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Send Money with Apple Pay

Compare your international money transfer options, including Apple Pay, with Savvy to help find the best one for you.

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, updated on August 17th, 2023       

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Compare Apple Pay with international money transfer services

Are you wanting to send money overseas and thinking of using Apple Pay? Consider a range of international money transfer providers right here with Savvy to find out where to get the best exchange rates and lowest fees. Compare your options to determine whether transferring money overseas with Apple Pay is the right option for you before you start your transfer today.

site-logos OFX
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $250 1-3 days $0 50+
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Special Offer: 5 fee free transfers (saving you up to $75 in fees) + preferential rates for international money transfers

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site-logos Instarem
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $1 Within minutes From 0% to 1% 55+
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Enjoy $40 bonus on your first money transfers of $250 & above! Use code*: SAVVY20X2 (Minimum transfer of AUD 250 Valid till 31st August 2023)

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site-logos Xe
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1-3 days From $0 100
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Xe is a 2021 Canstar Award Winner and offers the best exchange rates, low to no fees so customers save the most money

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site-logos Western Union Money Transfer
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1 - 2 days $0 35
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Send money to over 200 countries and territories across the world online

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site-logos Wise Money Transfer
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1-3 days From 0.41% 53
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Send money cheaper and easier with Wise with no hidden fees.

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site-logos TorFX
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $200 0-2 days $0 35
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Excellent exchange rates with no transfer fees. Trusted by over 325,000 customers. Awarded Canstar’s 5 star rating 2018-2021.

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site-logos Currencyfair
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $5 Within minutes From $0 20+
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Send money overseas at better exchange rates, with no hidden fees.

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site-logos Remitly
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 0-2 days From $0 21
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Remitly offers fast, safe and secure money transfers with excellent rates to over 100 countries

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site-logos Revolut
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 Within minutes From $0 27+
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Fast and easy, with super competitive rates across all major currencies. Join 25+ million customers saving on global transfers.

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Disclaimer: Savvy is not advising or recommending any particular product to you. We provide general information on products for the purposes of comparison, but your personal situation or goals are not considered here. Although we try to make our comparisons as thorough as possible, we do not have information on all products on the market on our site.

If you decide to initiate a money transfer with one of the providers listed above via our website, you will not be dealing with Savvy; any applications or enquiries will be conducted directly with the provider offering that product.

More information about using Apple Pay for your international money transfer

Can I use Apple Pay to send money overseas?

Apple Pay is not a stand-alone method of sending money. It’s a digital wallet that holds credit, debit and pre-paid cards, and is similar in function to Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Whether you can use the debit or credit cards contained in your Apple Pay wallet to send money overseas will depend on the individual credit card issuer and the Australian bank supplying your debit cards. Be warned, though: credit card companies (which you’d likely use with Apple Pay) can charge 3% or more of the transfer amount in fees, in addition to often providing a lesser exchange rate.

However, some international money transfer services support Apple Pay (such as Wise), so you can include an international debit card in your Apple Pay wallet and use a specialist provider to send your money overseas. An international money transfer company will almost always ensure you receive a better exchange rate with fewer fees than if you use your credit card to send money internationally.

However, not all international money transfer companies allow payments through Apple Pay and instead use a direct debit from your bank account. This is a faster and cheaper option, as it doesn’t involve any card fees or additional expenses. Savvy has partnered with a panel of trusted international money transfer (IMT) providers who can help you open an account and start transferring money overseas quickly today.

What are my other options for transferring money internationally aside from Apple Pay?

The other options you have available to send money overseas include:

