Personal Finance Money transfer

9 alternatives to the GuavaPay app in the UK

Emma-Jane Stogdon

21.11.25

Read time 5 minutes

If you want to send money overseas, there are lots of ways to do it that don’t involve using your bank.

Many people use money apps instead, as they offer a fast, convenient way to manage international payments using just your phone.

Until recently, one option was MyGuava. But in September 2025, the company announced that it will temporarily be suspending services in the UK. This may mean that you need to find an alternative app.

We’re here to help, with a rundown of the best MyGuava alternatives in the UK. This includes the likes of PayPal, MoneyGram, Remitly, Skrill and of course, Wise.

➡️ Learn more about the Wise account

What happened to MyGuava?

Guavapay, the company which owns the MyGuava app, issued a statement in September 2025 saying that it is temporarily suspending electronic money and payment services in the UK.

Here’s what they said:¹

“Guavapay is unable to accept funds into its MyGuava App and MyGuava business platform with immediate effect until further notice. This is a requirement that we have agreed with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).”

However, it reassured existing customers that their funds remain safe, and they’re free to withdraw, transfer and spend their balances. They - and new customers signing up - won’t be able to add new funds into the MyGuava App.

Guavapay also said it’ll provide further updates as soon as it can.

9 MyGuava alternatives in the UK

With MyGuava services being temporarily suspended in the UK, you might want to look for an alternative to make international payments.

Here’s a quick look at some of the best apps like MyGuava in the UK, through which you can send and receive money internationally (all information in the below table correct as of 17th October 2025):

	Fees	Transfer speed	App features
Wise	Domestic GBP to GBP transfers are free From 0.33%* for international payments	Most transfers are instant**	Live FX rates and alerts Fund with Google Pay/Apple Pay Tracking Multi-currency account Payment links
PayPal	Free for UK personal payments 5% for international payments²	Often within minutes	Pay in person with QR codes Link to mobile wallets Personalised payments Instant notifications
Xoom	Varies	Minutes to a few days⁴	Tracking Notifications Access to PayPal wallet
MoneyGram	Varies	Few minutes to a few days⁵	Check live exchange rates Manage repeat transfers Tracking
WorldRemit	Varies	Usually within minutes⁶	Rate alerts Repeat payments feature
Western Union	Varies	Within minutes to 2 days⁷	Check live rates Alerts for preferred rates Tracking Repeat transfers
Remitly	Varies	Varies	Tracking Notifications
Skrill	Up to 2% for UK transfers 0% to 2.99% for international transfers (plus exchange rate mark-up)⁸	1-3 days⁹	Payment links Digital wallet Cryptocurrency
Revolut	Varies depending on subscription tier	Within minutes¹⁰	Real time FX rates Cryptocurrency Multi-currency account

**Note: Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.

1: Wise

If you need a low cost, fast and easy way to send international payments, theWise 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 MyGuava because of the linked multi-currency debit card, Wise has you covered there too. Open a Wise account and you can get a Wise card for a one time fee of £7 - with this, you can spend and make withdrawals in 160+ countries with no foreign transaction fees* when you pay from the same currency balance.

➡️ Learn more about the Wise account

2: PayPal

The PayPal app is another decent alternative to MyGuava. If you shop online, you’ll probably have a PayPal account already, and you can use this to get the app.

Like with MyGuava, you can send both local and international payments with PayPal. However, the recipient will need a PayPal account in order to get their money.

With the PayPal app, there’s also the feature to pay in real-world shops via QR codes, or by linking your PayPal account to a digital wallet like Google Pay or Apple Pay.

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, frequently arriving within minutes.³

3: Xoom

The PayPal-owned Xoom app specialises in international transfers. In fact, if you want to send money overseas in the PayPal app, you can usually use Xoom to do it.

The Xoom app 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, but as an example, sending £300 to a friend in the US costs £1.99 for a bank-to-bank transfer, and £6.99 for cash pickup.¹¹

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

4: MoneyGram

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, payment and delivery methods. There’s a handy estimator tool though, so you can see the estimated fee and exchange rate before you send.

Transfers typically arrive within a few minutes to a few days.⁵

5: WorldRemit

The WorldRemit app lets you send to 130+ countries from the UK.⁶ You can choose from a range of delivery methods, including cash pickup (where available).

Fees vary depending on where you’re sending, as well as the payment and delivery method.

One of the reasons the WorldRemit app is so popular is that transfers are pretty fast, with 95% arriving within minutes.⁶

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

6: Western Union

One of the big names in international money transfer, the Western Union app lets you send transfers to 200 countries worldwide.¹² 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 2 working days to arrive.⁷

7: Remitly

Remitly is another specialist in international payments, letting you send to 170+ countries in 100+ currencies.¹³

Its app lets you send and track your transfers, as well as giving you notifications and updates 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 get some estimates.

8: Skrill

UK-based app Skrill is a digital wallet which lets you shop online, send money overseas and exchange currency. It also offers a prepaid Mastercard, as well as cryptocurrency trading if this is something you’re interested in.

It’s free to send money overseas by bank transfer, but fees of up to 2.99% will apply for other payment methods. There’s also a mark-up on the exchange rate of up to 4.99% for international transfers. Fees of up to 2% apply for payments within the UK.⁸

Payments with Skrill typically arrive between 1-3 days, although they can be faster.⁹

9: Revolut

Lastly, we have the UK-based money app Revolut. It offers full-featured current accounts as well as international transfer services to 160+ countries. Plus, you can hold 70+ currencies in your Revolut app.¹⁰

Fees to send money abroad vary, and you’ll get discounts if you’re on one of Revolut’s premium paid plans. Transfers to friends and family with Revolut accounts is instant, with other payments arriving within minutes.¹⁰

If you’re looking for an alternative to GuavaPay, the app you choose will depend on your individual needs, circumstances and preferences. We recommend that you do your own research of course, but hopefully this rundown has helped you to decide on the app that’s right for you.

Sources used in this article:

1. MyGuava - Guavapay Announces Temporary Suspension of Services
2. PayPal - PayPal fees
3. PayPal - Transfer money online
4. Xoom - Help - When will my money get there?
5. MoneyGram - sending money
6. WorldRemit - mobile app
7. Western Union - sending money fees
8. Skrill - fees
9. Skrill - transfer money
10. Revolut - international transfers
11. Xoom - send money to the US
12. Western Union - fees
13. Remitly - fees

Sources last checked: 17-Oct-2025

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.