Personal Finance

Taptap Send review: how it works, fees, rates & features

Abbey Simmons

01.09.26

Read time 4 minutes

Looking to send money from the US to a friend or relative in Latin America, Africa, or Asia? Taptap Send might help. This mobile app sends money to a mobile wallet or bank account in select countries, with cash pickup and home delivery available as well.

In this Taptap Send review, you’ll learn how the app works, what its fees, features, and limitations are, whether you can trust it, and how it compares to Wise.

What is Taptap Send and how does it work?

Taptap Send is a mobile-only money transmission service. The app allows you to use your debit card¹ to send funds to countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.² You can only send funds from Europe and the UK, most states in the United States, Brazil, the UAE, Australia, Canada, and Bahrain.³

When you send money with Taptap Send, the funds can arrive at their destination via mobile wallet, bank transfer, cash pickup, or delivery.⁴ Which methods you can use will depend on the availability in the country you’re sending money to.⁴

How to send money through Taptap Send (step-by-step)

Follow these steps to use Taptap Send:¹ ⁵

Download the app. You can use Taptap Send on an iOS or Android smartphone.
Create an account. Sign up and verify your address. Taptap Send is currently not available in every US state, so you’ll need to prove you live in an authorized region.
Verify your identity to lift sending limits. Depending on the amount you need to send, it’s possible that you’ll need to provide an ID document and a selfie to confirm your identity before you begin your transfer.
Set your destination country and delivery method. You’ll need to find a delivery method, whether bank transfer, mobile wallet, or cash pickup, that’s offered in the country where your friend or loved one is going to receive the money.
Input your recipient’s details and the amount you’re going to transfer. Make sure the bank account details are precise. You should be able to see your exchange rate and applicable fees. The exchange rate may include a markup.
Set up your debit card for payment and confirm the transfer. Make sure the checking account linked to your debit card has sufficient funds. When everything looks right, hit send and your transfer will be processed.

Taptap Send fees, exchange rates and hidden costs

Usually, Taptap Send will charge no upfront fee or “transfer fee” that’s a fixed cost on top of the transaction.⁶ But depending on the country you’re sending to and the delivery method, your transfer may come with an upfront fee.

For most destinations, Taptap Send includes a small margin in the exchange rate. Some destinations also have a transfer fee, with the full cost shown before confirmation.

The “normal” exchange rate is called the mid-market exchange rate—that’s the ratio that you see on Google, for example. It’s the midpoint between the buy and sell rates on global currency markets. To make money, Taptap Send adds a margin to this exchange rate.

So even if there’s no fixed fee to send money with Taptap Send, your fee is in the exchange rate. Taptap Send is not transparent about the “small percentage on the exchange rate” you’re being charged. To know for sure, you’ll have to compare the rate that’s being offered with the mid-market rate at that time.

Is Taptap Send safe and fast?

Taptap Send is a licensed, trustworthy money transmission service.⁷ You should always be mindful of suspicious behavior and alert to fraud. But in general, Taptap Send uses encryption technology to protect payments and data. They do their due diligence verifying your identity. You can rely on it as a money transfer service.

Taptap Send is generally fast as well. Most transfers arrive within minutes.⁸

Taptap Send vs Wise: which should you choose?

If you’re deciding between Wise and Taptap Send for sending money, you can compare them side by side in this table.

	Wise	Taptap Send
Speed and reliability	Strong	Strong
Wallet functions	Load with bank transfers	Pay by debit card; a Taptap Send wallet is also available to eligible US users
Delivery methods	No cash pickup; but SWIFT, wire transfers, ACH available	Bank transfers limited
Products and features	Multi-currency debit card and interest on eligible USD, GBP, and EUR balances for eligible US customers	Cash pickup
Supported regions	More options for sending money from a wider range of countries⁹	80+ destination countries from the US²
Exchange rate used	Mid-market rate	Markup on mid-market rate
Best for	Multi-currency management, large transfers, mid-market rates	Quick mobile wallet transfers to targeted markets

Taptap Send is a secure, reliable mobile remittance app with a broad range of coverage. If Taptap Send serves a country where you need to send money to your loved ones, it’s potentially a good option.

Taptap Send fees are based on the margin they add to the mid-market exchange rate. For large transfers, this can be costly. And the markup you’ll pay is always subject to change.

With Wise, you have access to a larger range of services, including a multi-currency debit card you can use all over the world. When you send money, you’ll pay one transparent fee, and we’ll change your money at the mid-market rate.

Sources

Taptap Send - Sending money from the USA
Taptap Send - Homepage
Taptap Send - Countries you can send money from
Taptap Send - How do recipients receive their money
Taptap Send - How does Taptap Send work
Taptap Send - Fees you pay send with Taptap Send
Taptap Send - Is this a safe way to send money
Taptap Send - How long will my transfer take
Wise Help Centre - What currencies can I send to and from

*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.