Is Remitly safe? 2025 full guide

Remitly is an American online money transfer service based in Seattle. It helps people send money to over 170 countries worldwide, focusing on immigrants living in the US who need to send money back home to their families.¹

You might be wondering, "Is Remitly safe to send money?" Here's everything you should be aware of.

Is Remitly safe to use?

Yes, Remitly is generally safe to use when sending money outside the US. The company takes several steps to protect your account and personal information:²

• They use advanced technology and tools to spot unusual account activity
• They have strict account verification procedures to confirm your identity
• They are properly licensed in every country where they operate
• If your transfer isn't delivered on time, Remitly will refund your fees³

So, the answer to the question, "Is Remitly legit?" is yes. It's a secure option for international money transfers. But you also need to do your part in keeping your money safe and avoiding scams. More on that later.

What are Remitly's safety features?

Identity verification

When you use Remitly, they'll ask you to verify your identity and personal information. This helps make sure that you're the only person who can send money from your account.

The company understands that immigrants have different types of documents, so they're always working to accept more document types and languages. You also don't need to show your immigration status to send money through Remitly.²

Licenses and registrations

Remitly is properly licensed to operate in every country they serve. These licenses require Remitly to follow strict security rules and meet specific customer protection guidelines.²

Data security

Remitly has a team of security experts who use both automated systems and manual checks to protect you from fraud and hacking. They routinely monitor accounts for any suspicious activity.²

If there are fraudulent transactions or instances of unauthorized access, the security team will likely spot them.

Pros and cons of Remitly

Remitly is a safe money transfer service, but there are pros and cons you should consider before using it.

Pros:

• Sends money to over 170 countries¹
• Takes licenses and regulations seriously
• Promises to refund fees if transfers are late³

Cons:

The biggest con with Remitly is their pricing, as the provider charges exchange rate markups.⁴

Although Remitly advertises that you can send money globally without hidden fees, you’ll pay an inflated exchange rate charge for international transfers. This means Remitly takes the mid-market exchange rate and adds a markup on top of it.⁴

For example, if you send 1,000 USD to Mexico and the real exchange rate is 20 MXN per USD, Remitly might give you 18 MXN per USD. As a result, your recipient gets less money.

What’s the best way to send money internationally?

Banks are certainly one option for sending money internationally, as are services like PayPal. But the problem with banks is they can often be slow, expensive and inconvenient. Luckily, there’s a better alternative out there.

You can send money worldwide with Wise for low fees and the mid-market exchange rate. It’s easy and quick to set up a payment online, and you’re guaranteed secure transfers even when sending large sums.

Wise is a money service business (MSB) regulated by 12 international financial authorities and uses sophisticated security features to keep you and your money safe.

Open a Wise account, and you can send, spend and convert between 40+ currencies whenever you need to. You can even receive money from all over the world using your own local account details.

As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s a Wise Multi-Currency Card too. For a one-time fee of just $9, you can spend in over 150 countries in the local currency. Your USD is automatically converted at the mid-market rate, for just a small conversion fee.

Open a Wise account today

💡 Need to make a business payment? With the Wise Business account, you can send up to 1,000,000 USD per transfer from licensed states.

Some key features of Wise Business include:

• Better visibility and organization of business finances; this is helpful for account reconciliations and audits
• Major local account details for a simple one-off fee to receive international payments with ease
• No monthly account fees or minimum balance requirements
• Receive payments from e-commerce platforms such as Amazon or via Stripe
• Create invoices using the free Wise invoice generator or invoice templates
• Accounting integrations, including a QuickBooks Bill Pay connection
• Signing up to Wise Business allows access to BatchTransfer which you can use to pay multiple invoices in one go.

Discover the difference between
Wise Business vs. Personal

Is the Remitly app safe?

You may be wondering exactly how safe is Remitly money transfer when you use the app.

The Remitly mobile app and website use Transport Layer Security (TLS) and support modern encryption protocols like AES256 and 2048-bit RSA to keep your information private.⁵

All of the other safety features apply as well, including the promise to refund your fees if Remitly doesn't deliver your money transfer on time.³

Tips and tricks for avoiding scams

Remitly works hard to keep your money and information safe, but you also need to do your part to avoid fraud.

Scammers are constantly coming up with new tricks to target money transfer users, so it's important to stay alert. Here are a few tips on how to avoid online scams:

• Don't send money to strangers, and verify all details before confirming your transfer

• Beware of deals that seem too good to be true, like winning the lottery or finding a very cheap place for rent, as they’re usually scams

• Never share your Remitly password or verification codes with anyone, including people claiming to be Remitly staff

• Set a strong password using numbers, upper- and lowercase letters, and special characters

• Watch out for romance scams and be careful if someone you've only met online asks for money

• Turn on all the security features Remitly offers

• Regularly check your transaction history for any transfers you didn't authorize

Falling for a scam can mean losing your money permanently because most transfers can't be reversed once the scammer collects them.

Make sure to verify everything before you hit "send."

Bottom line: Is Remitly safe?

Remitly is a safe and legitimate way to send money to family and friends in another country. The company has strong security measures, proper licenses in all countries where they operate, and systems to detect suspicious activity.

However, using Remitly will cost you in fees and exchange rate markups. Make sure to compare rates and fees with other money transfer services like Wise to make sure you're getting the best deal.

Sources

1. Wikipedia - Remitly
2. Remitly - How does Remitly protect my info?
3. Remitly - Worry-free transfers for you and your loved ones
4. Remitly - How much does Remitly cost?
5. Remitly - How Remitly Keeps You Safe