12 alternatives to Skrill in the UK

If you’ve been looking for a way to send money using just your phone, you might have come across services like Skrill.

It’s a virtual wallet, set up for online payments and money transfers. You may find it an easy and convenient way to send money, whether here in the UK or abroad.

But did you know that there are a number of alternatives available in the UK? By comparing a few different providers, you could get lower fees and a better deal on your transfers.

In this guide, we’ll give you the lowdown on 12 Skrill alternatives, including the money services provider Wise. With Wise, you can send money worldwide for low fees and great exchange rates.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What services and products does Skrill offer?

Owned by global payments platform Paysafe Limited, Skrill is a digital wallet brand first launched in 2001.

With Skrill on your phone, you can:

• Send money within the UK and internationally - to 40 countries worldwide¹
• Pay online, including on betting and gaming
• Buy and sell cryptocurrency
• Get a Skrill Prepaid Mastercard and virtual card for real-world spending.

Pros and cons of Skrill

Pros:

• Offers both personal and business accounts
• Safe and secure transfers
• Optional prepaid card available
• User-friendly Skrill mobile app
• No fees for bank-to-bank international transfers.²

Cons:

• No options for cash payment or pickup
• Up to 4.99% markup on the exchange rate for international transfers.²

📚 Read more: How to close an account with Skrill?

Quick comparison of Skrill and alternatives

Here’s an at-a-glance look at Skrill alternatives, focusing on fees, exchange rates and coverage. This is a great starting point to help you choose a provider for your international transfer.

Provider name	Transfer fees	Exchange rate	Coverage
Skrill	- None (bank-to-bank) - 1% - 2.99% for other payment methods²	Mid-market rate + up to 4.99% markup²	40+ countries¹
Wise	From 0.43%	Mid-market rate	160+ countries 40+ currencies
Revolut	Varies	Mid-market rate + likely markup⁵	29 currencies⁴
Western Union	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup³²	200 countries 130 currencies⁶
Remitly	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup¹⁰	170 countries 100+ currencies⁸
Ria Money Transfer	Varies	Mid-market rate + likely markup¹²	165+ countries¹¹
Xoom (a PayPal service)	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup¹⁶	160+ countries¹³
MoneyGram	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup¹⁹	200+ countries¹⁷
WorldRemit	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup²²	130+ countries 70+ currencies²⁰
TorFX	None	Mid-market rate + markup²³	40+ currencies²³
Xe	Varies (can include third-party fees)	Mid-market rate + markup²⁵	200 countries 100 currencies²⁴
OFX	Varies	Mid-market rate + markup²⁸	170 countries 50 currencies²⁶
Currencies Direct	None	Mid-market rate + markup³⁰	40+ currencies²⁹

12 best alternatives to Skrill for sending money abroad

1: Wise

Wise is a UK-based international money transfer specialist, which works a little differently to other providers.

By keeping local bank accounts in countries around the world, Wise cuts out all the expensive international fees that come with sending money across borders.

You can send money in 40+ currencies all over the world, using your Wise multi-currency account. You can do it online or via the handy Wise app. There’s even a Wise card for spending like a local in 150+ countries.

Pros:

• Mid-market exchange rates - with no markups
• Offers a multi-currency account and a card alongside money transfers
• Free account sign-up
• Fast and secure payments
• Wise app for managing your money on the go

Cons:

• Wise does charge transfer fees, but these are always low and transparent
• No cash pickup

2: Revolut

If you like the idea of managing your money on your phone, like with Skrill, then Revolut could be a good alternative. It’s a digital money app, offering many of the same services as a bank account.

There’s a free plan available, or you can upgrade and pay between £2.99 and £45 a month for a paid plan.³ These offer an increasing number of extras the more you pay, including higher limits, lower fees and perks like travel insurance. Revolut plans also come with a debit card.

When it comes to sending money internationally, Revolut lets you make fast, easy payments in 29 currencies⁴ using just your phone. It offers low fees and competitive exchange rates.

