Ria money transfer review: US guide [2025]

Ria offers international transfers directly to a recipient’s bank account or e-wallet and via cash pick-up.

It can be a good option, but if you need to transfer money to a friend or family member overseas, you’ll want to do a bit of research to see if Ria is the right international transfer service for your needs.

Make sure you understand the upfront fees that are added for your transfer, and also the exchange rate that'll be used. Here’s all you need to know about making international transfers with Ria.

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Table of contents

What is Ria Money Transfer? Pros and cons of Ria Money Transfer Make fast, secure and low cost international transfers with Wise Where is Ria Money Transfer located? Ria Money Transfer fees and rates What’s Ria’s foreign exchange rate? How long does Ria money transfer take? What are Ria’s transfer limits? Is Ria money transfer safe? How does Ria money transfer work? What’s the Ria customer experience like? Ria or Wise: what’s the best option for you?

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What is Ria Money Transfer?

Ria has been established for 35+ years and offers international money transfers either directly to a recipient’s bank account/e-wallet or for collection all around the world.

Working through a network of agents, Ria can arrange money transfers to 190+ different countries and territories.¹

You can send money online, with the app, or in person. It's typically safe and fast, but the fees can run a bit steep, especially compared with other money transfer services.

Pros and cons of Ria Money Transfer

Before you choose whether or not to make your transfer with Ria, you’ll want to compare its pros and cons. Here are a few things to consider.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Ria has an impressive global reach, with 500,000+ agent locations in 190+ countries¹	The cost can get high for some destinations, especially if paying by card
You can have your payment home delivered to the recipient in eligible countries	There are different rates available online, compared to those at agent locations
Delivery of funds takes only 15 minutes to 3 hours on average if you pay using a credit or debit card²	Sending money via bank account takes approximately 4 days²
You can track your transfer online and will receive an email when the money has been received	In the US, you’re limited to sending 14,999.99 USD per month. For cash-funded transfers, the limit is just 495 USD per transaction.³

Overall, Ria can be a good way to send money abroad, with many currencies and locations available, but that convenience comes with relatively high fees and currency exchange rate markups.

Make fast, secure and low cost international transfers with Wise

Send money to 160+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees with Wise. Set up a free Wise account online or in the Wise app on iOS and Android, to transfer money fast in 40+ currencies.

Over 50% of Wise payments arrive instantly* — and all Wise transfers are deposited directly into your recipient's bank account for convenience.

No ongoing fees, no hidden charges and no hassle — just fast, transparent international transfers that can beat the banks.

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*Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.

Where is Ria Money Transfer located?

Ria is expanding quickly, and they currently have 500,000+ pickup locations in 190+ countries and territories.¹

Your available sending and receiving options depend on where you live, and these options change regularly. It's a good idea to check any specific rules and regulations that apply to your location on Ria's website.

If you're in the US, you can send and receive money with minimal restrictions. Here's a more detailed breakdown of how you can send money with Ria as of December 2024.

Method	Available countries⁴
Ria mobile app	US, Canada, UK, Chile, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and most EU countries
Website	US, UK, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain
In-person	US, UK, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and most European countries

Receiving money is much easier and possible in most countries. There are services available in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and Latin America (including the Caribbean).⁴

Ria Money Transfer fees and rates

Ria Money Transfer fees largely depend on where you're sending the money and how you're doing it (app, website, or in-person). How you're paying (bank transfer, card, or cash) also influences the total cost of your transfer.

So, there's no one fixed Ria Money Transfer fee, but you'll be able to see the exact cost breakdown before you confirm your transfer. Ria Money Transfer fees range between 0.99 USD and 9 USD.⁵

What’s Ria’s foreign exchange rate?

As well as looking at the upfront fees, you’ll need to check the exchange rate used for your international payment with Ria. A poor exchange rate means higher fees.

Like most money transfer services, Ria doesn't use the mid-market rate (that's the real exchange rate you see on Google). Instead, they add their own markup to this rate. It's one way they make money on transfers, on top of their regular fees.⁶

Ria's markup varies depending on which currencies you're converting between. Popular combinations like USD to MXN might get better rates than less common currency pairs, but either way, you're still losing money on just switching from one currency to another.

For example, let's say you want to send 500 USD to Mexico. The upfront fee is 4 USD, and the exchange rate markup is 2% or 10 USD. This makes your total transfer cost a whopping 14 USD.

