Zelle Worldwide Alternatives
You don’t live in the United States and can’t use Zelle — bummer! Not to worry, though — there are plenty of other payment networks available, many of which offer features similar to Zelle.
Let’s take a look at a few of them.There are several options that will work nearly anywhere in the world:
Wise
Formerly Transferwise, Wise is a cross-border payment processor that serves 65+ different countries and regions, including all countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). The service offers some of the lowest fees available to a consumer for cross-border payments, making it an attractive alternative to international wire transfers.
Vivid Money
A digital bank based in Germany and its users can send and request money from other users without charges, while they can also invest in stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies and commodities.
Revolut
One of the fastest-growing digital banks. Revolut provides no-fee transactions, low cost-of-charge currency conversion, and even the possibility to invest in stocks and cryptos.
Paypal
PayPal allows you to transfer money to and from over 200+ countries worldwide. However, PayPal does charge a fee for international transfers, though the exact amount depends on the country you’re based in and where you’re sending your funds to, along with the size of your transaction and its funding method.
OFX
Billed as a cheaper and faster way to send money abroad than via bank wire transfers, OFX is a longtime Wise competitor. The service supports 55+ different foreign currencies and 110+ kinds of bank accounts across the world.
Remitly
Primarily built to allow international workers and immigrants to send money to family, friends, and relatives back home, Remitly supports payments from 17 different sending countries to over 100 receiving countries around the globe.
Monese
Monese is a digital bank that you can use on your smartphone and is focused on quickly setting up an account while providing free transfers internationally. At the moment, you can use Monese in almost all countries in the EEA.
N26
A popular digital bank based in Germany. N26 is available in 22 European countries and the US.
Monzo
This online bank allows for payments within the United Kingdom. They recently launched a US version of the app, though it is unclear if you can send money between the US and the UK.
Cash App
Like Monzo, Cash App only operates in the UK and the United States. Notably, you can send or request payments between the US and the UK.
Service | Accepts clients from |
(previously Transferwise) | Worldwide Exceptions include Ethiopia, DR Congo, Iran, Tanzania, Myanmar, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Yemen, Venezuela, Taiwan, Mexico |
Worldwide Exceptions include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Myanmar, Sudan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Ghana, North Korea | |
55 different countries and 115 supported bank accounts | |
17 sending countries and more than 100 receiving countries | |
European Economic Area, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan and the United States - plans to expand further | |
European Economic Area | |
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK | |
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (not Overseas), Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US | |
Only UK Residents | |
UK and US |
Depending on where you live, where you need to send money to, and where you’re receiving money from, some of these payment networks may be more useful to you than others.
If you need to make frequent international transfers to countries in Asia or Africa, PayPal, Wise, OFX, or Remitly may be best for you.
If you’re looking to send money within Europe, Revolut, Vivid Money, Monese, and N26 may be your best bet.
Finally, if you’re just looking to make payments within the US or the UK — or between those two countries — Monzo and Cash app may well suit your needs.