Pros:

• Account and card available alongside money transfer services
• Transparent fees and pricing
• User-friendly Revolut app
• Wide range of features available, including on the free Standard plan

Cons

• You’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to get discounted international transfer fees
• Revolut charges a 1% fee for currency exchange on weekends⁴
• There’s a monthly exchange allowance, and fees if you exceed it⁴
• Revolut is likely to add a markup to the mid-market exchange rate⁵

📚 Read more: Revolut vs. Wise (UK): everything you need to know

3: Western Union

Western Union is one of the big names in money transfer, with a history dating back to 1861. The US-based company operates in 200+ countries and territories.⁶

You can use Western Union to send money online or via the mobile app, sending to bank accounts and mobile wallets worldwide. But you can also make and receive transfers in person, at one of thousands of Western Union agent locations.

Pros:

• A huge global network
• A wide choice of delivery and collection methods, including cash payment and pickup
• Easy tracking with the Western Union app
• Fully regulated around the world

Cons:

• Western Union adds a markup to the mid-market exchange rate³²
• Some transfer fees do apply
• You may pay more for faster services, as well as for payment in cash⁷
• Not all delivery/collection methods are available for all destinations ⁷

4: Remitly

The US-based money transfer service Remitly offers fast, convenient online payments worldwide. It doesn’t have any physical locations, but instead works by delivering money through partners, such as banks and other money transfer services.

With Remitly, you can send to 170+ countries around the world in 100+ currencies.⁸ And you can choose from a range of payment and receiving methods, including cash delivery in some countries.

Pros:

• Promotional offers available for new customers⁸
• Send online or via the Remitly app
• Worldwide network

Cons:

• Transfer fees apply for some transactions, and you’ll pay more for faster services⁹
• Adds a markup to the mid-market exchange rate¹⁰

5: Ria Money Transfer

Ria Money Transfer is an established service for international payments, with an extensive worldwide reach covering 165 countries.¹¹

It offers a choice of methods to set up a payment, including online, from its own mobile app and in person from one of 500,000+ worldwide locations.¹¹

Pros:

• Promotional offers for new customers¹¹
• Choice of delivery methods, including cash pickup (depending on destination)
• User-friendly Ria Money Transfer mobile app available

Cons:

• Likely to add a markup to mid-market exchange rate¹²
• Transfer fees apply, and may not be the most competitive¹¹

6: Xoom

PayPal service Xoom is specially designed for money transfers funded with your PayPal account (along with other payment methods).

With Xoom, you can make online transfers to bank accounts, mobile wallets and debit cards in over 160 countries.¹³ And in some locations, you can even request cash collection and even delivery right to your recipient’s door.

Pros:

• Money-back guarantee if anything goes wrong¹⁴
• Transfer fees available upfront
• Xoom app available
• Backed by PayPal and all of its customer protections

Cons:

• Transfer fees can be quite high for some transactions, such as those involving cash pickup¹⁵
• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate¹⁶

7: MoneyGram

MoneyGram is one of the world’s biggest money transfer providers, alongside Western Union. It offers a wide range of different options for sending, funding and collecting transfers, and has an extensive global network. Payments are fast, secure and easy to set up online.

You can send to 200+ countries and territories worldwide.¹⁷

Pros:

• Promotional offers for new customers¹⁸
• Fast and secure payments - many arriving within minutes¹⁹
• MoneyGram app available
• Cash pickup available

Cons:

• Must register/sign in to see fees and exchange rates
• Fees can be high with MoneyGram, depending how you fund the payment and your chosen collection method¹⁹
• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate¹⁹

📚 Read more: How to send money with MoneyGram: exchange rates, fees and alternatives

8: WorldRemit

WorldRemit offers fast, secure online transfers all over the world, to 130+ countries and in 70+ currencies.²⁰ It offers a choice of flexible payment options. You can send to mobile money accounts, mobile airtime top-ups or arrange cash pickup.

