Choosing the right service to transfer money can save you time, money and headaches. Although your bank may offer transfers, it’ll often be more expensive than the other options available to you. Find the cheapest and fastest way to pay your roommate for rent with our hand-picked list of 5+ ways to send money online you can download right now.
| Best for… | Service | Why use it? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free transfers between PayPal accounts |  | PayPal | PayPal is a convenient option for free domestic transfers, paying businesses and sending money online internationally. |
| No frills transfers |  | Cash App | Easily send and receive money from debit cards and bank accounts |
| Socially interactive transfers |  | Venmo | Send money with emojis and fun messages when paying friends and family |
| iPhone users |  | Apple Pay | Integrates with iPhones to seamlessly send money through Messages |
| Bank-to-bank transfers |  | Zelle | Supported bank accounts can send and receive nearly instant transfers |
| Fast transfers |  | Google Pay | Combines contactless payments, an electronic wallet and money transfer services in an easy-to-use app |
| Business transfers | | Zelle | Allows direct transfers between bank accounts, simplifying invoice payments and business transfers |
| Referral bonuses | | Cash App | When new users sign up for Cash App through your referral link, you receive a $5 bonus per sign-up |
Many free options allow you to send money within the US between bank accounts. Here are some of the most popular options for sending money online to friends or family within the country.
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use PayPal?
Transferring money for both businesses and individuals is one of PayPal’s strengths, and its network of global coverage makes it a good option for international users trying to figure out how to wire money online safely. Sending money domestically is free between PayPal accounts, but pay attention to fees when sending money across borders from a linked bank account. PayPal also offers money transfer protection when making purchases online from other individuals, something Cash App and Google Pay lack.
PayPal’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% up to a maximum of $10 | Unlimited for both sending and receiving | 1 to 4 business days | 2.9% + $0.30 to send from credit card |
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use Cash App?
For users seeking a clean, simple interface and straightforward payment options, Cash App is high on our list. If all you want to do is send and receive money without social feeds or having to share your bank account numbers, this may be the choice for you.
Cash App’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5% – 1.75% fee (minimum $0.25) | Send: $7,500/week Receive: Unlimited | Less than 5 minutes | 3% to send from credit card |
Alternative:
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use Venmo?
Venmo is a more socially-focused payment app that includes features like emojis, seeing payment history sent between friends and a clean user interface. Connect a bank account, credit card or debit card to make payments — but make sure to check your privacy settings if you’d like to keep payments out of the public eye.
Venmo’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.75% fee (minimum of $0.25 and maximum of $25) | Send: $60,000/week Receive: Unlimited | No longer than 30 minutes | 3% to send from credit card |
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use Google Pay?
Google Pay is integrated with Android phones, but can also be used through a browser and iPhone app. It works well with many of the existing Google Services, such as Gmail, Google Assistant and Messages. It comes with enhanced security and has the option for Two-Factor Authentication and sign-in notifications — must-have features for anyone who’s prone to losing phones.
Google Pay’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to bank account | Send: $5,000/week Receive: Unlimited | Less than 3 minutes | Google Pay charges no fees for bank transfers, but your bank may — contact it to find out |
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use Apple Pay?
Apple Pay is integrated with Apple products, making it a simple service to use if you’re an avid iPhone user. You can add payment methods, pay merchants and manage App Store purchases all through Apple Pay.
Apple Pay’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free to bank account | Send: $10,000/week Receive: Unlimited | Less than 10 minutes | Apple Pay charges no fees for bank transfers, but your bank may — contact it to find out |
What we like:
What we don’t like:
Why use Zelle?
Zelle is supported by many major banks and has built a network that makes it easy for supported accounts to send and receive money with ease. If your bank supports Zelle you can use the transfer service through your existing bank’s app or online portal, almost always for free.
Zelle’s fees and limits:
| Instant deposit | Transfer limits | Transfer speed | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $1,000/week | Less than 3 minutes | No fees |
If you’re looking to send money to your loved ones or make a business transfer to a foreign contractor, the best providers to send money abroad will differ from the picks above. Unlike transferring money to people locally, you have to consider a range of other factors when making international transfers: exchange rates, fees, availability of transfers to the country, etc.
Typically, if you are making an international transfer for the first time, using an international bank transfer might seem like the obvious choice. However, you are likely to be charged high international transfer fees. Additionally, your recipient will most likely receive a lower amount than intended due to unfavorable exchange rates offered by banks. Luckily, other options exist today. There are various online money transfer services disrupting this industry by helping you send your money abroad for a fraction of the cost charged by banks.
Looking to send money abroad? Compare your options below to find the best international money transfer services for you.
There are a range of options that can securely transfer your money from A to B while avoiding steep bank fees — be it within the US or internationally. The best way to transfer money depends on your situation, how fast you need the money transferred and to where.
But there’s no need to commit to only one service. With so many options available, it pays to road-test a few first or keep several accounts at once. Checking the prices of different services will help save money.
Our users have diverse needs, so to find some of the most popular money transfer products, we investigated a variety of companies by comparing factors like fees, consumer sentiment, transfer limits and user experience.
All of the sending and receiving limits are based on the highest limits a user can unlock with each service.
Whether products shown are available to you is subject to individual provider sole approval and discretion in accordance with the eligibility criteria and T&Cs on the provider website.
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