Finance

Does Zelle Work Internationally? Options To Try For International Transfers

US-residents are quite aware of Zelle since it is a secure and reliable source of sending and receiving money within limits. But what if you have to deal with funds outside the US? Does Zelle work internationally too? Let’s find out!

What Will We Talk About Here?
1.Zelle does not work internationally as it is strictly US-based. 
2. Ideal Zelle international alternatives for instance: WorldRemit, Transfer Go, Wise, PayPal, Remitly, Revolut, etc.  
3. Most of these platforms have varying terms and conditions.


…and Much More!

Does Zelle Work Internationally?

The simple answer to this question is, No.

  • Zelle is a money app that allows you to send or receive funds but does not work internationally and is strictly US-based.

It requires both the sender and the receiver to have US bank accounts for transactions through Zelle. 

That means that if you wish to send money to someone outside of the United States, you should preferably have a United States bank account than an international one. 

Reasons Why Zelle Does Not Work Internationally?

The main reason why Zelle is not functional internationally is still quite a mystery, although a few assumptions are there.

Zelle was first set in motion in the United States as a digital Payment platform. It got so popular so quickly. They stated this rule that the sender and receiver need to own a United States bank account.

Allowing Zelle to work internationally could be altogether costly for the app owners, and people would’ve preferred several cheaper alternatives. Working on making Zelle functional abroad would’ve cost the company more than the profits. 

You might be interested in reading: Can Zelle Send Money To Venmo?

6 Impeccable Zelle International Payments Alternatives 

If you’re a Zelle customer looking to send money out of the country, you’ll be happy to know that there still are multiple international Zelle viable alternatives all across the globe.

  • All these apps are used by billions of people and are capable of handling your every day overseas and even in the country transactions.

A few such Zelle international alternatives are discussed below:

WorldRemit 

WorldRemit is a well-known online fund transfer App. The website and WorldRemit app both have been quite popular over the last ten years.  

  1. WorldRemit allows bank transfer and even cash-pickup internationally and locally. 
  2. Its funds transfer is fairly quick and just requires 1 business day. 
  3. The fee is $4 for the money transfer service.
  4. Additional fees may apply besides foreign exchange fee.
  5. WorldRemit allows bank transfers that are both, quick and inexpensive.

Wise  

Wise was first founded in London and got famous with the name of TransferWise. It provides you with the greatest exchange rate plus a modest fee. Its friendly web and app interface usually gains people’s attention. 

  1. You can sign up for free on Wise.
  2. Wise allows you to receive and send money to 70 different countries and collect funds from 2.3 million ATM’s.
  3. The fee and the time is shown to you upfront.
  4. An average transfer time required by Wise is at least 2 business days. 
  5. Wise permits you to withdraw salary or pension through your debit card in the UK, US, and even Europe. 

Revolut 

The fact that up to 15 million people has used this money service app instead of Zelle shows how convenient Revoult is. This app allows transferring in 60+ currencies and gives opportunities to businesses to invest in stocks, commodities, and even crypto.

  1. Revoult allows its users to connect almost all of their banking accounts to their Revoult account. 
  2. By using Revoult you can take advantage of their Daily Cashback as well as Daily Discounts.
  3. There is no need for a physical debit card since your Revoult App is itself a virtual card. 
  4. It makes investing in crypto, stocks, and other businesses a lot easier. 
  5. Revoult allows instant international fund transfer with a decent fee. 

Remitly

Remitly was launched in Seattle, 10 years ago and has been popular since it is not the fastest but the cheapest money transfer alternative.

  1. It can receive money from 17 countries and send it to over 100 countries around the globe.
  2. The transfer time taken by Remitly is 2-3 business days or even more at times.
  3. They refund your fee if the delivery of funds was not done in the given time. 
  4. It is user-friendly and it is quite convenient to send money through the app or the website.
  5. It offers many delivery countries the cheapest being Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

TransferGo

TransferGo is a great alternative for making fast and safe money transfers. It covers money transfers to more than 60 countries including Mexico, Nigeria, India, the U.S, and more. 

  1. TransferGo is the best available option for fast and low-cost fund transfers.
  2. It is capable of transferring money to many faraway destinations.
  3. The fee depends on the currency rate and the amount, it even depends on the time you want your money delivered. 
  4. It has an easy-to-use web and even app option is available.
  5. The exchange rate margin can be as high as 2.2%.

PayPal 

Most of us have already used PayPal to make payments or send money. Out of all the possible alternatives, PayPal seems to be the most expensive. However, you can send money from Zelle to PayPal and then use this account for the international transfer.

  1. PayPal exchange rates are the highest in the market, up to 3% of the original rates. 
  2. In contrast, PayPal does not charge a fee when shopping or making a simple money transfer.
  3. Moreover, the platform offers complete buyer’s protection.
  4. Despite all that, PayPal has a very easy-to-use interface.
  5. They continue to provide new options for users, such as cash pools for cost-sharing.
Note! All these fund transfer alternatives have different features, make sure you check out all of them before finalizing the one that suits your desired amount and the destination of the funds. 

The Bottom Line 

To summarize, Zelle does not work internationally but there are several fast and low-cost alternatives to choose from. We have discussed all the Zelle international alternatives which will meet your demands. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Zelle and International Transfers

If Zelle isn’t a possibility, what’s the best way to send money abroad?

Several seamless options allow you to transfer funds abroad, these include WorldRemit, Wise, Revolut, etc. you can also check Monito for better ratings and comparison of the alternatives. 

Can I use Zelle to send money internationally?

Unfortunately, up till today, Zelle can only be used to send money to people in the United States who have a bank account there.

Which are the banks that work will Zelle?

The banks that are linked to Zelle include Chase, TD Bank, PNC, Wells Fargo and Capital One, Bank of America, SunTrust, and HSBC. 

Is it possible to set up regular payments using Zelle?

It is very much possible, all you need to do is Log into your Zelle account > Enter the amount that you wish to send > Go to ‘make payment’ > Now click the ‘frequency’ option > Finish!