  • using an international transfer company: an international transfer company offers the cheapest and most efficient way to transfer money overseas compared to using any other method listed or your credit card via Apple Pay. You’ll get highly competitive exchange rates, lower fees and a quicker transfer in most cases.
  • making a transfer through your bank: you could use your normal bank to make an international transfer via a direct debit from your account, but a bank transfer will frequently take between three and five business days to arrive and you’ll be charged fees of up to $30 or more to make the transfer.
  • making an instant international cash transfer: if you need to get money overseas urgently, you could opt for a cash transfer or pay a little extra from other providers for a priority transfer. While these payments can arrive at your destination instantly, they’re often much more expensive than completing your transfer online and are only offered by select providers.
  • sending a cheque or money order in the post: sending a cheque or international money order in the post is labour intensive, slow and inefficient. Your recipient could end up waiting weeks for their money to arrive, and there’s always the danger of the cheque getting lost in the postal system.
  • using a phone company to send a pre-paid SIM card top-up: a much faster method of getting money overseas is using a phone company to send a phone card top-up. The limitation of this method is that your phone company has to be compatible with their telco, as well as the fact the funds are added to their phone SIM rather than being in cash.
  • using Apple Pay with an international account and debit card: some specialist providers, such as Wise, offer an international account with a debit card which can be linked to your Apple Pay digital wallet. This means you can transfer money into another currency, store it in your international account and use your debit card through Apple Pay to make your transfer. This method will also prove to be far cheaper than using a credit card alone to make your international transfer.

How do I compare international money transfer services?

On top of comparing international money transfer services to determine whether they support Apple Pay, consider the following to help find the most suitable option for you:

Exchange rates

It’s important to get the best exchange rate for the currency you wish to transfer your Australian dollars into, as the higher the rate, the more foreign currency you can buy. The exchange rate you want to look out for is called the ‘mid-market’ rate (as it’s mid-way between the buy and sell price on the international money market). The mid-market rate represents the top exchange rate available at the time and is the same rate banks use to transfer money. Many providers add markups to their rates, so it’s crucial to compare your options.

Fees for transfer

Some international money transfer companies offer to exchange your money for a fee, while others don’t charge a fee but add a bit onto the exchange rate (called adding a ‘margin’ or a ‘mark-up’). The fees charged can either be a set fee (ranging from $6 up to $15) or a percentage of your transfer amount (such as 0.4% to 0.5% of your transfer sum).

Serviceability

Make sure the transfer company you choose services the country and provides the currency you’re after. Not all providers operate in all countries, while some companies specialise in a particular continent and region. For example, SingX is based in Singapore and specialises in transfers to other Asian nations, including sending money to China.

Speed of transfer

We know that banks can take from three to five business days to make a transfer, but international transfer companies get your funds overseas faster, on average within two days. Depending on the destination, many transfers will arrive the same day or even instantly. Since Apple Pay will use your nominated bank credit card, any payments could be subject to lengthy bank delays. If you need to get money overseas quickly, it’s always worth comparing between providers to see who can get your funds to their destination the fastest.

Transfer limits

Some money transfer companies impose limits on transfers. Minimums range from $1 up to $250, and maximums range from $1,000 a day up to between $50,000 and $500,000 or more. However, other companies have no upper limits, so it's worth comparing your options thoroughly if you need to make a very large money transfer.

Got more questions about international money transfers using Apple Pay?

How much does it cost to send money overseas with Apple Pay?

Apple Pay itself is a free service, so the fees you’ll be charged will depend on your credit card provider. However, if you have an international account with a debit card linked to your Apple Pay wallet, you’ll know exactly how much your international transfer will cost you in advance.

Which countries accept payments through Apple Pay?

The list of countries which accept contactless payments such as Apple Pay as part of their banking system is growing every month. If a country does accept contactless payments, you’ll probably be able to use your Apple Pay account and will see the Apple Pay logo on digital store checkout pages. If you’re transferring money directly to another person’s bank account via your credit card and Apple Pay, though, the success of the transfer will depend on whether the recipient’s bank accepts your particular card.

Are there transfer limits when using Apple Pay?

Apple Pay itself doesn’t have transfer limits, as it’s only a digital wallet to hold your debit, credit or pre-paid cards, so how much you can send will be determined by your card provider. These may come in the form of daily transaction withdrawal limits set by your bank, which could be around $2,000.

Are international transfers with Apple Pay refundable?

Whether you’ll be able to get a refund on an international payment having paid with Apple Pay will depend on the policies of the particular card you use. Most credit card providers such as Mastercard, Visa and American Express have refund policies which may be able to assist you if you’ve been targeted by scammers. Contact your card provider as soon as you’re aware that something’s wrong to maximise your chances of getting a refund.

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