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Send money to the Philippines
How to send a fast, secure and low-cost money transfer to the Philippines from the UK.
The best way to send money to the Philippines involves comparing providers to find one that fits your budget and needs. Xoom pairs with your PayPal account for bank transfers, while WorldRemit and Remitly are often cheaper than MoneyGram and Western Union to deliver cash pickups in minutes. TransferWise offers strong mid-market rates with no hidden fees. Shop around with a few digital specialists to find the best deal on your next transfer.
Top pick for
Large transfers
Top pick for
Small transfers
Top pick for
Fast transfers
Top pick for
Cash transfers
Top picks are our selection of some of the best money transfer products and services, based on our extensive research and market experience. Our top picks are displayed at the top of some pages to help you make decisions faster, but our top pick may not be the best pick for you.
Read our full methodology here to find out more.
Compare services that send money to the Philippines from the UK
Table: sorted by a combination of service offering and the amount your recipient will receive
Disclaimer: Exchange rates change often. Confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.
What's in this guide?
What’s the best way to send money to the Philippines?
To help you narrow down the best, we’ve dug through the details of many leading money transfer companies. Online money transfer providers typically offer the strongest exchange rates and lowest fees on money transfers to the Philippines. Bank transfers, account-to-account transfers through PayPal and other options are available but come with high fees, weak rates and long turnaround times.
- Digital money transfer specialists – Companies like InstaReM, TransferWise, OFX and XE are great ways to send money to the Philippines. These companies specialise in foreign currency transfers and are some of the best ways to turn your dollars into pesos.
- Cash transfers – Look to WorldRemit, Remitly, MoneyGram or Western Union to have cash delivered to the Philippines. WorldRemit and Remitly will probably be cheaper than Western Union and MoneyGram, but compare a variety of services to find the best way to send money to the Philippines.
- Bank transfers – Banks are almost always the most expensive way to send money, as they tend to offer weak exchange rates, charge high fees and have slow turnaround times for your transfer.
Let’s crunch the numbers: Sending £2,000 to the Philippines
Let’s say you need to send £2,000 to family in the Philippines. Here’s what you might face as far as fees and exchange rates as of 30 September 2020.
| Digital money transfer service | Cash transfer | Bank transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | £0 | £3.90 | £20 + additional correspondent bank fees |
| Exchange rate | 1 GBP = 61.90 PHP | 1 GBP = 61.39 PHP | 1 GBP = 60.76 PHP |
| Transfer speed | 1-2 day | Minutes | 2-5 days |
| Amount received | PHP 122,813 | PHP 122,788 | PHP 120,309 |
| Verdict |
|
|
|
The bank option ends up being both the slowest way and gets the smallest amount of money to your recipient. If you go with the digital money transfer service, your recipient ends up with PHP 2,504 more than the bank offers.
How to send money to the Philippines
Sign up and send money with a digital money transfer specialist in four steps:
- Sign up for a free account. Create an account using your contact information and preferred payment method after you pick a provider.
- Provide transfer details. Submit your recipient’s contact information and pick a delivery method. If transferring to a bank, you’ll need their Philippine bank account details.
- Confirm transfer details. Double check your payment method, expected fees and destination.
- Save your receipt. Record your confirmation number to track the progress of your transfer to the Philippines. Some money transfer providers send a text or email when your transfer is complete.
How to get the most out of your money transfer
Weigh costs and fees against convenience, and learn how to compare money transfer providers that send to the Philippines to meet your needs:
- Exchange rates. The GBP-PHP relationship fluctuates, so the rates you see today may be different tomorrow. Locking in an exchange rate when possible may save you money in the future if the rates shift quickly.
- Transfer fees. Transferring money overseas nearly always requires fees, but they might be hidden in the exchange rate. When sending large amounts, it may be cheaper to pay a flat fee to secure a stronger exchange rate.
- Transfer limits. How much you can send varies by company, and different amounts can attract higher or lower fees. Shop around for the best deal on the number of Philippine pesos you’re sending.