You'll see your exact exchange rate before you confirm your transfer. To know if you're getting a good deal, compare Ria's rate to the mid-market rate. The difference is what you're really paying for the conversion.

How long does Ria money transfer take?

If you’re sending money using a credit or debit card, it normally gets to your recipient in 15 minutes to 3 hours. However, if you’re funding the payment by bank transfer, it’ll take around 4 working days for the money to clear and be delivered.²

If your recipient is going to collect their money in cash or have it couriered to their home, the speed will also depend on the operating hours of the agent or courier company.

What are Ria’s transfer limits?

Ria's transfer limits depend on where you live. If you're in the US, there are 2 main limits:³

• For cash transfers, you can send 495 USD per transaction.
• For all other payment methods, you're limited to 14,999.99 USD every 30 days

You'll need to verify your identity to send larger amounts.

If you live in Oklahoma, Arizona, or New Mexico, you can only send 999.99 USD per day, and sending to certain countries has special limits (for example, transfers to Nigeria are capped at 500 USD).³

You can't increase these limits for online transfers, but you can visit a Ria store to try sending larger amounts. You'll need to provide additional documents to verify your identity and explain the purpose of your transfer.

Is Ria money transfer safe?

Ria is a trustworthy service that's been around for 35+ years. Sending money with them is generally safe, and each transfer gets its own tracking number, so you can see where your money is. That said, you should only send money to people you know and trust.

How does Ria money transfer work?

Depending on where you want to send money to — and where in the world you happen to be — you have a few different options when it comes to sending and receiving payments with Ria.

Ways to send money with Ria

• Online payment funded by credit or debit card
• Online payment funded by bank transfer
• Online payment funded by cash payment at participating locations
• Visit an agent location near you to arrange payment

Ways to receive money with Ria

• Visit an agent location near you, in 190+ different countries, to receive your payment in local cash
• Have the money courier delivered to your home in local cash — limited availability
• Receive the payment as a direct deposit into your bank account

When sending transfers online, you can use Ria's app or website, depending on which option is available in your country. Follow these steps to send your transfer:

Step 1. Go to the Ria website or use the app

Step 2. Start the transfer you want to make to see the fees and delivery options

Step 3. Enter your recipient’s name, address and phone number

Step 4. Decide how to fund and deliver the payment to your recipient

Step 5. Register a new user account to complete the transfer — your details will then be stored so you don’t need to register again

If you would rather arrange the payment at an agent location instead of online, the agent will walk you through the transfer process.

Learn more about how Ria money transfers work in our full guide.

Can you track Ria money transfers?

You’ll be able to track your transfer on Ria's website. Click the Track a transfer button on the main home page, and then enter your PIN or order number.

Ria also sends you emails with updates on the transfer status, so you’ll know when the money is received by your recipient.

What’s the Ria customer experience like?

Ria has a detailed FAQ page with answers to many common questions. If you don't find what you need there, you can get in touch with the customer service team in the following ways:

• Online chat: This is the fastest way to get in touch, and Ria can support you in more than 100 languages.
• Phone: If you're in the US, call +1-877-443-13-99 or 1-855-355-2144 (Walmart2Walmart, available 24/7).

Trustpilot, which collates user reviews, awards Ria a 4.3 out of 5-star rating — you’ll find lots of customer testimonials and ratings by visiting the Trustpilot website.

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Ria or Wise: what’s the best option for you?

Wise is a money transfer service that allows you to send money to 160+ countries with low fees. If you’re considering Ria vs Wise, here’s a breakdown:

Feature	Ria	Wise
Exchange rate	Mid-market rate + markup⁶	Mid-market rate
Available currencies	60 currencies⁶	40+ currencies
Transfer speed	From 15 minutes to 4+ business days²	50%+ transfers get there in under 20 seconds, 90%+ arrive in 24 hours*
Payment methods	Bank account, debit/credit card, or cash	Bank account or debit/credit card
Transfer fees	Depend on a number of factors, but will typically include an upfront transfer fee and the exchange rate used	Fees include a low fixed fee and a percentage charge based on currency and payment method

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Depending on where you’re sending money to, you might find that Ria’s too expensive compared to other providers.

To move money where it matters, use Wise and save on fees and currency conversions in over 40 currencies.

Sources

1. Ria
2. Ria - How long do transfers take?
3. Ria - What are the transfer limits?
4. Ria - Which countries can I use Ria transfer in?
5. MoneyTransfers.com - Ria money transfer review
6. Ria - Frequently Asked Questions

Sources checked 12.16.2024

*The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions