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International Money Transfers: Comparing the Amount That Arrives

The advertised fee is not the whole price of sending money abroad. Exchange rates and other charges can change how much the recipient actually receives. Compare transfers using the same amount and destination, save the disclosures, and check which protections apply to the provider and transfer you are using.

The questions below use selected Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance, adapted and organized by Fynoptic. Source links and the dates displayed by those sources are provided at the end.

What is a remittance transfer and what are my rights?

Federal law defines “remittance transfers” as electronic transfers of more than $15, sent by consumers in the United States to people or companies in foreign countries through a remittance transfer provider.

A remittance transfer is a money transfer sent electronically from the United States to another country by a remittance transfer provider. Common terms may include “international wires,” “international money transfers,” and “remittances.”

According to the law, a remittance transfer provider is any entity that provides remittance transfers for a consumer in the normal course of its business. Banks and other types of financial services companies may qualify as “remittance transfer providers.”

A company is not a remittance transfer provider if it provided 500 or fewer remittance transfers in the prior calendar year and provides 500 or fewer transfers in the current calendar year.

Certain federal protections apply if you send money abroad

Generally, the rules on international money transfers protect consumers in the United States who use a remittance transfer provider to transfer more than $15 to a person or company in another country.

If you use a company to send a remittance transfer that doesn’t qualify as a remittance transfer provider, then federal law does not require them to provide you with the protections you would otherwise get under federal law.

See your rights below:

The right to receive certain information about your remittance transfer

Remittance transfer providers must provide you with certain information before and after you pay for a remittance transfer. This includes information about:

  • Fees and taxes they collect from you.
  • The exchange rate that applies to the transfer, if applicable.
  • Fees charged by the company’s agents abroad and certain other institutions involved in the transfer process.
  • The amount of money expected to be delivered.
  • If applicable, a statement that additional foreign taxes and fees may be deducted from the remittance transfer.

You also must receive information about when the money will be available, your right to cancel transfers, what to do in case of an error, and how to submit a complaint.

In some cases, federal law allows remittance transfer providers to estimate some of the figures on the disclosures they provide to you as long as they are clearly identified as estimates. If you think an estimate is incorrect, ask the provider.

The right to have receipts and disclosures in your language

Federal law generally requires remittance transfer providers to use your language on receipts and other disclosures if it uses your language in its advertising, sales, or marketing materials where you made the transfer, or if it made the transfer in your language.

The right to cancel a money transfer

After paying, you have up to 30 minutes to cancel the remittance transfer at no charge, unless the transfer has already been picked up or deposited into the recipient’s account.

The right to resolve mistakes

You have 180 days to notify the remittance provider of a mistake, starting from the date disclosed by the remittance transfer provider as the date when the money will be available. Remittance transfer providers must investigate notices of error. Even though you have up to 180 days to report the mistake, if you think a mistake was made, contact the company as soon as you can. Remittance transfer providers generally have 90 days to investigate the matter and they must notify you of the investigation’s results. For certain types of errors, such as if the money never arrives, you may be able to get a refund or have the transfer resent.

Other protections may be available to you, depending on how you send the money and the laws in your state.

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, fees or taxes may be charged or deducted from the total amount sent. Check with your provider regarding any fees they may charge. Federal law gives you the right to dispute errors.

In an international money transfer, the amount received may be less than what was sent because certain fees or taxes may be deducted by a third-party company that processes the transfer, separate from your provider.

If you used a remittance transfer provider, they must tell you about certain fees charged by the provider or third-party. In most cases, remittance transfer providers must provide you with the exact amount of those fees, but there are certain cases when federal law allows them to provide you with estimates.

The recipient’s bank may also deduct additional fees and foreign taxes. If these deductions apply to your transfer, the remittance transfer provider must let you know upfront, but federal law doesn’t require them to provide you with the amount 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. You have the right to submit an oral or written notice of error to your remittance transfer provider that it must investigated. 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.

If I want to use my bank or credit union to send money to someone in another country, do I have any federal protection?

When transferring money to another country, federal protections may apply depending on whether your bank or credit union qualifies as a remittance transfer provider, and whether your transfer qualifies as a remittance transfer under federal law.

Under federal law, if you are transferring more than $15.00 overseas and are using a remittance transfer provider, then you are entitled to certain protections. Any financial institution that provides remittance transfers for a consumer in the normal course of their business is considered a remittance transfer provider. This includes banks and credit unions, as well as non-bank money service businesses.

However, a bank or credit union is not a remittance transfer provider if it provided 500 or fewer remittance transfers in the prior calendar year and provides 500 or fewer transfers in the current calendar year. If you use a bank or credit union to send a money transfer, but the company doesn’t qualify as a remittance transfer provider, then the transfer is not a remittance transfer and federal law does not require them to provide you with the applicable federal law protections.

Tip

Other protections may be available to you, depending on how you send the money and the laws in your state. Contact your state attorney general or state financial regulator for more about your state’s laws.

You can still send money overseas if your financial institution doesn’t qualify as a remittance transfer provider, but you may not receive the same rights and protections, including:

  • Up-front information about certain fees and taxes and the exchange rate.
  • A receipt that shows how much was sent and when the money will be available.
  • The ability to cancel your transfer at no charge within a certain period of time.
  • The right to have errors investigated and fixed.

If you have a complaint about a money transfer you sent overseas and you’re not sure where to turn, submit a complaint to the CFPB. We’ll forward your complaint to the company and work to get a response from them. If we find that another government agency would be better able to assist, we will forward your complaint to them and let you know.

Sources and further reading

The CFPB source passages are U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic has selected, organized, and adapted the material for this guide, including corrections identified through the additional sources listed above. Sources accessed October 27, 2026. This use does not imply agency endorsement or affiliation.

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