An in-depth look at MoneyGram fees

MoneyGram®¹ offers fast, secure and reliable payments you can arrange online, in-app and in person.

Transfers can be made to bank accounts, for cash collection and to mobile wallets. But what about MoneyGram’s fees?

This guide walks through MoneyGram’s fees for sending payments from the US, and also touches on a couple of alternatives to compare - Western Union® and Wise.

Learn more about Wise

How much does it cost to send money through MoneyGram?

MoneyGram offers an impressive range of ways to send money domestically in the US and also overseas. You can arrange your payment online, using an app, or in person by visiting an agent location.

Depending on where you’re sending money to, you may also be able to choose to have the funds deposited into a bank or mobile wallet account or collected in cash.

As you’d expect with so many different service offerings, MoneyGram also has some pretty varied fees. We’ll break down what makes a difference to the costs to send money with MoneyGram, next - but it’s worth remembering to compare different pay in and pay out methods to get the best MoneyGram quote for your needs, and then taking a look at some alternatives as a comparison too.

MoneyGram fee breakdown

MoneyGram fees vary based on factors including²:

• Payment value
• Whether you arrange online or in store
• How you pay
• Collection or pay out method
• Currency and whether conversion from USD is needed

MoneyGram advises that sending money and paying by bank transfer from a US bank is usually the cheaper option, while paying by card can attract a few more fees³.

If you’re arranging your payment online or in the MoneyGram app you’ll be able to toggle between different pay in and pay out options when setting up your transfer, so you can see the fee and exchange rates that apply to all available variables.

MoneyGram international fees

MoneyGram offers payments to a very impressive range of countries globally, with service availability depending on the destination you’re sending to. The fees can vary based on:

• How you pay
• How you want the recipient to get the money

As well as a transfer fee, MoneyGram may also make money on currency exchange. That means there is likely to be an extra fee applied to the exchange rate you get when you convert from USD to the currency needed for delivery or collection.

This markup varies by currency - to see it you’ll need to compare the rate you’re quoted by MoneyGram against the mid-market rate for your currency pair, which you can get on Google.

The exchange rate you receive may also vary based on the way you want to pay, and the way you want the payment to be collected. Payments for cash collection - in our model payment example below - for example, came with a less favorable exchange rate compared to payments to a bank account.

Sending 500 USD to EUR	Fee for payment to bank account	Fee for payment for cash collection
Pay by bank debit card	1.99 USD	9.99 USD
Pay with bank transfer - Express	4.99 USD	9.99 USD
Pay with bank transfer - Standard	1.99 USD	5.99 USD
Pay by credit card	20.49 USD	20.49 USD
Pay in cash	Variable based on send location	Variable based on send location

Note: Fees correct at time of writing - 1st August 2023

Domestic transfer fees with MoneyGram

MoneyGram domestic transfer fees may vary based on the receiver state, how the payment is to be received and how you want to pay.

Once again, let’s look at an example payment to show how this may work. You can also model your transfer and get a free no obligation quote instantly online or in the moneyGram app.

Sending 500 USD within the US	Fee for payment to bank account	Fee for payment to debit card	Fee for payment to mobile number	Fee for payment for cash collection
Pay by bank debit card	8.99 USD	10.99 USD	3.99 USD	68.99 USD
Pay by credit card	20.49 USD	Not available	Not available	83.49 USD
Pay in cash	Variable based on send location	Variable based on send location	Variable based on send location	Variable based on send location

Note: Fees correct at time of writing - 1st August 2023

What can interfere with MoneyGram fees?

MoneyGram shows you the fees they charge you pretty transparently before you confirm a transfer. However it’s helpful to know there may be a couple of other costs to consider:

Your own bank or card issuer may charge a fee - such as a cash advance fee if you use a credit card Third party banks may charge fees deducted from the transfer amount - this is common if your payment is deposited into a bank account and processed via SWIFT The recipient’s bank may charge a fee for receiving the transfer to their account

These fees are outside of MoneyGram’s control - double check to see if any apply to your payment to avoid unwanted surprises later.

Are there any ways to reduce the transfer fee in MoneyGram?

MoneyGram offers some new customer promotions which can help cut the costs of transfers. Or, you can compare MoneyGram against alternatives which may have lower overall costs - we’ll touch on a couple to consider later.

Make 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 digital payments from your bank account to 70+ 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.

Send money abroad with Wise

See how Wise compares with international bank transfers in our full guide

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

How can you estimate MoneyGram fees before sending money?

MoneyGram has a simple to use, transparent estimator tool on their desktop site and within the MoneyGram app.

All you need to do is to enter the amount you want to send in USD or the amount and currency you need the recipient to get in the end, to generate an instant quote.

Using MoneyGram's fee estimator tool

To use the MoneyGram fee estimator tool:

Log into the MoneyGram app or visit the desktop site Tap Send money Enter the payment details Pick the way you want to pay and how the money should be received Compare the fees and rates available, to pick the one that suits you

Other ways to estimate MoneyGram fees

You can also get information about MoneyGram fees alongside the details of how much it would cost to send your payment with an alternative service, on international money transfer comparison websites.

Cost comparison: MoneyGram vs Western Union vs Wise

MoneyGram isn’t your only option. Shop around to make sure you get the best available deal. Many international money transfer companies have free no obligation estimator tools you can use to generate and compare quotes, making it easier than ever to find the best one for you.

To illustrate, let's take an example. In this case we’ll imagine you’re sending 500 USD to a friend in France. You’ll pay with a bank transfer and the money will be deposited to your recipient’s bank account in euros.

	Transfer fee	Total amount you pay	Exchange rate	Recipient gets
MoneyGram	1.99 USD	501.99 USD	1 USD = 0.9067 EUR	453.34 EUR
Western Union	0 USD	500 USD	1 USD = 0.897896 EUR	448.95 EUR
Wise	3.73 USD	500 USD	1 USD = 0.91085 EUR	452.03 EUR

*Fees correct at time of writing - 1st August 2023

As you can see, different providers have their own fee structures, and use very varied exchange rates too. Comparing a few is easy to do and can save you money.

Often you’ll find that choosing a provider which uses the mid-market exchange rate - like Wise - and splits out all the costs transparently⁴, can make it easier to compare, and may also work out cheaper in the end.

Is MoneyGram cheaper than Western Union for international transfers?

MoneyGram and Western Union both offer convenient international transfers to more or less anywhere in the world.

Neither is cheaper - it all comes down to the details of your payment. Both have variable fees and exchange rates which depend on exactly how much you’re sending, the currency needed, and how you want to pay. Whether you create your transfer online or in person can also make a difference.

What's the best option for you?

The best option for you will depend on the details of the payment you want to make. The best way to check which is cheaper for your specific payment is to get a free no obligation quote for several services including MoneyGram, Western Union, and Wise, and compare.

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Use this guide to navigate MoneyGram US fees for payments locally and overseas - and don’t forget to compare the costs and exchange rates available from MoneyGram against alternative providers like Wise to get the best deal in your specific situation.

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Sources:

1. MoneyGram
2. MoneyGram - how to send money online
3. MoneyGram FAQ
4. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

Sources checked on 08.15.2023