- Turnaround. Transferring money through a local bank can take a business week or longer. If you need the funds delivered quickly, look for a digital specialist that offers instant transfers to the Philippines from the UK.
- Maximum limits. When exchange rates are favourable, sending more money can save you money in the future. If you plan to send large amounts of money to the Philippines, be sure to pick a provider that won’t limit you.
- Transfer methods. Whether you want money sent to a Philippine bank account or picked up as cash at a local agent, narrow down a company that matches your preferred delivery method.
How to send an emergency cash transfer to the Philippines
When it’s more important to get your money to the Philippines quickly, look for money transfer companies that support cash pickup in minutes. You can pay with a credit or debit card for fast pickup, but fees are higher than other methods.
How to send money to the Philippines without a bank account
If you don’t have a bank account, you can still use cash transfer services to send money to the Philippines. Similarly, a recipient can get the money with a cash transfer if they don’t have a bank account. These services are widely available around the world and although they’ll typically not be the cheapest available, they can be fast and convenient.
Sending to mobile wallets in the Philippines
Many popular money transfer providers, including WorldRemit and TransferWise, let you send money directly to a mobile wallet in the Philippines. Mobile wallets, also known as e-wallets, are a convenient receiving option because the recipient can store and spend money directly from their phone. Some of the most popular mobile wallet options in the Philippines include:
- GCash allows you to make both local and international purchases online, pay bills, send and receive money from other GCash users and more.
- PayMaya gives you access to a virtual Mastercard that can be used for online shopping, and you are able to deposit money into your PayMaya wallet without going through any verification processes. Additionally, PayMaya can be used to pay bills and transfer money to and from other PayMaya users.
- Coins.ph combines control of the Philippine peso with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, XRP and Ethereum, and gives you a full range of bank-like services without needing to have an official bank account.
When you’re looking for a convenient way to send money to the Philippines, having the funds delivered to a mobile wallet is one of the more straightforward options. Just be sure to always double check the associated fees, exchange rates and processing times for each mobile wallet before signing up and using it.
Philippines’ exchange rates explained
The exchange rate determines how much one country’s currency is worth in another country’s currency. When a country’s currency is strong, it yields more money when exchanging it in a country with a weaker currency. The Philippine peso often fluctuates when compared to the pound sterling, so expect exchange rates today to be different than those you’ll see tomorrow. Factors that influence the exchange rate include interest rates, economic stability and inflation.
Track how the Philippine peso trades against the pound sterling in our historical rate chart.
Documents needed for sending to and receiving money in the Philippines
To send money to the Philippines from the UK, you’ll need government-issued ID and other documents, while documents needed to pick up money in the Philippines may be different by company.
Documents to send money from the UK
To send money from the UK to the Philippines, you’ll need documentation and details that include:
- Identification. Most services require a driver’s licence, passport or other government-issued ID.
- Payment method. Your service may accept credit or debit cards, cash, bank accounts or personal cheques.
- Recipient information. Submit your recipient’s name as it appears on their ID, along with their phone number, Philippine bank account and routing number if sending to their bank.
Documents to receive money in the Philippines
To pick up money in person, documentation can include:
- Transfer number. The person sending you money can forward the transfer’s confirmation details – called a PIN, a MTCN, a reference number or a tracking number, depending on the company.
- Government-issued ID. A Philippine passport or any other government-issued ID that has your photo in addition to your address can typically be used to pick up money in the Philippines.
- Amount sent. You may need to know how much was sent, usually within 10% of the total.
- Sender’s information. Take along your sender’s full name, the sending country and their address, if known.
What to watch out for
Most money transfers between the UK and the Philippines shouldn’t have any specific tax obligations attached to them, so long as they are for personal use and kept under £10,000 GBP.
Bottom line
Sending your hard-earned money to the Philippines shouldn’t cost a fortune. Compare transfer companies that specialise in foreign for the strongest rates, lowest fees and flexible delivery. For transfers to other countries, rely on our country specific guides the next time you need to make a transfer.
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