Yes, Wise is generally much cheaper and faster than traditional bank transfers for international money transfers, often costing up to 3-5 times less. Wise uses the transparent mid-market exchange rate with low, upfront fees, whereas banks typically charge high flat fees, hidden markups on exchange rates, and intermediary bank fees.
Best ways to send money internationally with WISE
It's cheapest and usually arrives in seconds. Bank transfers are also cheap, but can be slower.
On average it's 3x cheaper to send money internationally with Wise compared to competitors, Chase, Bank of America, Moneygram, Western Union and PayPal.
Wise is one of the cheapest solutions for just transferring without converting, this would be a same-currency transfer for which Wise will use the SWIFT network and charge a very small flat fee.
We make your login safe
Every time you log in, and every time you make a transfer, we'll ask you to verify that it's you by text message, fingerprint, or face recognition. This way no one else can access your account or make payments on your behalf.
If you initiate a transfer from within Wise, Wise will charge you a fee. However, if you initiate the transfer from within whatever account you're trying to use to fund or withdraw from Wise, you won't pay any fees.
The cheapest way to transfer money internationally usually involves online money transfer services like Wise, OFX, or Revolut, which offer better exchange rates and lower fees than traditional banks by using transparent mid-market rates and bypassing SWIFT network markups. Funding transfers with a direct bank transfer (ACH) is often cheaper than using debit/credit cards, though slower, while providers like XE Money Transfer offer competitive rates with low/no fees, especially for larger amounts.
The Top 3 Cheapest Domestic Wire Transfers
Every time someone transfers money with Wise, they pay a fee that covers the cost of that transfer. For example, the operational effort to move the money, and exchange it. When you cancel a transfer, some of those costs still happen. But you don't pay the transfer fee anymore.
You can send money without a fee by using P2P payment apps such as Cash App, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo and Zelle. Note that you may have to pay a fee if you fund your transfer with a credit card, and the recipient may have to pay a fee if they choose to receive the money instantly in their bank account or debit card.
Although Wise isn't a bank, it is registered with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada® (FINTRAC) as a Money Service Business (MSB). FINTRAC monitors financial transactions in Canada, helping to protect your financial and personal data against fraud.
With Wise, you can hold money in 40+ currencies, and convert between them at the mid-market rate whenever you need. It's free to sign up, and there are no monthly fees.
You can send money to other countries through a variety of businesses and financial institutions including:
Citibank Global Transfers let you transfer money from your Citibank checking or savings account to other Citibank accounts in the U.S. and select countries with no transfer fee.
Skip the fees by making a bank transfer
Add money to Wise Account via bank transfer for free when the currency stays the same. Pay a small fee to add USD or CAD.
“Wise is an excellent service for international money transfers. It's fast, easy to use, and offers great exchange rates with low, transparent fees. I've had a smooth experience every time.” However, some users report slow responses to customer service issues, and higher fees than some other providers.
Holding limits
For most regions, there are no limits on the amount of money you can hold in your Wise currencies. If your registered address is in one of the following countries, select the link below to learn more info about holding limits in your country.
In the unlikely event of the fund manager(s) going bankrupt, it's important to know that the underlying assets are not held by the fund manager. This means that your fund units are protected from creditors in the event that the fund manager(s) become insolvent.
The option to close it won't work if you still have money in your account or any pending transfers and/or card payments.