What is Remitly Flex?
Interested in Remitly Flex? Find out everything you need to know, including key features, costs, and limits.
Abound money transfer: Fees, limits, and exchange rates
Abound is a money transfer service that lets Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) send funds from the US to India. If you're considering using Abound, you probably want to understand their fee structure, transfer limits, and whether the service is reliable.
This guide breaks down how Abound money transfer works and what to expect from your experience, including the fees you'll pay, how much you can send, and how long transfers typically take.
We'll also introduce Wise — your international money transfer alternative. Use Wise to send stress-free transfers to over 140 countries - all at the standard mid-market exchange rate.
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What is Abound?
Abound is a US-to-India money transfer platform for NRIs.
The service focuses exclusively on these two countries, and most people use it to send money from America to their family or manage finances in India.
The platform offers 2 tiers:
- Standard Abound account, which is free to use
- Abound Elite, a premium subscription that costs 9.99 USD per month and includes benefits like faster transfer processing times¹
If you want to send an Abound money transfer to India, you'll need to set up an account (free or paid) before you can start sending funds.
Is Abound money transfer legit?
Abound has backing from the Times of India Group, which adds some credibility to the service.¹
They also use security measures, including two-factor authentication (2FA) and SSL encryption for data both at rest and in transit.¹
However, user reviews paint a concerning picture.
On Trustpilot, Abound has a rating of just 2.0 out of 5 stars. The majority of reviews are 1-star ratings, with users reporting transfers taking too long, money not arriving at its destination, and unresponsive customer support.²
What are the fees for Abound?
Abound doesn't publish their exact transfer fees.
However, you'll see the fee amount when you set up a transfer and before you confirm it, so you can decide whether the cost works for you.
If you want to try Abound Elite, the platform offers a 30-day free trial. After that, the subscription costs 9.99 USD per month, which is pretty expensive on top of fees.¹
Elite membership gives you:¹
- Faster transfer processing
- Better exchange rates on your conversions
- Ability to pay your family's utility bills in India without additional fees
However, whether the Abound money transfer rate justifies the monthly cost depends on how often you send money and whether you need all of these extra features.
For example, if you don't need to pay your family's utility bills in India, this feature may be unhelpful.
Abound money transfer: USD to INR exchange rate
Abound adds a markup to the currency exchange rate, meaning they give you a slightly worse conversion rate than the mid-market rate and keep the difference as profit.
On a large transfer, currency exchange rate markups can add up to significant amounts.
Even though Abound advertises "best exchange rates," you should compare the Abound money transfer USD to INR rate against both the mid-market rate and what other services offer.¹
Keep in mind that when transfer services charge low or "zero fees," they often compensate by applying higher markups to the exchange rate.
This can ultimately cost you more money than a flat transfer fee.
Send fast, low cost international transfers with Wise
A smart option if you’re sending money overseas: meet Wise.
Register a Wise account online or in the Wise app, and send money to 140+ countries, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees.
Wise always shows you the amount you’re paying and how much your recipient will get — and you can even compare against other providers on the Wise app or desktop site.
If another service is cheaper for your particular payment, you’ll be shown — so you can’t lose.
| See how Wise compares with international bank transfers in our full guide |
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Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
How to make an Abound money transfer
Follow these steps to make an Abound money transfer:
- Enter the amount: Specify how much money you want to send in USD
- Choose the recipient: Select an existing recipient or add a new one by entering their bank details
- Confirm and send: Review the exchange rate, fees, and delivery time, then confirm your transfer
You can complete these steps through the Abound money transfer app or on their website.
Before confirming your transfer, make sure you fully understand how much Abound is charging you in currency exchange markups, since these can sometimes be hard to see.
You can check financial websites to see the mid-market exchange rate for that particular day, and it's also helpful to compare what Abound offers with what other money transfer service providers offer you.
How long does a transfer take with Abound?
According to Abound, once money is debited from your account, transfers typically take 6-8 or 8-10 business days to reach the recipient in India, depending on their bank.³
You can see the estimated transaction time when you initiate a transfer.
Getting the Abound Elite subscription should qualify you for faster transfers — supposedly, 2x the speed of a regular Abound transfer.¹
This means that for Elite subscribers, your transfer could get there as fast as 3-4 or 4-5 business days, which is still pretty long. Many money transfer services offer almost instant transfers.
Plus, many Trustpilot reviews tell a different story. Customers often report transfers taking much longer than expected, or in some cases, money never arriving at all.²
What is the Abound money transfer limit?
You can expect the following Abound money transfer limits:
| Limit type | Amount³ |
|---|---|
| Daily limit | 10,000 USD |
| Monthly limit | 50,000 USD |
| Yearly limit | 100,000 USD |
These max amounts for India transfers apply to both standard and Abound Elite accounts. If Elite accounts have higher limits, Abound doesn't explicitly mention this on their website.
| Need to send a large amount? With Wise, you can send up to 1,000,000 USD per wire transfer to 140+ countries — and we automatically apply a discount when you send over 25,000 USD (or equivalent)*. |
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🚀Send high-amount transfers with Wise
*For more information, please visit https://wise.com/us/large-amounts/.
Abound markets itself with promises of competitive exchange rates and reliable service for NRIs. However, many users report poor experiences with delayed or missing transfers and unhelpful support.²
Before committing to Abound, compare their fees and exchange rates with other money transfer services to confirm you're getting enough value.
| Send money internationally with Wise to 140+ countries and 40+ currencies – all at the fair mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees. |
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Sources
- Abound - Send Money
- Trustpilot - About by The Times of India
- Abound - Frequently Asked Questions
*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.
Money without borders
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