

  1. Go with a money transfer specialist. Avoid your bank and opt for fast money transfer specialists who can offer better exchange rates and fees.
  2. Pay via credit or debit card. Once you’ve chosen a provider, pay for your money transfer using your credit card or debit card. Fees depend on the size of the transfer.
  3. Deliver using cash pickup or bank deposit. Cash pickup is generally faster than bank deposit.

The process above can be completed within minutes with cash pickup. Bank deposits can take a few business days, but for a popular country such as India, it can be much faster for a lot of the major banks, sometimes within a few minutes.

Some of the fastest average transfer speeds to India:

  • RemitBee — within minutes
  • WorldRemit — within minutes
  • Remitly — within minutes

Who’s the cheapest way to send money from Canada to India?

On October 27, 2023, we visited several popular money transfer sites and received the following quotes for a $200 transfer to India. Keep in mind, this is a sample snapshot only to give you an idea of the best rates to send money to India. How much your recipient will actually get will depend on several factors, such as the exchange rate at the time, the amount you’re sending, payment and delivery method, and any special offers you use.

In this example, we aimed for the lowest fees possible, which typically involved paying by bank transfer and delivering the transfer to the recipient’s bank account, if available.

ProviderYou sendExchange rate per 1 CADTotal feesRecipient gets
Wise$20060.0399$2.93₹11,832.06
Remitly$200Without promo: 59.20 (Express), 59.80 (Economy)
With promo: 60.36 (Express and Economy)
$1.99With promo: ₹12,072
Instarem$20059.6681$0.00₹11,933.62
WorldRemit$20059.0152$0.00₹11,803
Simplii$20058.986611$0.00₹11,797.32
Western Union$20060.5282$0.00₹12,105.64
Xoom$20059.5129$0.00₹11,903
Remitbee$200With promo: 60.00With promo: $0.00With promo: ₹12,000

What’s the best money transfer app to India?

The best international money transfer apps to send money to India will have a combination of easy user experience, affordable fees and fast transfer speeds. The providers below have highly rated apps for both Android and iOS. Based on recent reviews for 2023, we found that Remitly and WorldRemit received the most consistent positive feedback about their simplicity, low fees and speed.

ProviderAndroid ratingiOS ratingNumber of downloadsPositive feedbackNegative feedback
WorldRemit4.64.75m+Low fees, quick and convenient, reliableLong waits for customer service, technical difficulties
Remitly4.84.910m+Easy to use, fast, low feesFee for Express and Economy service is the same, slower transfers
Wise4.84.710m+Cheap, fastScheduling was hard to find, fees charged to transfer money to an account and to send it, technical difficulties
MoneyGram4.64.81m+Fast and easy experience, attention to security, discount promosTechnical difficulties, not as easy to use
Western Union4.34.6500k+Easy to use, fast transactionsAccount cancelled suddenly, technical difficulties

Providers not included in this table because they received less than 4.0 for either Android or iOS include Instarem, XE and Simplii.

What’s the cost to transfer money from Canada to India?

When you’re hunting down the cheapest ways or best rates to send money to India, look at the overall cost of your transfer. This has a couple of elements:

  • Transfer fees. While still cheaper than your Canadian bank, some money transfer services charge either a fixed or percentage-based fee for making your transfer.
  • Exchange rates. Another way money transfer providers make money is to add a margin to the mid-market CAD/INR exchange rate.

Some providers may charge the mid-market rate but add fees on top. Others may have very low fees but apply a markup on the exchange rate. This means it is important to compare exactly how many Indian rupees your recipient will end up with.

Safest way to send money to India

The safest way to get your money to India is to use a provider registered with Canada’s industry regulator, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada. All of the companies we’ve compared in our table are overseen by a local regulator and comply with the relevant laws and regulations in both Canada and India.

A great way to dive deeper is by reading our extended reviews of each transfer service and researching first-hand customer feedback on Trustpilot and similar platforms.

Large money transfers to India

If you need to make a sizable money transfer to India, consider using a provider such as RemitBee or OFX to benefit from its expertise in handling larger transfer amounts.

Using a large transfer specialist can have the following advantages:

  • Tax guidance. Large transfers to India may have tax implications for you or your recipient. A transfer specialist can help get you up to speed on CRA’s latest advice.
  • Foreign exchange (forex) tools. Advanced tools such as forward contracts, limit orders and stop-loss orders can help you lock in the INR exchange rate you want.
  • Account manager. Some money transfer providers assign a personal account manager who can help and advise you on your transfer needs.
  • Phone service. If you want to talk your transfer through with someone, providers such as RemitBee and OFX can give you support over the phone.

How to send money to India from Canada

To send money to India, you’ll need the necessary documentation, your recipient’s details and a way to pay.

