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Sending money to another country

Are you planning to send money abroad? Learn what you can expect and what rights you have.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau protects consumers in the financial marketplace, including when you send money to another country. We want you to have the information you need to make the best financial decisions for you and your family.

Your rights

If you’re sending money to another country, you generally have federal protections. This includes your right to:

  • Have the money delivered to the correct person or business.
  • Receive the following information about your transaction both before you pay and after the transfer is sent:
    • Exchange rate, if applicable
    • Amount to be transferred
    • Certain fees
    • Taxes collected by the company
    • Amount to be received (In some cases, a recipient may receive less due to fees charged by the recipient bank and foreign taxes)
  • Cancel a transfer — generally within 30 minutes after it is sent — at no cost, unless the transfer has been picked up or deposited into the recipient’s account.
  • Report a problem to the company within 180 days and have it investigated. The company has to look into the problem within 90 days of when you notified them of the problem and report the results to you, and in some cases, you may get a refund or have the transfer sent again.

Common issues reported to CFPB

If you think you had an issue described here or that your federal rights were violated, contact the company immediately. In some cases, you could receive a refund or have the transfer resent at no extra cost.

If you've already tried reaching out to the company and still have an issue, you can submit a complaint. Tell us about your issue—we'll forward it to the company and work to get you a response, generally within 15 days.

Start a complaint 

Information you receive before and after you pay

These are examples of the information that most providers are required to give to you before and after you send money.

Before you pay

Before sending money, you will see:

  • The total cost for the transfer
  • The exchange rate, if applicable
  • Total amount expected to be delivered to recipient

After you pay

After sending money, you will see:

  • Your out-of-pocket amount
  • Exchange rate, if applicable
  • Total amount expected to be delivered to recipient
  • When the money will be available
  • What to do in case of an error
  • Instructions on exercising your right to cancel transfers
  • How to submit a question or complaint about the company, including information on how to contact the CFPB and the state agency that regulates the company

Compare cost

We want you to have all the information you need to decide which company is best for you.

Before sending money, companies have to give you information about the exchange rate (if applicable), taxes collected by the provider, certain fees, and the amount that the recipient will receive. At this point, you can choose not to send the transfer or to shop around and compare costs with other providers.

More information

For more information about sending money, check out our other resources on money transfers.