Venmo International (2024)

Venmo International (1)

Dec 13, 2022

Affiliate disclosure

Every Venmo transfer that's processed requires both the sender and beneficiary to have bank details in the US, meaning it's impossible to use Venmo internationally to send money to a friend or family abroad. Despite its closeness to the US, this includes Canada too, meaning it's also not possible to use Venmo to send money to a friend across the border in Canada.

While this may sound like bad news if you'd like to use Venmo internationally, fortunately, it isn't! In reality, there are plenty of alternatives to compare for sending money abroad hassle-free and with low fees. Find the cheapest and fastest alternative using Monito's live comparison engine below 👇

Venmo isn't international. Compare top digital providers instead:

Venmo International Alternatives and Fees

  • 01. Does Venmo work internationally? scroll down
  • 02. Remitly as a Venmo international alternative scroll down
  • 03. Paysend as a Venmo international alternative scroll down
  • 04. Wise as a Venmo international alternative scroll down
  • 05. Why banks and Paypal are not good for sending money internationally scroll down
  • 06. FAQ about Venmo international transfers and countries scroll down

Can You Use Venmo Internationally?

Before we get started, let's address the obvious question — can you use Venmo internationally, and can it be used to send money abroad from the US to countries overseas?

The short answer is no. Venmo is not internationally supported, and the app is only available to US residents. To use Venmo in the first place — let alone send and receive money via online banking — both the sender and the recipient must have US bank accounts and, in some circ*mstances, Social Security Numbers too.

Venmo International (3)

Venmo Supported Countries

Venmois licensed in some US territories, specifically in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. However, Venmo isn't available in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Why You Can’t Use Venmo Internationally

Digital wallets have changed how we pay for things on the internet and send money to our friends and family. Specialized companies such asPayPal,Square Cash, Venmo or tech giants such as Google, Apple, andFacebook, have revolutionized peer-to-peer payments, from how we pay back a friend for a loan to how we split the bill at the end of a meal.

However, these solutions are designed for local peer-to-peer payments in a single currency, generally to avoid the expensive complexities of currency exchange, cross-border payments, and increased anti-money laundering (ALM) and know your customer (KYC) regulations. As a result, innovative solutions such as Venmo dodge this space entirely and don’t offer international transfers to their users.

Is Venmo Available in Canada?

No, Venmo is not currently available in Canada. This means that you won’t be able to send money from your Venmo account to a friend in Canada, who also won’t be able to Venmo you in return either.

Check out Monito’s comparison if you’re looking tosend money from the US to CanadaorCanada to the USto find a cheap alternative for your cross-border transfers. If you’re looking for an alternative to Venmo to send money within Canada with your friends, we have two options to recommend:

  • Interac: Canadian banks have partnered to offer an inter-operatable way to send or receive money from almost anyone in Canada via mobile.
  • Wealth Simple Cash App: By opening an account with Wealth Simple Cash App, you can split bills and send cash to your friends.

Is Venmo Available in the USA?

Yes, Venmo is available in the USA. If you’re looking for a Venmo alternative in the US, you can check out:

Venmo International (4)

Since you can't use Venmo outside the US, run a search on Monito's comparison engine instead. You may also want to read our guide to finding the cheapest ways to send money internationally, which ranks the best providers on average.

Venmo Alternatives

Because you can't use Venmo internationally, you'll probably be wondering what the best alternative to Venmo is to suit your needs and preferences. Fortunately, looking for Venmo alternatives is easier than ever, and you'll have plenty of quality international money transfer services to choose from.

Broadly speaking, you have two routes to send money internationally instead of Venmo: using an international money transfer specialist or using PayPal or your bank.

Option 1 — International Transfer Specialists

The first option is finding the best among dozens of innovative companies doing what Venmo does locally in the US, but for international transfers. They offer bank-beating exchange rates, low fees, and a top-notch user experience using their online platforms or mobile apps. Companies likeRemitly, Paysend, orWisewill probably be your top choice, depending on where you want to send money.

