Paysend vs Wise
Which provider is better for sending money from the USA to India? Compare fees, exchange rate margins, delivery speed and what your recipient actually receives.
The bottom line: sending $1,000 from the USA, Wise delivers ₹94,569 and Paysend ₹94,516, so your recipient gets ₹53 more with Wise. Paysend charges a $4.72 fee with a margin of about 0.27% in its rate, paid by debit card; Wise charges a $6.85 fee and converts at the mid-market rate, paid by ACH bank debit.
Quick verdict
Choose Paysend if you want…
- Low all-in cost on direct card and UPI transfers
- Fee of about 0.47% from the US, shown upfront and deducted from the send amount
- Direct transfer to Indian RuPay/Visa/Mastercard debit cards
- Exchange rates include a small currency margin (about 0.27% from the US)
Choose Wise if you want…
- Fee transparency & mid-market exchange rates
- Mid-market exchange rate without hidden currency markup
- Upfront fee breakdown showing exact percentage and fixed costs
- Does not support physical cash pickup counters in India
What your recipient gets at each amount
Indicative net rupee payouts for USD → INR transfers, based on published fee schedules and benchmark snapshots.
Score breakdown, side by side
Each provider's TransferGauge Score across the seven weighted dimensions. How we score
Side-by-side details
| Metric | PS Paysend | W Wise |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange rate model | Retail rate, +0.27% margin | Mid-market rate, no margin |
| Transfer fees | Paysend charges a fee of about 0.47% of the amount sent from the US ($4.72 on $1,000), deducted before conversion, plus a small exchange rate margin (about 0.27%). | Wise charges a transparent upfront fee: a small fixed charge plus a percentage that depends on how you pay (about $0.98 + 0.59% for US ACH payments, and roughly 0.33% to 0.9% plus a small fixed charge from the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and the UAE). Unlike most retail providers, Wise does not add an exchange rate markup. |
| Typical delivery | UPI and card-to-card transfers typically arrive in under 15 minutes. Bank deposits deliver in 1 business day. | Bank-funded transfers (ACH/local wire) typically deliver in 1 to 2 business days. Transfers using UPI receiving options or debit card payments typically credit the Indian account within 1 to 2 hours. |
| Receiving methods | Bank accountUPICash pickup (not supported) | Bank accountUPICash pickup (not supported) |
| Routes to India | 1 corridor | 6 corridors |
| Headquarters | London, United KingdomFounded 2017 | London, United KingdomFounded 2011 |
| Full review | Read Paysend review | Read Wise review |
Summary advice
On our $1,000 USD → INR benchmark, Wise earns the higher TransferGauge Score (96 vs 94). The better choice still depends on your amount, how your recipient wants to be paid, and how quickly the money needs to arrive.
All figures are indicative benchmarks. Always verify live rates, fees and delivery options on the provider's website before sending money.
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