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I sent money to someone in a foreign country, but the amount received was less than what I sent. What can I do?

When you send a remittance transfer, sometimes fees or taxes are charged or deducted from the total amount sent. When you use a remittance transfer provider, federal law gives you the right to dispute any errors.

The amount that was received may be less than what was sent because certain fees or taxes may be deducted by a third-party company, separate of the remittance transfer provider, that processed the transfer.

If you used a remittance transfer provider, they must tell you about certain fees charged by persons other than the provider before you pay for the transfer. In most cases, remittance transfer providers must provide you with the exact amount of those fees, but sometimes federal law allows them to provide you with estimates.

There may be additional fees taken out by the recipient’s bank and foreign taxes that apply. If these deductions apply to your transfer, the remittance transfer provider must let you know, but federal law doesn’t require them to provide you with exact or estimated amounts of these deductions. If you’re unsure about whether you have sent enough money to cover the fees, contact the person or business receiving the money. They can tell you whether they have priced in the additional fees and taxes for you.

If you believe a mistake was made, or if you have questions, contact the money transfer service right away. If you sent a money transfer through a remittance transfer provider, federal law gives you the right to have errors investigated. The provider also must tell you the results of the investigation. For certain types of errors, such as if the money doesn’t arrive by the date it’s supposed to arrive, you may be able to get a refund or have the transfer sent again.

If you’re not satisfied with the company’s response, submit a complaint to the CFPB.

Learn more about money transfers.