This Article was fact checked and last updated for accuracy on November 17, 2024 by Mani Karthik
Quick and hassle free transfer of money is made possible with e-transfers. Traditional methods of sending funds from USA to India takes a lot of time and may cost you a lot money. Numerous options are available for e-transfers and you can select the best by comparing the exchange rates. In this article we talk about five such easy ways to transfer money from USA to India, quick!
Recommended Service – TransferWise
TransferWyse is not a bank, it’s an electronic transfer institution that excels at one thing – money transfer across different countries. This is why it is cheaper than banks (who have overheads to cover).
Here’s a sample scenario.
As you see, Transferwyse will give you the same exchange rate as seen on Google.com for that day. Banks usually cannot and do not give better rates, unless you have some kind of special arrangement with them.
- Faster money transfer (usually less than 24 hours)
- Better exchange rates compared to banks.
- No markups/bank fees/hidden charges.
- Real exchange rates (like seen on Google.com)
ACH transfer
Automated Clearing Houses is a popular electronic fund transfer system in US. It is regulated by the National Automated Clearing House Association’s (NACHA) and there is no extra payment for undertaking this transaction. They also ensure that inter-banking clearance of electronic payments as well as transactions among participating financial institutions are done within the specified rules and regulations.
Once money is being transferred from banks via ACH transfer the recipient bank gets the amount within 4 working days. The very next day the recipient can collect the money from the respective bank. This mode is much faster than demand drafts but at certain times the recipient may receive the money within 6-7 days.
PayPal
PayPal is paperless medium of transferring funds via the internet. It’s perfectly secured and you can send money using your credit or debit card. The charge is 2.9% plus $0.30 USD of the amount you send. So if you’re sending $100 the fee would be $ 3.2.For transferring funds you need to register with PayPal and give the details of Indian bank account that you need to transfer the funds to.
Next you update your US bank account/credit card/debit information and add the money to your PayPal account. Once you have registered you can transfer your funds to Indian bank account by clicking Withdraw funds. PayPal is a convenient mode of transferring funds but it may be a little time consuming as it takes about 15 days for money to reach the recipient.
Service providers to send money to India
There are numerous service providers that help customers to transfer funds to India. Some of them include Remit2India, Western Union Money transfer, State Bank of India, ICICI Money2India.
- Remit2India offers you a simple way to transfer funds at a very reasonable rates. It’s pretty secured and money is transferred within 2 days. The minimum charge for transfer is $3 and for transactions above $50000 the rate is $25.Once you have transferred the funds you can track your funds and get alerts once the transaction is completed.
- Western Union Money Transfer is one of the most commonly sought out method to transfer funds and is perfectly secured. The main advantage is that the money is transferred within minutes and the recipient can collect it immediately. The only disadvantage is that the exchange rate is pretty less so you end up paying more than you are required to pay.
- Money2india is also another means to transfer money to any of ICICI branches in India. The transfer process is very easy and you can track the money or receive alerts on completion of the transaction. Here again the rates are pretty competitive so it’s better to monitor the rates and transfer at right time.
Check out in depth article about different ways to transfer Money to India
NRE/NRI Account
NRE/NRI Accounts is the most common means to transfer funds from USA to India. Here you require both the accounts and you also have options to operate the accounts online too. Once the money is deposited in the account the authorized person in India can withdraw cash in Indian rupees. It is not taxable and the money transfer can be transferred within a weeks’ time.
Money Order
Money Order is another means transfer funds to India and there are numerous banks in USA that offer this service to its customers. The rates vary from 50-99 cents depending on where you reside in USA .The money order is to be deposited into the bank account or they can be cashed at cheque cashing locations. But to cash the cheques you require ID proof . It’s one of the cheapest mode of transferring funds to India and incase it is lost you can recover the money after a small fee has been cut.
