UK Price Comparison Research 2023
An independent research team compared Wise to six UK bank accounts, as well as Monzo, Starling, Revolut, PayPal, Xoom, Western Union and Post Office. They...
PayPal Price Comparison Disclaimer: USD to GBP
Are you using PayPal in your business to pay or get paid internationally for goods and services? If so, you could save a bundle by opening a business account with Wise. That’s according to independent research agency Consumer Intelligence. The details of the research, including the raw transfer data, is available below.
Research Methodology
The research was carried out on the 16th January by market research agency, Consumer Intelligence, in conjunction with Wise. The data was ascertained via a series of transfers carried out by Consumer Intelligence and partners in various geographies.
There are three types of fees recorded for this price comparison:
- Fee 1: an upfront international money transfer fee
- Fee 2: the markup PayPal added to their exchange rate
- Fee 3: the recipient fee PayPal charged when business receive international payments
Research took place on 5 routes within the same day. Date and timestamps are provided.
The Research
- Route 1: Sending 2000 USD to GBP
- Route 2: Sending 2000 USD to EUR
- Route 3: Sending 2000 GBP to USD
- Route 4: Sending 2000 GBP to AUD
- Route 5: Sending 2000 GBP to EUR
Route 1: Sending 2000 USD to GBP
As part of the research, Consumer Intelligence made a USD 2,000 payment from a US PayPal business account to a UK PayPal business account.
This business payment incurred sending fees of USD 72.44 with PayPal, and only USD 8.43 with Wise.
Wise saved the sender USD 64.01
PayPal charged the UK business who received this payment a recipient fee of GBP 61.92. Wise charged no recipient fee.
Wise saved the recipient GBP 61.92
The total amount that arrived at the UK business via PayPal was GBP 1,340.80. Via Wise the amount was GBP 1,447.27.
Using Wise meant the UK business got an extra GBP 106.47
Here’s the raw data:
Sending USD 2000 to GBP: Wise vs PayPal business
| Fees/cost | Wise | PayPal business |
|---|---|---|
| Amount sending (USD) | $2000 | $2000 |
| Rate quoted by provider (Reuters’ exchange rate = 0.7267) | US$ 1 = £0.7267 | US$ 1 = £0.7013 |
| Provider exchange rate markup (%) | 0% | 3.5% |
| Provider exchange rate markup (USD) | $0 | $72.44 |
| Upfront transfer fee (USD) | $8.43 | $0 |
| Total sender fees (USD) | $8.43 | $72.44 |
| Amount sent to recipient (GBP) | £1,447.27 | £1,402.72 |
| Recipient fees applied (GBP) | £0 | £61.92 |
| Recipient fees applied (%) | 0% | 4.41% |
| Total recipient fees (GBP) | £0 | £61.92 |
| Final funds available to recipient (GBP) | £1447.27 | £1340.80 |
| Total cost of transfer (USD + GBP) | $8.43 + £0 | $72.44 + £61.92 |
All data was obtained independently by market research company Consumer Intelligence Ltd on January 16 2018, 07:07 UTC.
This publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication. The information in this publication does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its affiliates. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Money for here, there and everywhere
Find out more
Germany Price Comparison Research 2023
An independent research team compared Wise to three German bank accounts as well as PayPal, Revolut, Western Union and Xoom by PayPal. They found that we’re...
Australia Price Comparison Research 2023
An independent research team compared Wise to five Australian banks. They found that we’re 6x cheaper for spending abroad. Wise is also on average 5x cheaper...
Spain Price Comparison Research 2023
An independent research team compared Wise to three Spanish bank accounts as well as PayPal, Revolut, Western Union and Xoom by PayPal. They found that we’re...
France Price Comparison Research 2023
An independent research team compared Wise to three French bank accounts as well as PayPal, Revolut, Western Union and Xoom by PayPal. They found that we’re...
US Price Comparison Research
A dedicated comparison research team in Wise compared Wise to 3 US bank accounts, as well as PayPal, Western Union, Xoom by PayPal, MoneyGram and Remitly....