Remitly — Best for Cash Transfers

Remitlyis a US-based digital remittance service that's frequently the fastest and cheapest way to send money internationally on Monito. The platform offers various pay-in and pay-out options (including card payments, bank transfers, and cash services) and supports money transfers to over 85 countries worldwide.

Cost: Remitly's fees are built into the exchange rate and typically range between 0.50% and 2.00% of the international money transfer value, depending on the currencies in question. Remitly was the cheapest service on 20% of global comparisons on Monito between July 2020 and 2021. For transfers from the United States alone, Remitly has taken the undisputed top spot for the cheapest transfer service from June 2021 and 2022.

Recommendation:Because of its speed and pricing for cash-related transfers in particular, we recommend Remitly for sending money forcash pick-upandcash home deliveryservices.

More info:See our fullRemitly review.

Paysend — Best for Card Transfers

A true specialist in international card payments,Paysendis a flexible and fast-growing money transfer platform that supports credit and debit card payments to an impressive network of nearly 100 receiving countries through various pay-out options.

Cost: Paysend charges a fixed fee for most card-to-card and card-to-Paysend-wallet transfers and an exchange rate margin of between 0.50% and 2.00% of the international money transfer value. Paysend was the cheapest service on roughly 25% of global comparisons on Monito in May 2021.

Recommendation:We recommend Paysend for international card payments to credit cards, debit cards, or bank accounts due to its outstanding fees and exchange rates for these transfers.

More info:See our fullPaysend review.

Wise — Best for Bank Transfers

London-based fintechWiseis a world-class option for sending money internationally and frequently ranks as the cheapest way to transfer money internationally on Monito. According to the Monito Score, Wise is also ranked as thebest money transfer serviceof all, and its mobile app is rated thebest money transfer app.

Cost: Wise charges a mix of fixed fees and commissions for different corridors, which usually constitute between 0.25% and 1.00% of the total transfer value. Wise was the cheapest service on 21% of global comparisons on Monito between July 2020 and 2021.

Recommendation:We recommend Wise especially for small- to medium-sized bank transfers (up to US$10,000.00) destined for international bank accounts, as the platform is remarkably well-priced for these transfers.

More info:See our fullWise review.

Option 2 — Banks, PayPal, and Legacy Solutions

Your first intuition may be to use your bank or Paypal to send money to a friend or family member abroad. Not only would these options be less convenient, but they would also cost you a lot of money as banks usually give you a poor exchange rate (on top of charging you fees for international transfers).

International Fees

Monito's research has found that sending $1,000 to a Eurozone country withWells Fargowould cost$30 in feesand$50 in exchange rate margin fees. These fees amount to around 8% of the amount transferred, which is about10 times more than the cheapestavailable service on Monito for a similar transfer. Given PayPal's similarly high exchange rate margins, the story isn't different with them either.

But fees can get even steeper. Your funds will go over the SWIFT network when sending money internationally with your bank. Here, middlemen banks (called correspondent banks) can potentially charge additional correspondent bank fees that can further reduce the amount that arrives in your beneficiary's account.

This is why digital providers offering bank-beating exchange rates, very low fees, and a top-notch user experience stand out as clear solutions. They are doing what Venmo does within the US, but internationally! And depending on where you're sending money, providers such as Remitly, Paysend, and Wise will probably be your best choice. See the table below to understand why:

Last updated: 2022/06/14

If there's one lesson to take home from this article, it would be this:

You cannot use Venmo to transfer internationally, so you'll need to find alternatives. Banks (and PayPal) charge high commission fees and poor exchange rates, making them expensive and inconvenient choices. Digital providers, on the other hand, are the cheapest, fastest, and savviest options, making them the best Venmo alternatives for money transfers outside the US.

To find the best transfer for your country of destination, we recommend comparing the top money services on Monito to save up to 95% in fees compared to the bank for wire transfers from the US:

Compare top Venmo alternatives:

Compare ❯

FAQ About Using Venmo Internationally

  • 📱 Does Venmo work internationally?

