Is Cash App unavailable in Canada? Here are some alternatives

Cash App® lets you send, spend, and receive money online—but if you're in Canada, you might be out of luck. Unfortunately, Cash App isn’t available in Canada.¹ Here are some alternatives that work just as well, if not better!

We'll take a look at a few handy Cash App alternatives in Canada, including PayPal®, KOHO® and Wise. Let’s dive in!

Alternatives to Cash App in Canada

While you can’t use Cash App in Canada, there are plenty of digital alternatives. Let’s take a look at some apps like Cash App, including key features, fees and international capabilities.

KOHO

KOHO is a no-fee spending and savings account. You can access a prepaid credit card or manage your money via the KOHO app.

Use your KOHO account to save money, as well as spend it, including cash back on everyday purchases.² You can send, receive and hold your money in Canadian dollars, but you can’t use your KOHO account for cross-currency transactions.²³

Key features of KOHO:

• Buy goods now and pay later
• Earn up to 5% interest on your account³
• Use your KOHO credit card to make payments in Canada or overseas⁴

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of using KOHO.

There are a few different KOHO subscription plans. If you sign up for the KOHO Essential plan, you won’t pay monthly subscription fees, but you’ll pay foreign transaction fees for spending abroad.

You can access no foreign transaction fees with the KOHO Extra plan, but you’ll pay 9 CAD per month in subscription fees.

The KOHO Everything plan costs 19 CAD per month. For this fee, you can access no foreign transaction fees, 50% off credit building and 2% cash back.⁶

Wise

You can use Wise as a Cash App alternative in Canada and across the world. Whether you’re sending money to the US or spending in France, Wise facilitates low-cost global transfers. It is also free to send Wise transfers to other Wise accounts in the same currency.

Use your Wise account to:

• send and receive money via the Wise app in Canada and over 160 other countries
• give out local account details to get paid in over 10 currencies
• access 24/7 customer support

Unlike other providers, Wise always uses the fair mid-market exchange rate for international transactions. This is the standard rate you might see online, without markups or hidden fees.

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of using Wise for your domestic or international transactions.

Wise is rated 4.3 on Trustpilot Canada, with reviews praising the app’s ease of use and reliability for international transfers.⁷

PayPal

PayPal is a digital peer-to-peer money transfer platform. You can send and receive money using just your email address or manage funds in the PayPal app.

There are a few ways to pay with PayPal, such as a PayPal-to-PayPal transfer or a linked bank account.⁸

The key features of PayPal include:

• send and receive money in 25 currencies⁹
• make online or in-store payments
• manage your money in the PayPal app¹⁰

There are a few pros and cons of using PayPal in Canada. Let’s take a closer look.

PayPal is easy to use, but you’ll pay hefty exchange rate charges and transfer fees for foreign currency transactions.

Simplii Financial Global Money Transfer

You can use Simplii Financial Global Money Transfer to send money to over 130 countries without transfer fees. However, these transactions are not entirely free, as we shall see soon.

You can send money from multiple accounts, including your Simplii USD account, CAD account or Foreign Currency Savings Account.¹⁵

The key features of Simplii Financial Global Money Transfer include:

• multiple ways to pay, including Visa® or MoneyGram® cash pickup
• use online banking or the Simplii mobile app to track your transfers
• get cash back rewards when you pay for your Global Money Transfer using your Cash Back Visa Card¹⁵

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of Simplii Global Money Transfer.

Learn more about how to use Simplii Global Money Transfer for your international transactions.

Tangerine

With Tangerine, you can access a range of different accounts and cards. This includes Tangerine’s no-fee daily chequing account or World Mastercard credit card.

You can earn interest on your money – or use your Tangerine World Mastercard to get unlimited Money-Back Rewards.¹⁹

Key features of Tangerine include:

• easy no-fee account and card options
• earn interest, make pre-authorized payments, and send direct deposits from your chequing account²⁰
• use your World Mastercard to access travel benefits and rewards¹⁹

There are some pros and cons of using Tangerine in Canada. Let’s take a look.

Tangerine is only rated 1.3 on Trustpilot Canada, with reviews focused on the provider’s customer experience.²² Learn more about using KOHO vs Tangerine in Canada.

Ready to explore smarter ways to manage your money locally and internationally? Open a Wise account today and start saving on transfers!