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Remitly vs. Ria

Both specialize in small remittances, but which one will get you a better deal?

Isabel Sandercock-Brown

Updated Feb 11, 2020

Fact checked

Which international money transfer service offers the lowest fees, highest exchange rates and fastest transfers? We put Remitly and Ria to the test to help you decide which provider is right for you.

The fees and rates used in this comparison are accurate as of April 22, 2019.

Lower fees:
Tie

Exchange rates:
Tie

Fast transfers:
Tie

I want to send

	Min. Transfer Amount	Transfer Speed	Online Transfer Fee	Rate	Amount Received	Description	CTA	Details
	$1	Same day	USD 5.00	19.404	MXN 19,307	Ria lets you send money to 130+ countries with cash pick-up at 240,000 locations.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Agent, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Email, Branch Available currencies AED, ALL, ARS, AUD, BAM, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, KES, KMF, KRW, KWD, LAK, LBP, LKR, MAD, MMK, MNT, MUR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SCR, SEK, SLL, THB, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZMW Go to site Read the full review
	$10	Within an hour	USD 1.99	19.404	MXN 19,365	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.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 10.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies ALL, AMD, ARS, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BIF, BOB, BRL, BSD, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KZT, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MWK, MXN, MYR, NIO, NPR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SLL, SRD, SVC, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review

Compare up to 4 providers

Disclaimer: Exchange rates change often. Confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.

Which has lower fees?

Remitly

Fees can vary anywhere from $0 to $99.99, depending on the currency, country, how much you’re transferring and how you’re sending it.

In most cases, you’ll pay $3.99 for transfers under $1,000. For transfers over $1,000, there’s usually no fee. But sending to certain countries can cost significantly more, and you’ll generally pay a 3% fee if you use a credit card.

Ria

Similar to Remitly, fees change from currency to currency and also depend on the payment method. Credit card payments have higher fees, while direct bank payments have the lowest fees. The fees start from around $0 to $45.

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Winner: Tie

Both providers offer such different fees depending on multiple variables. While the fees offered by Ria don’t go as high as the Remitly fees, Ria doesn’t let you transfer more than $2,999. Remitly allows you to transfer up to $20,000 and the higher fees are often for higher transfer amounts.

Let’s crunch the numbers: Sending $1,000 to Philippines and Mexico

Let’s do an international money transfer to put the two providers to the test. We’ll test two currencies, to see what the differences are.

Sending $1,000 to the Philippines

	Remitly	Ria
Transfer fee	$5	$0
Exchange rate	1 USD = 51.426 PHP	1 USD = 50.906 PHP
Transfer speed	3–5 days	3–5 days
Total Philippine pesos received	PHP₱51,168.87	PHP₱50,906
Receiver gets	PHP₱262.97 more	PHP₱262.87 less

Sending $500 to India

	Remitly	Ria
Transfer fee	$5	$0
Exchange rate	1 USD = 69.001 INR	1 USD = 68.304 INR
Transfer speed	3–5 days	3–5 days
Total Mexican pesos received	INR₹34,155.50	INR₹34,152
Receiver gets	INR₹3.50 more	INR₹3.50 less

Remitly offers a noticeably better deal when exchanging Philippine pesos, though the two are nearly identical when sending a smaller amount to India. To get the best deal, you’ll need to check the specific fees and exchange rates associated with your transfer.

Which offers better exchange rates?

Remitly

Remitly adds a margin to its exchange rates, but there isn’t a standard rule. It varies currency to currency.

For example, if you want to send money to Honduras:

Mid-market rate: 1 USD = 24.440 HNL
Remitly’s exchange rate: 1 USD = 24.192 HNL

Making it a margin of 1.0%.

Ria

Ria also adds a margin to the exchange rate, which can be anywhere from 0.3% and 4%.

For example, if you want to send money to Brazil:

Mid-market rate: 1 USD = 24.440 HNL
Ria’s exchange rate: 1 USD = 23.947 HNL

Making it a margin of 2.1%.

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Winner: Tie

Again, both Remitly and Ria have a similar system. They both add a margin to the exchange rates, but it varies depending on the currency. Sometimes Remitly offers a better rate, sometimes Ria does.

Which is faster?

Remitly

Remitly offers two transfer options: economy or express. Express gets your transfer there on the same day, often quite quickly, but you pay a higher fee. Economy typically takes three to five business days but it’s cheaper.

Ria

If you pay by card, Ria transfers are done within minutes. However, it’s more expensive to pay by card. If you do a bank transfer, the cheaper option, it can take up to five days.

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Winner: Tie

Both services have faster options that cost more, and both have slower options that take a similar time.

General features

	Payment methods	Receiving options	Max and min	Transfer speeds	Currencies
Remitly	Bank transfer, debit card, credit card	Bank account, cash pickup	Minimum: $10 Maximum: $20,000	3–5 days Faster transfers available for a higher fee	30+ currencies
Ria	Bank transfer, credit card, debit card, cash	Bank account, cash pickup, door delivery	Minimum: $1 Maximum: $2,999	3–5 days Faster transfers available for a higher fee	95+ currencies

Remitly

To use Remitly, you sign up for a free account on its website or app. Once you’ve signed up, you just enter the amount you want to send, your recipient’s details and your payment information. Remitly then sends the converted money where it needs to go.

Ria

Fill out the details of the receiver, add your payment info, select how you would like the recipient to get the money and then hit send. Ria will convert and transfer the money.

Read review: Remitly
Read review: Ria

Bottom line

Remitly and Ria are very similar services and are structured the same way, charging varied fees and a margin on the exchange rate. Remitly often beats out Ria slightly, but it depends on the currency.

To get the best deal, compare other transfer providers against Remitly and Ria to find the one that fits your needs.

Looking for more options?

If Remitly or Ria don’t seem like the right providers for you, you can compare other services below using our calculator to ensure you make the best decision.

I want to send

Min. Transfer Amount	Transfer Speed	Online Transfer Fee	Rate	Amount Received	Description	CTA	Details
$1,000	1 day	USD 0.00	0.82	EUR 4,098	OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AUD, AZN, BGN, BHD, BND, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, FJD, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KRW, KWD, LKR, MAD, MGA, MXN, MYR, NOK, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, RUB, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, THB, TOP, TRY, TWD, TZS, USD, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
GBP 1,000	1 - 2 days	USD 0.00	0.82	EUR 4,098	Exclusive: Minimum transfer of $1,000 for Finder readers (normally $5,000). CurrencyTransfer lets you shop around for the best exchange rate on its online marketplace.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount GBP 1,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Chat Available currencies AED, AUD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, RON, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
$1	Same day	USD 0.00	0.824	EUR 4,121	XE has fast transfers with no fees and a range of foreign currency tools.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BZD, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CUC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, FKP, GBP, GEL, GGP, GHS, GIP, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, IMP, INR, IQD, IRR, ISK, JEP, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KPW, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, LSL, LYD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MNT, MOP, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SDG, SEK, SGD, SHP, SLL, SOS, SPL, SRD, SVC, SYP, SZL, THB, TJS, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TVD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VEF, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XDR, XOF, XPF, YER, ZAR, ZMW, ZWD, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$10	Within an hour	USD 1.99	0.811	EUR 4,055	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.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 10.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies ALL, AMD, ARS, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BIF, BOB, BRL, BSD, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KZT, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MWK, MXN, MYR, NIO, NPR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SLL, SRD, SVC, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$1	1 - 2 days	USD 40.00	0.828	EUR 4,106	TransferWise uses the mid-market rate and transparent fees to help you send money in 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, ARS, AUD, BDT, BGN, BRL, BWP, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, GBP, GEL, GHS, HKD, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KES, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NGN, NOK, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, RON, RUB, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XOF, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review
$1	Within an hour	USD 3.99	0.824	EUR 4,119	WorldRemit sends money to 110+ countries for bank-to-bank deposits, cash pick-ups or mobile top-ups.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, ALL, AMD, AOA, ARS, AUD, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BOB, BRL, BWP, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DKK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, ISK, JMD, JOD, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LKR, LRD, LSL, MAD, MDL, MGA, MRO, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RUB, RWF, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, SOS, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
USD 10,000	1 - 2 days	N/A	N/A	N/A	Dunbridge Financial offers diverse transfer options to more than 120 countries. Powered by Currencycloud.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount USD 10,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ARS, AUD, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BOB, BRL, BWP, BYR, CAD, CHF, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, IQD, ISK, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MNT, MOP, MUR, MVR, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TTD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF, YER, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review