    No, Venmo is only available for US residents sending money to other US residents in US Dollars. Use Monito's real-time comparison engine to compare and find cheap alternative services to send money abroad.

  • 🇨🇦 Does Venmo work in Canada?

    No, Venmo only work in the USA. You can find ways to send money to Canada from the USA here.

  • 💻 What's the best alternative to Venmo?

    There are plenty of good options, as fancy and user friendly as Venmo, to send money abroad with a mobile phone. Use Monito's real-time comparison engine to compare and find cheap alternative services to send money abroad.

  • 🌎 Does Venmo work in other countries?

    No, Venmo is only available in the US for US residents.

  • 🧭 What are the Venmo supported countries?

    Since Venmo is not an international money transfer service, you cannot send money outside the US with it. However, Venmois licensed in some US territories, specifically in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Venmo isn't available in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • 🇲🇽 Is Venmo available in Mexico?

    No, Venmo is not available in Mexico. If you live in Mexico and are sending money to someone in Mexico:

    • Payit offers a mobile wallet to send money to friends and family in Mexico.

    On the other hand, if you're sending money in or out of Mexico, we recommend running a search on Monito's comparison engine instead.

  • 🇫🇷 Is Venmo available in France?

    No, Venmo only works in the USA and for US residents. If you live in France and are sending money to someone in France:

    On the other hand, if you're sending money in or out of France, we recommend running a search on Monito's comparison engine instead.

  • 🇺🇸 Is Venmo available in the UK?

    No, Venmo is not available in the UK. If you live in the UK and are sending money to someone in the UK:

    • Square'sCash Appis a good alternative to Venmo in the UK
    • But dozens of other innovative mobile peer-to-peer transfer options exist, likeRevolut,N26,Monese,Monzoetc.
    • UK's banks have also created their own system pay-m that enables to send money to a mobile phone number. Barclays’Pingitis quite popular.

    On the other hand, if you're sending money in or out of the UK, we recommend running a search on Monito's comparison engine instead.

  • 🇦🇺 Is Venmo available in Australia?

    No, Venmo is not available in Australia. If you live in Australia and are sending money to someone in Australia:

    • Beem it is a great mobile app to pay friends, request money or split bills. It’s owned by Westpac, NAB, and CBA.

    On the other hand, if you're sending money in or out of Australia, we recommend running a search on Monito's comparison engine instead.

Why You Can Trust Monito

Venmo International (15)

Our recommendations are built on rock-solid experience.

  • We've reviewed 50+ money transfer providers
  • We've made 100+ test transfers
  • Our writers have been testing providers since 2013

Learn more about us

See Our In-Depth Money Transfer Guides

Venmo International (16)

Does Venmo Work in Mexico?

September 9, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (17)

Does Venmo Work in the UK?

August 10, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (18)

Sending Money From PayPal to Venmo

August 10, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (19)

Transferring From Venmo To PayPal

December 13, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (20)

Cash App vs PayPal: Which Has Better Safety, Fees & FX-rates?

December 22, 2022 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (21)

Cash App UK

May 4, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (22)

Can You Transfer Large Amounts?

December 13, 2023 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (23)

PayPal Conversions

February 2, 2023 - by François Briod

Venmo International (24)

Sending From Chime to PayPal

September 23, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (25)

PayPal to Skrill

September 9, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (26)

Best Money Transfer Services

October 11, 2023 - by François Briod

Venmo International (27)

Is Zelle International?

December 16, 2022 - by François Briod

Venmo International (28)

How Much Are Western Union's Fees?

October 12, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (29)

Does Venmo Work With GCash?

November 8, 2023 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (30)

Bank Alternatives to Foreign Currency Exchange

November 7, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Venmo International (31)

Cheapest Ways To Exchange Money

November 22, 2022 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (32)

The Best Place to Buy Euros in the UK in 2023

June 20, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (33)

Best Place to Buy Dollars in the UK

May 26, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Venmo International (34)

The Best Way to Buy Euros in the USA in 2023

June 20, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Why Trust Monito?

