How to send money to Canada and not get ripped off with massive hidden fees

by Rob Rawson
How to Send Money to Canada - CN Tower, Toronto

Having information about the charges and hidden fees that money transfer services come with is crucial for every business or individual interested in sending money abroad.

Have you sent money to Canada in the past or are you interested in the possibility? If so, you’ll have to do thorough research and read all of the fine print. Some of the popular money transfer services are advertised as commission-free but there certainly are hidden charges. Banks benefit from upfront taxes and money transfer companies usually have hidden fees that tend to come in the form of unfavorable exchange rates.

One exception though is Wise, formerly TransferWise. They are up to 8 times cheaper than banks and their fees are transparent.

If you want to send money to Canada without paying a fortune, take a look at the tables below. We’ve gathered information about upfront fees, taxes, exchange rate costs and the estimated time for the completion of the money transfer. You can also check out the options for sending money to the Philippines, Brazil, Australia, Kenya, Mexico, Macedonia, Poland, Egypt, Romania, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Bolivia, Serbia, Pakistan, Colombia and recently, to Morocco.

Table 1: Sending $1000 from the US to Canada

Transfer method Fees to send $1000 USD Hidden conversion cost Total fees Time for the transfer to arrive
OFX (previously USForex)* $0 $7.5 $7.5 1-2 days
Wise, formerly TransferWise (recommended partner) $10 $0 $10 1-2 days
Transfast $5 $9 $14 1-3 days
Ria Money Transfer (slow) $5 $11 $16 3-5 days
nTrust $0 $16 $16 5-7 days
WorldRemit* $5 $12 $17 1-3 days
Tranzfers $5 $16 $21 3-5 days
Paysera $4 $21 $25 1-3 days
Ria Money Transfer (fast) $15 $11 $26 In Minutes
Xoom (slow) $5 $23 $28 3-5 days
1st Contact Forex $10 $23 $33 3-5 days
Xpress Money $24 $11 $35 3-5 days
Skrill $13 $30 $43 3-5 days
Xoom (fast) $20 $23 $43 In Minutes
MoneyGram (slow) $10 $35 $45 3-5 days
PayPal $0-40 $25 $25-65 3-5 days
MoneyGram (fast) $35 $35 $70 In Minutes
Western Union (slow) $20 $53 $73 3-5 days
Western Union (fast) $45 $53 $98 In Minutes
Travelex $0 $110 $110 5 days

Notes:

  • Paypal stated fees are between 0% if you are sending money to a friend or relative to 3.9% plus 30 cents if it’s a commercial transaction. The hidden fee is generally 2.5%.
  • Minimum transfer of $500 for OFX (previously USForex).

Table 2: Sending £1000 from the UK to Canada

Transfer method Fees to send £1000 GBP Hidden conversion cost Total fees Time for the transfer to arrive
Wise, formerly TransferWise (recommended partner) £5 £0 £5 1-2 days
CurrencyFair* £3 £3 £6 1-3 days
OFX* £0 £7.5 £7.5 1-2 days
TransferGo £1 £10 £11 2 days
Azimo £1 £11 £12 1-2 days
Western Union £10 £3 £13 In Minutes
WorldRemit £3 £10 £13 1-3 days
nTrust £0 £13 £13 5-7 days
FairFX £0 £19 £19 3-5 days
Tranzfers £7 £14 £21 2 days
Travelex £0 £22 £22 3-5 days
Exchange4free £0 £23 £23 1-3 days
GlobalWebPay £5 £21 £26 1 day
1st Contact Forex £15 £15 £30 1-3 days
Paysera £2 £30 £32 1-3 days
Easy Exchange £6 £30 £36 3-5 days
Xpress Money £20 £20 £40 3-5 days
Skrill £27 £30 £57 3-5 days
PayPal £0-40 £25 £25-65 3-5 days
MoneyGram £41 £43 £84 In Minutes

Note:

  • Minimum transfer of £500 for OFX.
  • Five free transfers for CurrencyFair.

Table 3: Sending €1000 from Western Europe (Euro currency countries) to the Canada

Transfer method Fees to send €1000 EUR Hidden conversion cost Total fees Time for the transfer to arrive
Wise, formerly TransferWise (recommended partner) €5 €0 €5 1-2 days
CurrencyFair * €3 €2 €5 1-3 days
TransferGo €1 €9 €10 1-3 days
WorldRemit €4 €7 €11 1-3 days
Paysera €3 €11 €14 1-3 days
nTrust €0 €14 €14 5-7 days
Tranzfers €10 €15 €25 3-5 days
Azimo €3 €23 €26 1-2 days
Exchange4free €0 €35 €35 1-3 days
1st Contact Forex €15 €21 €36 1-3 days
Small World FS €0 €47 €47 3-5 days
Travelex €0 €51 €51 3-5 days
Xpress Money €40 €15 €55 3-5 days
Skrill €29 €30 €59 3-5 days
Western Union €20 €40 €60 In Minutes
PayPal €0-40 €25 €25-65 3-5 days
Wire transfer €20-35 €20-40 €40-75 3-5 days
MoneyGram €34 €42 €76 In Minutes

Table 4: Sending $1000 from Australia to Canada

Transfer method Fees to send $1000 AUS Hidden conversion cost Total fees Time for the transfer to arrive
Wise, formerly TransferWise (recommended partner) $5 $0 $5 1-2 days
OFX (previously OzForex)* $0 $7.5 $7.5 1-2 days
CurrencyFair * $4 $4 $8 3-5 days
WorldRemit $4 $8 $12 1-3 days
nTrust $0 $14 $14 5-7 days
Fast Remit $10 $17 $27 1-3 days
Paysera $5 $23 $28 1-3 days
Tranzfers $15 $14 $29 3-5 days
Exchange4free $0 $30 $30 1-3 days
1st Contact Forex $15 $25 $40 1-3 days
Xpress Money $25 $23 $48 3-5 days
Easy Exchange $8 $40 $48 3-5 days
Travelex $0 $56 $56 3-5 days
Skrill $29 $30 $59 3-5 days
PayPal $0-40 $25 $25-65 3-5 days
MoneyGram $60 $53 $113 In Minutes
Western Union $70 $53 $123 In Minutes

Note:

  • Minimum transfer of $500 for OFX.
  • Five free transfers for CurrencyFair

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