Pros:

• Promotional offers for new customers²¹
• Track payments via the WorldRemit mobile app
• Wide choice of payment and delivery methods, including cash pickup
• WorldRemit mobile app

Cons:

• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate²²

9: TorFX

UK-based money transfer specialist TorFX offers 24/7 online transfers in 40 currencies for no upfront fees.²³ However, it is likely to add a margin to the exchange rate in order to make a profit.

Pros:

• No transfer fees²³
• TorFX mobile app available
• Free account registration
• Fast, secure transfers

Cons:

• Fees and rates aren’t available upfront - you need to register to get quotes for your transfer
• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate²³
• No cash pickup available

10: Xe

Currency specialist Xe is a trusted name in the international transfer market.

And like other alternatives to Skrill, it has a range of funding and collection methods to choose from. This includes cash pickup and mobile wallets, although it depends which destination you’re sending to.

With Xe, you can send money to 200 countries in 100 currencies.²⁴

Pros:

• XE mobile app
• Cash pickup available (depending on destination)
• Fully secure transfers
• Live tracking and notifications
• Free sign-up

Cons:

• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate²⁵
• Need to register/sign-in to see the full range of fees - only estimated fees for certain transfer types are available on the Xe website

📚 Read more: The best UK banks for sending money abroad

11: OFX

Australian transfer company OFX offers fast, secure transfers from the UK to over 170 countries in 50 currencies.²⁶ You can make a single payment or set up recurring transfers, benefitting from locked-in exchange rates.

Pros:

• Promotional offers for new customers²⁷
• Make payments online or via the OFX app
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• Difficult to find fees and rates without registering
• Exchange rates include a margin on the mid-market rate - although OFX can help you find competitive rates²⁸

12: Currencies Direct

With a headquarters in London, Currencies Direct was one of the first money transfer providers in Europe when it launched in 1996.²⁹ It provides online and app-based money transfer services to both personal and business customers.

You can send money to 120 countries in 40+ currencies, and pay no transfer fees.²⁹ Payment for transfers can be made by bank transfer or debit card.

Pros:

• Free account
• No upfront transfer fees²⁹
• Make transfers online, via mobile app or over the phone

Cons:

• Adds a markup to the mid-market exchange rate³⁰
• Fees can apply to some corporate transactions³¹
• No cash pickup

Wise – Money for here, there and everywhere

Want low fees, great rates and an easy way to send money worldwide? Open a Wise account online in just a few clicks, and you can start managing your money in 40+ currencies (including in British pounds).

You can send payments worldwide for low fees and mid-market exchange rates. There’s even a Wise card for spending in 150+ countries, where your pounds are automatically converted to the local currency at a great rate.

There aren’t any monthly fees with Wise, and you can open an account for free.

Sign up with Wise today 🚀

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers' identity.

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And that’s it - our rundown of the best Skrill alternatives out there. You should be all set to compare fees, exchange rates and features carefully, and find the right transfer provider for you.

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Sources used:

1. Skrill - International Money Transfers
2. Skrill - Fees
3. Revolut - Our Pricing Plans
4. Revolut - Money Transfer
5. Revolut - Standard Fees
6. Western Union Corporate - About Us
7. Western Union - Send Money
8. Remitly - Home
9. Remitly - Vietnam - Pricing
10. Remitly - User Agreement
11. Ria Money Transfer - Home
12. Ria Money Transfer - FAQs on fees and exchange rates
13. Xoom - About
14. Xoom - Austria - Send Money
15. Xoom - Australia - Send Money
16. Xoom Help - How much does it cost to send with Xoom?
17. MoneyGram - Sending money
18. MoneyGram - Home
19. MoneyGram - How to send money online
20. WorldRemit - About Us
21. WorldRemit - International Money Transfer
22. WorldRemit - FAQ
23. TorFX - FAQs
24. Xe - Send money
25. Xe - Home
26. OFX - Send money to friends and family
27. OFX - Personal
28. OFX - Exchange Rates
29. Currencies Direct - Home
30. Currencies Direct - Terms and Conditions UK
31. Currencies Direct - FAQ
32. Western Union - Terms and Conditions

Sources last checked on date: 20-Sep-2023