Review: Kabayan Remit international money transfers
Kabayan Remit offers an efficient, cost-effective and convenient way to send money from the UK to the Philippines.
- Good if you want flexible options for sending money to the Philippines
- Not so good for sending really small amounts because of fees
What's in this guide?
Kabayan Remit exchange rates and fees
Kabayan Remit’s transfer fees range from £2.99 to £6.99 and depend on the type of transfer you’re making and how much money you’re sending. The first transfer is free. Priding itself on its competitive exchange rate, you’ll often get a better rate with Kabayan Remit than with your bank.
Available currencies
Kabayan Remit is exclusively for sending money to the Philippines from the UK.
What types of transfers can you make with Kabayan Remit?
You can arrange the transfer online, via the free app or over the phone with the customer services team. You can choose for the money to be sent:
- Directly to the recipient’s bank account (any bank in the Philippines)
- For cash pick-up at various outlets
- Straight to the recipient’s home (certain areas of the Philippines only)
There’s no limit on how much you can send, but you’ll need to carry out online verification for single transfers over £1,000, or frequent transfers that reach £3,000 in a 30-day period. If you want to send more than £2,000 in a single transfer it’s best to contact the customer services team.
How long does a transfer with Kabayan Remit take?
This depends on how you’re sending it.
Cash pick-up and a bank transfer to the bank BDO are within 24 hours. Bank transfers to all other major banks take within 1 to 2 working days. Home delivery takes between 1 and 2 working days within Manila city and between 3 and 4 working days outside the city.
What payment methods does Kabayan Remit accept?
You can pay using your debit card or by bank transfer.
Transfers typically take
1 day
Is Kabayan Remit safe to use?
- Regulation: Regulated by the FCA
- Security: Encryption, Verified by Visa (3D Secure), 128-bit encryption
- Established: 2012
- Reviews: Kabayan Remit scores 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot, but this is based on only 17 reviews. On Reviews.co.uk it scores 4.78 out of 5, out of more than 11,238 reviews.*
For additional security Kabayan Remit claims it continually scans its systems for unusual transactions. It says that from time to time it may block a transfer and contact customers for additional security clearance, particularly when a transaction is large or unusual.
How does Kabayan Remit make money?
Kabayan Remit makes money by charging set transfer fees and by adding a small margin to the interbank exchange rate, which is why the exchange rate you might see on Google is slightly different to the one Kabayan Remit is quoting.
How to register an account and send money through Kabayan Remit
What is Kabayan Remit?
In Philippine languages, the expression “kababayan” refers to fellow Filipinos, countrymen or townmates. Kabayan Remit was set up in June 2012 to help “kababayan” working in the UK to send money to their loved ones in the Philippines.
Based in Bicester in the UK, it prides itself on offering various ways of delivering money to the Philippines depending on the needs and convenience of its customers.
In a nutshell
Pros
- Various transfer options. Recipients can choose between direct bank transfer, cash pick-up and home delivery.
- Competitive rates. Kabayan Remit prides itself on its ambitious exchange rates.
- Free app. So you can send money on the go.
- Cash pick-up. Recipients can collect money from selected outlets within 24 hours of the transfer.
- Home delivery. Super convenient if the recipient has trouble getting to a bank or cash pick-up location.
- No documents required. Most people just need to register, verify their ID online and then can send money automatically.
- Friendly, 24/7 customer support. The bi-lingual team is highly rated and available to talk to every day of the week via phone and email.
Cons
- Transfer fees. Fees range from £2.99 to £6.99 so if you’re only sending small amounts of money you should check how much you’ll be charged first using its calculator.
- Some transfers aren’t the fastest. Home delivery to locations outside of Manila can take between 3 and 4 working days.
- No cash or credit card. You can only pay via bank transfer or debit card.
How does Kabayan Remit compare to other services?
Table: sorted by promoted deals first
Our table below lets you compare the services you can use to send money abroad. Choose if you want to send under or over £10,000, and you’ll be shown a list of services that can help you.
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Frequently asked questions
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