The SMARTY way to send money abroad this Christmas

Being separated from loved ones is hard enough at the best of times, but in the current climate it can be very stressful. And with Christmas creeping up fast, the last thing you want to worry about is how to send a gift to someone on the other side of the world.

There are lots of different routes that you can take to send money abroad and some are better than others – be it that they’re cheaper, more efficient, or that they allow you more flexibility.

There are also a few options that we would suggest you avoid:

The bank

International transfers through your bank account can be costly. You’ll end up with SWIFT codes and IBANs, and calling your bank from overseas can be extortionate if you’re not using the right mobile phone service.

Western Union/MoneyGram

Although both of these companies are widely used for sending funds, there are many cheaper and more useful options out there. They also don’t let you send or receive cash online – which can be a big problem when your movement is restricted.

So those are some of the options we wouldn’t recommend. Now here are a few we would:

TransferWise

This is one of the best platforms out there for sending money abroad. All you need is a bank account in the country you intend to send money to and from. It doesn't have to be in your name, so if you’re sending money to friends and family it will reach them without any problems. And the best bit is that you can do it all online.

https://transferwise.com/

CurrencyFair

CurrencyFair works in a very similar way to TransferWise. The only difference – and possible downside – is that CurrencyFair doesn't cover all of the same currencies.

https://www.currencyfair.com/

Xe

Xe is a well-known platform for sending currency. It has both a website and an app and lets you see the live transfer rates between any two currencies worldwide. You’ll need an Xe account to calculate your costs, but it’s free.

https://www.xe.com/

PayPal

Paypal has a new international money transfer service, Xoom. You can set up an account using your PayPal credentials and send money straight into a bank account, for cash pickup or delivery, to pay bills from afar, or top up a mobile.

https://www.paypal.com/

We hope this little intro into sending money abroad helps you (and Santa) share a little love this Christmas.

Stay safe.