Editorial verdict
Remitly is an excellent choice for expatriates needing reliable, rapid delivery to India, particularly those who can capitalize on introductory promotional rates.
TransferGauge Score breakdown
A deterministic score across seven weighted dimensions, calculated on a $1,000 USD benchmark. How we score
Excellent overall
Strengths & limitations
Key strengths
- Express mode delivers to Indian bank accounts via UPI in minutes
- Introductory promotional exchange rate on the first qualifying transfer
- Multiple payout options: bank deposit, UPI, and cash pickup
- Remitly offers a delivery promise with fee refund if an eligible transfer arrives late
Potential limitations
- Standard exchange rates after introductory promotions include a currency margin of roughly 0.3% to 1.3%, depending on the sending country
- Express transfers paid with debit card carry an upfront transaction fee
- Economy bank transfers take 3 to 5 business days to clear
Fees & exchange rates
Transfers paid from a bank account carry $0 fees for amounts of $1,000 or more from the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Debit card transfers can carry a fee (SGD 3.99 from Singapore). Revenue comes mainly from an exchange rate margin of roughly 0.3% to 1.3%.
| You send | Upfront fee | FX margin | Est. total cost | Recipient gets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 USD | $1.99 | +0.35% | $3.74 | ₹47,468Scaled estimate |
| $1,000 USD | Free ($0) | +0.35% | $3.50 | ₹94,936 |
| $2,000 USD | Free ($0) | +0.35% | $7.00 | ₹189,871Scaled estimate |
| $5,000 USD | Free ($0) | +0.35% | $17.50 | ₹474,679Scaled estimate |
| $10,000 USD | Free ($0) | +0.35% | $35.00 | ₹949,357Scaled estimate |
Speed & payout methods
Express delivery with debit card credits Indian bank accounts or UPI IDs within minutes. Economy transfers take 3 to 5 business days.
Safety, safeguarding & regulation
Remitly is licensed as a Money Services Business across all 50 US states, regulated by the FCA in the UK, and audited under international anti-money laundering standards.
Audit & testing notice: TransferGauge conducts desk-based audits of publicly disclosed fee schedules, regulatory filings, and representative quote benchmarks. We have not independently executed real-money test transactions with this provider. All comparisons are indicative. Always verify final quotes directly with the provider before sending money.
Compare Remitly with alternatives
Head-to-head comparisons with providers that serve the same routes.