Alternatives to Cash App UK for sending and receiving money

If you want to send and receive money, there are lots of ways to do it that don’t involve using your bank, including Wise, among others.

Until recently, one of the most popular payment apps in the UK was Cash App. It was handy for making payments to friends and family, and even had a linked debit card for spending and cash withdrawals.

But in July 2024, Cash App announced it would be closing down its operations in the UK.¹ This means that you’ll no longer be able to use it, and will need to find alternatives.

We’re here to help, with a handy guide of all the best Cash App alternatives in the UK. This includes the likes of PayPal, MoneyGram, Remitly, Skrill and of course, Wise.

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What happened to Cash App UK?

Cash App launched in the UK in 2018, and was the first international market the US-based company had expanded to. The peer-to-peer (P2P) payments app is part of Block, a fintech company owned by Twitter (now X) founder Jack Dorsey.

Dorsey recently announced that Block will be prioritising its US market, which means pressing pause on its international expansion plans. This also means that Cash App UK will be shut down.

So, when will Cash App be obsolete in the UK?

According to Dorsey, the official closing date is 15th September 2024.¹

After this time, you’ll no longer be able to sign up for and use the payments app. Existing customers will be contacted with information on what to do to close their accounts, and have been reassured that their money will be safeguarded until withdrawn (even after Cash App officially shuts down).¹

Cash App alternatives in the UK

Cash App may have ceased operating in the UK, but the good news is that there are plenty of alternatives available. Some don’t work in quite the same way, while similar apps such as Venmo and Zelle are only available in the US.

Here’s a quick look at some of the best apps like Cash App in the UK, through which you can send and receive money:

	Fees	Transfer speed	App features	Best for
Wise	From 0.33%	Up to 2 days	Live FX rates and alerts, Fund with Google Pay/Apple Pay, Tracking	International payments
PayPal	Free for UK personal payments - 5% for international payments2	30 mins to 5 days3	Pay in person with QR codes, Personalised payments, Instant notifications	Paying UK friends and family
Xoom	Varies	Minutes to a few days4	Tracking, Notifications, Access to PayPal wallet	International payments
MoneyGram	Varies	1 hour to next day5	Check live exchange rates, Manage repeat transfers Tracking	International payments
WorldRemit	Varies	Usually within minutes6	Rate alerts, Repeat payments feature	International payments
Western Union	Varies	Within minutes to 7 days7	Check live rates, Alerts for preferred rates, Tracking, Fast repeat transfers	International payments
Remitly	Varies	Varies	Tracking, Notifications	International payments
Skrill	Up to 2% for UK transfers and 0% to 4.99% for international transfers8	Minutes to 2 days9	Payment links, Digital wallet, Cryptocurrency	UK and international payments

Wise

If you need a low cost, fast and easy way to send international payments, the Wise app may be right for you.

Wise payments can be cheaper than your bank, and often arrive instantly. You can hold 40+ currencies in your account, get local account details for 8+ currencies and send money worldwide.

Payments always use the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees*.

Plus, there are no hidden fees or costs to worry about.

The Wise app is available on App Store and Google Play. It offers additional features such as tracking, live exchange rates and alerts, and the option to fund payments with Google Pay/Apple Pay.

If you liked using Cash App because of the linked debit card, Wise has you covered there too. Open a Wise account and you can get a Wise card to spend and make withdrawals in 150+ countries for only a small, transparent fee*.

PayPal

If you shop online, the chances are that you’ve already got a PayPal account. Like Cash App, you can use PayPal to send and receive payments (although the recipient will need a PayPal account in order to get their money). You can also use PayPal to shop online.

With the PayPal app, there’s also the feature to pay in real-world shops via QR codes.

It’s free to send personal payments to friends and family in the UK, although a fee of 5% (min. £0.99, max. £2.99) applies if you want to send money overseas.²

PayPal payments are typically quite fast, although they could potentially take up to 5 working days to arrive.³

Xoom

PayPal company Xoom is a specialist in international transfers. In fact, if you want to send money overseas in the PayPal app, you’ll use Xoom to do it.

The Xoom app itself lets you send money in multiple currencies to worldwide destinations. You can track transfers and get instant notifications when the status of your payment changes.

Fees for transfers vary depending on the destination, payment and collection method. But as an example, sending £200 to a friend in Australia costs £0.99 for a bank-to-bank transfer, and £6.99 for cash pickup.¹⁰

Transfers typically arrive within minutes, but can take up to a few days.⁴

MoneyGram

An international transfer specialist, MoneyGram offers easy online and in-app payments within the UK and worldwide. In the app, you can set up and track transfers, convert currency, manage repeat transfers and check live exchange rates.

Fees vary depending on the destination, as well as the payment and delivery methods. There’s a handy estimator tool though, so you can see the estimated fee and exchange rate before you send.

Many transfers arrive within an hour, but could arrive the next working day.⁵

WorldRemit

The WorldRemit app is designed for international transfers, letting you send to 150+ countries from the UK.⁶ You can choose from cash pickup, bank transfer, airtime top up and mobile money (where available).

Fees vary depending on where you’re sending, as well as the payment and delivery method. You might also want to keep an eye out for new customer offers, as WorldRemit often has free transfers available when you sign up for the first time.

WorldRemit transfers are pretty fast, with most arriving within minutes (although some can take longer).⁶

App features include exchange rate alerts, plus a time-saving service for managing repeat payments.

Western Union

One of the big names in international money transfer, Western Union offers an app for sending transfers to 200 countries worldwide.¹¹ You can track transfers, check live exchange rates and manage repeat payments.

Fees vary depending on destination, payment and delivery time, but there’s an estimator tool so you can see the charges and exchange rates in advance.

The time it takes for payments to arrive depends on where it’s going and the method you’ve chosen for the recipient to get their money. For example, WU’s Money in Minutes service lets the recipient collect cash within minutes of the payment being processed. But direct to bank deposits can take up to 7 working days to arrive.⁷

Remitly

Remitly is another specialist in international payments, letting you send to 170+ countries in 100+ currencies.¹²

In its transfer app, you can set up, send and track your transfers. You can also switch on notifications if you want to be kept updated on the status of your payments.

Transfer fees and speeds vary based on the specifics of the transfer, such as the amount, currency, destination and payment/delivery methods. So, you’ll need to enter the details in the Remitly app to see estimated fees and exchange rates, as well as a delivery date.

Skrill

Last but not least, there’s Skrill, a UK-based app owned by global payments platform Paysafe Limited.

The Skrill app acts as a digital wallet, a little like Cash App. With it, you can shop online, send money overseas and exchange currency. Transfers within the UK are fast, as long as your recipient also has a Skrill account.

There’s also the option to invest in cryptocurrency with the Skrill app, if this is something you’re interested in.

It’s free to send money by bank transfer, but fees of up to 4.99% will apply for other payment methods. There’s also a mark-up on the exchange rate of up to 4.99% for international transfers.⁸

Payments with Skrill can arrive in just a few minutes, although some can take up to 2 working days.⁹

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Sources used:

1. Fintech Futures - Cash App to exit UK market
2. PayPal - PayPal fees
3. PayPal - PayPal withdrawal
4. Xoom - how long transfers take with Xoom
5. MoneyGram - sending money with MoneyGram FAQs
6. WorldRemit - app details
7. Western Union - how long transfers take with Western Union
8. Skrill - fees
9. Skrill - transferring money
10. Xoom - send money to Australia
11. Western Union - available in 200 countries
12. Remitly - countries and currencies

Sources last checked on date: 24-Jul-2024