You’re probably all too familiar with the often outrageous cost of sending money abroad. After facing this frustration themselves back in 2013, co-founders François, Laurent, and Pascal launched a real-time comparison engine to compare the best money transfer services across the globe. Today, Monito’s award-winning comparisons, reviews, and guides are trusted by around 8 million people each year and our recommendations are backed by millions of pricing data points and dozens of expert tests — all allowing you to make the savviest decisions with confidence.

Learn More About Monito

  • Venmo International (35)

    Monito is trusted by 15+ million users across the globe.

  • Venmo International (36)

    Monito's experts spend hours researching and testing services so that you don't have to.

  • Venmo International (37)

    Our recommendations are always unbiased and independent.

As an expert in international money transfers, I can provide a comprehensive analysis of the concepts covered in the article about Venmo's international limitations and alternatives. My depth of knowledge is demonstrated by a thorough understanding of the various money transfer services mentioned and the factors influencing their suitability for different users.

The article discusses the limitations of Venmo for international transfers, emphasizing that both the sender and the recipient must have US bank accounts. Additionally, Venmo is only available to US residents, making it impossible to send money abroad. The writer, Pascal Briod, and reviewer Byron Mühlberg, provide a clear explanation of why Venmo doesn't support international transactions, citing the complexities of currency exchange, cross-border payments, and regulatory hurdles.

Key concepts covered in the article:

  1. Venmo's International Limitations:

    • Venmo is exclusively available to US residents.
    • Both the sender and recipient must have US bank accounts.
    • Social Security Numbers may be required in certain circ*mstances.
    • Venmo does not operate internationally, restricting cross-border transactions.
  2. Venmo Supported Countries:

    • Venmo is licensed in some US territories, including the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
    • However, it is not available in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.
  3. Venmo's Absence in Canada:

    • Venmo is not available in Canada, preventing users from sending money to friends across the border.
    • Alternatives for Canadians are suggested, such as Interac and Wealth Simple Cash App.
  4. Venmo's Availability in the USA:

    • Venmo is available in the USA for domestic transactions.
    • Alternatives within the US include Square's Cash App and Zelle.
  5. Alternatives to Venmo for International Transfers:

    • Two primary options are highlighted:
      • International Transfer Specialists: Remitly, Paysend, and Wise are recommended for their bank-beating exchange rates and low fees.
      • Banks, PayPal, and Legacy Solutions: Discouraged due to high commission fees and poor exchange rates.
  6. Detailed Analysis of Alternatives:

    • Remitly is recommended for cash transfers.
    • Paysend is highlighted for card transfers.
    • Wise is considered the best for bank transfers.
    • Each alternative is evaluated based on trust, credibility, service quality, fees, exchange rates, and customer satisfaction.
  7. Comparison of Transfer Costs:

    • A comparison table showcases the total transfer costs of various providers, emphasizing the cost-effectiveness of alternatives.
  8. FAQ Section:

    • Frequently asked questions address the international use of Venmo, its availability in specific countries, and alternatives.
  9. Trust in Monito's Recommendations:

    • Monito is presented as a trustworthy source, having reviewed over 50 money transfer providers and conducted over 100 test transfers.
    • The reliability of Monito's recommendations is highlighted through comprehensive research and testing.

In summary, the article serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking alternatives to Venmo for international money transfers, providing detailed insights into various options and emphasizing the cost-effectiveness and convenience of using specialized international transfer services.

Venmo International (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Trent Wehner

Last Updated:

Views: 5743

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (56 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Trent Wehner

Birthday: 1993-03-14

Address: 872 Kevin Squares, New Codyville, AK 01785-0416

Phone: +18698800304764

Job: Senior Farming Developer

Hobby: Paintball, Calligraphy, Hunting, Flying disc, Lapidary, Rafting, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.