  1. Compare your options.
    Use our table to find a money transfer provider that sends funds to India. One may be better for cash pickups while another may suit a bank transfer. Once you’ve found the best one for your requirements, click “Go to site”.
  2. Create an account.
    You’ll need to give your name, address, contact details, proof of ID and method of payment.
  3. Provide your recipient’s details.
    Enter your recipient’s name and contact information. If you’re sending straight to their Indian bank account, you’ll need the account number, SWIFT or IBAN plus their bank branch’s address.
  4. Enter your transfer amount.
    Check you’re happy with the fees, exchange rates and transfer speed, then enter the amount you wish to send. Double-check the total Indian rupees your recipient gets.
  5. Complete your transfer.
    Send your money transfer to India. Keep your transaction reference number safe so you can track your transfer. Your recipient may need it too.

CAD to INR: What are the historical exchange rates?

Example: Aaradhya transfers money to India

Aaradhya is working in Canada as a doctor and she stays in regular contact with her elderly parents back home in India. Her parents need some funds to help pay off a mortgage, so Aaradhya plans to send them $2,000 from Canada.

She decides to compare a bank and a money transfer specialist to see which one can save the most money on her transaction.

BankMoney transfer company
Exchange rate1 CAD = 58.99 INR1 CAD = 59.77 INR
Transfer fee$10$2.50
Transfer methodBank account depositBank account deposit
Processing time2 – 5 working daysNext day
Amount received117,394.63 INR119,397.03 INR

The money transfer company enables Aaradhya to send an extra ₹2,002.40, which is transferred straight to her parents’ HDFC Bank account.

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How to choose the best money transfer companies to send money to India

When choosing a money transfer provider to send money from Canada to India, it’s important to consider the cost, how you want your recipient to receive the funds and the turnaround time. Here are other features to review:

  • Exchange rates. Banks and transfer services use the mid-market rate to trade with one another. It is the best rate you can get. However, not all money transfer providers offer you this mid-market rate so compare the INR you’re offered to the mid-market rate and look for the smallest difference.
  • Transfer fees. Are you being charged a flat fee or a percentage of your transfer amount? For example, a provider offering to transfer your money to India for a flat or low fee might work out better if you plan to send a large amount.
  • Transfer type. Does your recipient have an Indian bank account or is cash or cell phone top-up a better option? Each transfer type will have different fees. For example, instant cash pickups tend to be more expensive than bank transfers.
  • Transfer speed. If you need your transfer to arrive quickly, you can pay for an express delivery. Companies such as MoneyGram offer instant cash pickups but may charge more. If you’re not in a rush, online money transfer services offer the best value and get your money to India faster and cheaper than banks.
  • Transfer limits. Find out how much you can send with each service. For example, MoneyGram has a transfer limit of $990 while Wise (TransferWise) – Under 10k allows transfers up to $1,500,000.
  • Discounts. Some providers may offer you a free transfer simply for signing up. Others may offer a discount if you transfer more than a specific amount of Indian rupees.

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Is this a good time to send money to India?

Compared to a month ago, the Canadian dollar is weaker against the Indian rupee. Currently $5,000 is equivalent to ₹300,368.00, whereas a month ago, $5,000 was equivalent to ₹307,826.50. That’s a decrease of 2.42% over the past month.

Similarly, compared to a year ago, the Canadian dollar is again weaker against the Indian rupee. A year ago, $5,000 was equivalent to ₹303,443.50. That’s a decrease of 1.01% over 12 months.

What’s more important, however, is where the strength of the Canadian dollar against the Indian rupee goes from here – which is harder to call. Based on those two quick glances back, your Canadian dollars might not go as far as they would have, so shopping around for the best deal on your transfer is key.

Frequently asked questions

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6 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    kumarApril 12, 2016

    want to send money to india.
    want to know which is the best and cheapest way to send.
    like i have NRE account of punjab national bank.

      AvatarFinder
      HarryApril 12, 2016Finder

      Hi Kumar,

      Thanks for your question.

      You can compare the ways to send money to India by clicking here.

      finder.com is a financial comparison website and as such we cannot provide specific banking advice. If you want advice specifically from your bank, we recommend getting in touch with Punjab National Bank.

      I hope this helps,

      Harry

    Default Gravatar
    alateApril 2, 2015

    my son in Australia wants to send money to me. what is the best way and how much it costs

      AvatarFinder
      ShirleyApril 7, 2015Finder

      Hi Alate,

      Thanks for your question.

      Please note that finder.com is an online comparison service and is not in a position to recommend specific products, providers and services.

      The fee will depend on which service provider you choose. You can see these in the ‘online transfer fee’ column in our comparison tool.

      Cheers,
      Shirley

    Default Gravatar
    JasjitJuly 17, 2014

    There are several other alternatives available. Some of them are Aussie Forex, GMT Money,PFG Money, Money Pigeon Pty Ltd etc.

    These services may or may not charge a transfer fee but their exchange rates are way better than others.

    Default Gravatar
    PeteDecember 15, 2013

    I truly appreciate this post.

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