Post Office international money transfers: Fees, rates and times

Need to make an international transfer from the UK? You might need to send money to family members in other countries, or perhaps cover bills for an overseas holiday home.

Whatever your payment is for, you’ll have lots of options when it comes to sending money abroad. One provider is the Post Office, which lets you make international transfers through partners like Western Union and MoneyGram.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using the Post Office international transfer service. This includes fees, exchange rates, supported currencies, limits, transfer times and more.

We’ll also show you how Wise might be a low-cost alternative for international money transfers - so you can send money to 160+ countries or receive money from 8+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate for only a low, transparent fee*.

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

How does an international transfer with the Post Office work?

The Post Office works with partners including Western Union and MoneyGram - both established money transfer specialists - in order to offer an international transfer service.

So, if you want to send money overseas using the Post Office, you have a couple of different choices.

International transfers online or in branch via Western Union

You can send international transfers online via Western Union, which runs a service in partnership with the Post Office. There’s a choice of payment methods, including bank account, credit cards and debit cards. And your recipient can choose from either a direct bank transfer or cash pickup.

You’ll need to create an account with Western Union in order to send money online, but it’s free and relatively quick to sign up.

If you’d prefer to send money in person - or need to pay in cash - Western Union transfers can also be set up in Post Office branches. There are around 2,700 participating branches which offer this service.¹ You’ll just need to take your ID, and can choose to pay with cash or a debit card. There’s no need to create an account or make an appointment - you can just pop into your nearest participating Post Office.

International transfers in branch via MoneyGram

The Post Office also works with MoneyGram to offer international payment services. These are only available in Post Office branches, but there are around 7,000 participating locations to choose from.²

You’ll need to visit in person with your ID, fill in a form at the counter and pay with either debit/credit card or cash. Both cash pick-up and direct bank transfers are available as delivery methods, along with mobile wallet payments in some cases.

What countries and currencies are supported?

Both the Western Union and MoneyGram transfer services at the Post Office let you send to a huge 200+ countries and territories worldwide. All major currencies are supported, including USD, EUR, AUD, CHF, NZD, JPY and many more.

Are there any limits to the amount that you can transfer with the Post Office?

Whichever service you use, there are some limits to how much you can send overseas using the Post Office.

Here are the limits for online transfers:³

• Up to £799.99 per transfer if you haven’t verified your identity
• Up to £4,000 every 3 days with your debit/credit card if you have verified your identity
• Up to £50,000 if paying with your bank account.

The Post Office doesn’t give details of maximum sending limits for in-branch transfers, so you’ll need to ask in your local branch.

What are the fees for an international transfer with the Post Office?

Now we come to that all-important question - how much does it cost to send money overseas with the Post Office?

The fees to send with both Western Union and MoneyGram vary depending on a few factors. This includes the amount, destination, payment method and delivery method, along with any special offers for new customers.

However, both providers show you the upfront fee and exchange rate before you send. If you’re sending money in a Post Office branch, you’ll be told what the fee is before confirming the payment.

Below is an idea of what you can expect to pay:

Post Office exchange rates for money transfers

Alongside the upfront transfer fee, it’s always important to check the exchange rate when making an international transfer.

Some providers add a mark-up on what is known as the mid-market exchange rate, which is how they make a profit on the transaction. But unfortunately, this means that less of your money makes it to your recipient.

So just because upfront fees appear to be low, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a ‘hidden fee’ within an unfavourable exchange rate.

Both Western Union⁴ and MoneyGram⁵ - which provide the Post Office’s international transfer services - are likely to add a mark-up to the mid-market rate. This means their rates may be competitive, but they’re not unbeatable. So it may be possible to find better exchange rates elsewhere.

Remember that you can always check what the mid-market rate is for any currency pairing using the Wise currency converter.

How to make an international money transfer with the Post Office

The way to set up a transfer with the Post Office depends on which service you’d like to use. To send money online, you’ll need to:

1. Create a Western Union account. This may mean uploading a copy of your ID.
2. Go to the Post Office/Western Union page and enter the amount you’d like to send, along with the destination.
3. Choose how you’d like to pay and how you’d like the recipient to receive the money.
4. Check the fee and exchange rate.
5. Enter the recipient’s details - we’ll cover exactly what you’ll need next.
6. Check the details, confirm the transfer and pay.
7. You’ll be given a tracking number to use when Western Union confirms the transfer.

To send money in a Post Office branch, the process is quite different. For both MoneyGram and Western Union services, you’ll need to find a local participating Post Office branch. Take some photo ID with you, along with either a debit card or cash. You may be asked to fill in a ‘send form’ at the counter.

What do I need in order to make an international transfer with the Post Office?

To send a transfer to a bank account in another country, you’ll usually need the following details:

• The recipient’s name, address and bank account details
• TheirInternational Bank Account Number (IBAN)
• For SWIFT payments, their bank’s Business Identifier Code (BIC) or SWIFT code.

Post Office transfer times

The time it takes for your transfer to arrive depends on which service you use, along with which delivery method you’ve chosen.

To give you an idea, here are some average delivery times for both the Western Union and MoneyGram transfer services available at the Post Office:

Wise - a convenient, low cost alternative for overseas transfers

If you regularly send money overseas, you’ll be looking for a low cost and convenient way to do it. After all, a few extra pounds in fees or a poor exchange rate can soon add up over time.

Wise is a great alternative to banks and other providers, as it’s fast, secure, convenient and fully transparent when it comes to fees and rates*.

Open a Wise account and you can hold 40+ currencies at once, and receive money from overseas. And you’ll get the mid-market rate on all international transfers for only a small, transparent fee*

Open your account 🌍

There’s also the Wise card, a contactless international card for spending in 150+ countries - which automatically converts currency at the mid-market rate whenever you spend for a small and transparent conversion fee*.

Explore the Wise card 💳

And that’s pretty much it - everything you need to know about making international payments with the Post Office. We’ve covered fees, exchange rates and how to make a transfer.

Just remember to compare fees and exchange rates before hitting ‘send’ - to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal on your international transfers.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 18-06-2024