Remitly review (2025): Fees, limits, and is it safe in Australia

Whether you’re sending money to friends and family overseas or making an international payment, finding a provider that’s affordable, reliable, and secure is key. Remitly is a popular choice in Australia, offering transfers to over 170 countries.

In this review, we’ll look at how Remitly works, including its fees, limits, and safety. We’ll also compare it to Wise so you can decide if it’s the right option for your international transfers in 2025.

What is Remitly?

Founded in 2011, Remitly is an international money transfer provider that enables people to send money between countries.¹ It is centered around assisting with payments between loved ones, but can be used to make other payments as well.

Is Remitly safe in Australia?

Remitly is a well established money transfer provider who are generally considered safe to use. They offer multi-level security to help protect your money and data, and have 24/7 customer support if you run into any issues or have any concerns.⁴

On Trustpilot, the company is rated 4.6 stars out of 5, with over 85,000 reviews. This reflects that many of Remilty’s customers are satisfied with the services they provide.¹

Remitly money transfer in Australia

Remitly offers money transfer services in over 170 countries and territories,with 100+ supported currencies. The list includes Australia and AUD, meaning Aussies can send and receive funds internationally with Remitly.¹

How to send money with Remitly

Sending money with Remitly is relatively straight forward. You should start by making sure you have all of the relevant information on hand.²

• Recipients name and address as on their government ID
• Recipients phone number or email address for notifications
• Recipients bank account details or their preferred cash pick-up location, depending on which payout method you’re using.

To set up a Remitly transfer, follow these steps:

1. Sign into the Remitly app or website
2. Press ‘Send’ or ‘Get Started’ on the app, or press ‘Send money’ on the website
3. Enter the amount being sent
4. Select a delivery method
5. Follow the prompts to enter the delivery method information
6. Enter the recipients information
7. Add your details if asked
8. Choose how you want to pay for the transfer, and enter the payment information
9. Review then press ‘Send Money’
10. Wait for the confirmation screen to confirm the transfer

After this you can track your transfer, seeing when it will arrive at the recipient's end.

How to receive money with Remitly

To receive money with Remitly you need to let the sender know how you want the money delivered and the associated details.

• For a cash pickup, they need the location you want to collect from.
• For a bank pick up, they need your account details.

You should also send them your address, contact email or phone number, and full name as it’s on your ID.

When a Remitly bank transfer is complete, the money will appear in your account. For cash pickups, you’ll need to visit the collection location with a valid ID matching the name provided by the sender.

Remitly transfer fees and limits

There is a variable fee associated with using Remitly’s services to send money, which is based on the amount you’re sending, the payment method, and the delivery method.¹

The amount of money you can send with Remitly depends on where you’re sending it from, the destination, and if your account has been verified. The per transfer sending limit for Australia is 10,000 AUD.

Remitly’s exchange rate

Exchange rates play a crucial role in international transfers, and even a small difference can significantly impact the amount received. Unfortunately Remitly doesn’t provide any detail about where their exchange rates come from, simply stating that they are competitive.¹ This means you’ll need to compare their rate to other providers to see if it’s a good deal.

Wise takes a different approach, committing to providing the mid-market exchange rate. It’s the midway point between the current buy and sell prices on the foreign currency market, making it the fairest rate. It also means there’s no hidden fees or mark-ups to worry about.

International transfer comparison - Remitly vs Wise

To give you an idea of how Remitly compares to other providers, here’s the exchange rates and costs for a $1000 AUD bank transfer to the US.

As you can see from the differences in exchange rates, it appears Remitly doesn’t use the mid-market exchange rate for their standard rate.

Is Remitly good for international money transfers?

Remitly can be a good option for international money transfers if speed and convenience are your top priorities, especially for cash pickups to supported countries. It offers competitive fees for some routes, but its exchange rates may be less competitive than providers using the mid-market rate.

If you want a simple, transparent option that uses the mid-market exchange rate, Wise may be worth considering instead. With Wise, you can transfer money to over 160 countries, and get the added benefits of having a multicurrency account. This includes receiving local account details for various currencies and having access to the Wise debit card.

Send money with Wise and save with low fees and the mid-market exchange rate

Wise is an easy way to save up to 3x when sending money overseas. You can make extra secure transfers to 140+ countries, which are easy to set up with no physical paperwork and completed usually in seconds.

With low, transparent pricing and the mid-market exchange rate for all your currency conversions for your foreign transfers, you'll usually get the best value for your money. Wise lets you see exactly what you're paying for a transfer, and what the recipient will get, with no hidden fees.

For managing foreign currencies even easier, create a free Wise account, and you'll be able to manage and convert your money in AUD and 40+ other currencies. Plus, you'll get local account details in 8+ currencies, making it easy to receive money from abroad whenever you need. You'll be able to track your transfers all in one place.

When it comes to international transfers, Wise makes things easier and cheaper.

📤 Send money with Wise

FAQ

How long does a Remitly money transfer take?

Remitly doesn’t provide a table of estimated transfer times, so without setting up a transfer it’s not possible to know exactly how long it would take.

They do share the factors that influence the speed of an international transfer.⁶

• How the money is sent
• Where the money is going
• How the money is being received

What is Remitly’s contact information?

To contact Remitly you should go to the help section of their website. There you can start an online chat or call them, using the current phone number.