Money

Sending Money Home From Abroad: The Complete Guide

4 min read

In this guide
  1. Step 1: Understand what a transfer really costs
  2. Step 2: Choose how to send: bank transfer, wire or ACH
  3. Step 3: Check the provider is safe
  4. Step 4: Know your rights, including cancelling
  5. Step 5: Do your first transfer carefully
  6. Step 6: Get the banking basics right
  7. Step 7: Build and protect your credit
  8. Step 8: Expat money, tax and benefits
  9. A quick checklist for every transfer
  10. Key takeaways
  11. Sources

Quick answer: To send money home well, compare the amount your family will actually receive, not the advertised fee, use only providers you have checked, and keep every receipt. The World Bank puts the global average cost of sending remittances at 6.36 percent of the amount sent, based on Q3 2025 data, so small differences in cost add up quickly. This guide links to our detailed articles on costs, safety, rights, bank transfers and your first transfer, plus the everyday money guides every newcomer needs.

For many families, money sent from abroad pays for food, school fees and rent. That makes cost and safety matter more than they do for a one-off payment. The advice here is based on published guidance from the World Bank and the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and we link to the full articles so you can go deeper on each point. Rules differ by country, so check the regulator where you live.

Step 1: Understand what a transfer really costs

The fee line is often only part of the cost. The exchange rate markup, intermediary bank charges and the receiving bank’s own fees can all take a share. Read hidden fees in international money transfers for a worked example and a simple way to compare providers by the amount your recipient receives. New to the term? Start with what a remittance is. If your family received less than you sent, read why the recipient got less.

Step 2: Choose how to send: bank transfer, wire or ACH

Step 3: Check the provider is safe

Step 4: Know your rights, including cancelling

In the United States, the CFPB says the provider should show you the total cost, the exchange rate and the total expected to reach the recipient before you pay. A transfer can generally be cancelled within 30 minutes, you can report an error up to 180 days after the funds are available, and the company must investigate within 90 days of your notice. Our full guide to remittance transfer rights in the US walks through each right and time limit, and how to cancel an international money transfer explains the cancellation steps. Other countries have their own rules, so check your own regulator.

Step 5: Do your first transfer carefully

Follow the five steps in how to use a money transfer app for the first time: check the provider, enter details carefully, read the cost screen, keep the receipt and confirm arrival.

Step 6: Get the banking basics right

Regular transfers are easier when you have a local bank account. See our guides to opening one in the UK or Canada. If you live in the US and keep an account back home, read about FBAR reporting and Form 8938. For the full settling-in picture, see your first 90 days in a new country. These everyday banking guides help you avoid fees and mistakes:

Step 7: Build and protect your credit

Step 8: Expat money, tax and benefits

A quick checklist for every transfer

  • Is the provider one I have checked?
  • Do I know the total cost and the exchange rate?
  • Do I know how much my family will receive?
  • Did I save the receipt and the transaction number?

Key takeaways

  • Compare the amount received, not the fee.
  • Use checked providers and know the scam warning signs.
  • Keep every receipt; you can generally cancel within 30 minutes in the US.

This page is general information, not financial advice. Rates, fees and rules change. Last updated: October 2026.

Sources

  • World Bank: Remittance Prices Worldwide
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Sending money abroad and consumer guidance pages

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