Send dollars home. See who gives more rupees.

How a transfer from the US to India works

You pay a provider in dollars — usually from a bank account or a card. The provider converts the dollars to rupees at its own exchange rate, takes its fee, and pays the rupees out in India, most often into a bank account.

Two things decide how many rupees arrive: the fee and the exchange rate. Providers set both, and both change with the amount you send.

How we work out the rupees received

For each provider we take the fee off the amount you send, and multiply what is left by that provider's rate: (amount − fee) × rate. That is the figure each row leads with, and the row shows the calculation with its own numbers.

A quote whose numbers do not add up to within one rupee is left out and named, rather than shown with a figure we cannot explain.

Exchange rate versus effective rate

The exchange rate is what the provider applies after its fee. The effective rate is the rupees received divided by the dollars sent — it folds the fee in, so it is the one number that compares like for like.

That is why a higher headline rate can deliver fewer rupees: a provider with a better rate and a larger fee can end up behind one with a slightly lower rate and no fee.

Fee versus exchange-rate markup

A provider can charge you in two places. The fee is stated in dollars. The markup is the gap between the wholesale rate and the rate you are given, and it is usually not stated at all.

The European Central Bank's reference rate is shown beside each provider so you can see that gap. It is a wholesale figure for comparison; no consumer transfer is priced at it.

How long transfers take

Only the provider can say, and it varies with how you pay and how the money is collected. Where a provider states a delivery time on its own page, the row quotes it; where it does not, the row says nothing rather than guessing.

The US tax on transfers paid in cash

For transfers made after 31 December 2025, US law adds a tax of 1 percent when the sender pays with "cash, a money order, a cashier's check, or any other similar physical instrument" (26 U.S.C. §4475).

It does not apply when the money comes from an account at a US bank or other financial institution, or from a debit or credit card issued in the United States.

New-customer offers

Many providers offer a better rate or no fee on a first transfer. Those are shown only when you turn on "I'm new to a service", because most transfers are not a first transfer and a promotional figure in the headline would overstate every one after it.

An offer with a stated promotional rate is shown as a rupee figure labelled "if eligible". An offer stated only in words is shown in the provider's words.

Referral programmes

Some providers reward both the person who refers and the new customer. A member's referral link on this page may earn that member a reward. Eligibility is decided by the provider, not by us.

Bank deposit, UPI or cash pickup

Bank deposit sends rupees to an Indian bank account. UPI sends them to a UPI ID linked to an account. Cash pickup lets somebody collect cash at an agent location. Which of these a provider offers is shown on its row only where the provider's own page says so.

What to check before you send

Confirm the final amount on the provider's own screen before you pay — every figure here is an estimate until the provider confirms it.

Check the recipient's name and account details exactly, check whether the amount changes with how you pay, and check whether a promotional rate applies to your transfer or only up to a limit.