Send Money from USA to Pakistan

Best Rates For Sending 1,000.00 USD to PKR

278,400.00 PKR

Who We Use Below $7000 USD

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. Also see why we recommend Wise for smaller amounts.

Transumo Score

4.7

Visit Review Go to Wise

257,326.00 PKR

Who We Use Above $7000 USD

Note: See why we recommend OFX for larger amounts below. Some fees are partially built into the amount shown.

Transumo Score

4.6

Visit Review Go to OFX

Links to OFX will remove $15 fee (if applicable) for ever regardless of the amount you send.

0.00 PKR

4.9/5 on Trustpilot due to Customer Service

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. If customer service is your top priority look no further.

Transumo Score

4.5

Visit Review Go to Currencies Direct

0.00 PKR

4.9/5 on Trustpilot due to Customer Service

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. If customer service is a top priority TorFX may be ab excellent choice.

Transumo Score

4.4

Visit Review Go to TorFX

278,390.00 PKR

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below.

Transumo Score

4.3

Visit Review Go to Remitly

278,749.65 PKR

Solid all rounder

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below.

Transumo Score

4.2

Visit Review Go to XE

273,174.65 PKR

Not Recommended

Note: We use a 2.5% margin on the mid-market rate to give a rough indication of what your fees might be. However there are almost always additional fees (potentially relatively large) involved when using banks.

Transumo Score

1.2

Visit Review Go to Banks

Last updated 2 hours ago

Best Rates For Sending 1.00 USD to PKR

Who We Use Below $7000 USD

278,400.00 PKR

Visit Review Go to Wise

4.7

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. Also see why we recommend Wise for smaller amounts.

Who We Use Above $7000 USD

257,326.00 PKR

Visit Review Go to OFX

4.6

Links to OFX will remove $15 fee (if applicable) for ever regardless of the amount you send.

Note: See why we recommend OFX for larger amounts below. Some fees are partially built into the amount shown.

4.9/5 on Trustpilot due to Customer Service

0.00 PKR

Visit Review Go to Currencies Direct

4.5

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. If customer service is your top priority look no further.

4.9/5 on Trustpilot due to Customer Service

0.00 PKR

Visit Review Go to TorFX

4.4

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below. If customer service is a top priority TorFX may be ab excellent choice.

278,390.00 PKR

Visit Review Go to Remitly

4.3

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below.

Solid all rounder

278,749.65 PKR

Visit Review Go to XE

4.2

Note: Additional fees will likely apply as discussed below.

Not Recommended

273,174.65 PKR

Visit Review Go to Banks

1.2

Note: We use a 2.5% margin on the mid-market rate to give a rough indication of what your fees might be. However there are almost always additional fees (potentially relatively large) involved when using banks.

Last updated 2 hours ago

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which may save you and do not cost any more. For more information, see my disclaimers here.

1. 6 Best Ways to Send Money from USA to Pakistan (Comparison Table)

2. How Bank Transfers from the US to Pakistan Work

Banks are a reliable option to send money to Pakistan but they can easily cost 5-6 times more than dedicated service providers. This is because banks do much more than just move money and usually prioritize other aspects of their businesses over international money transfers.

We are presenting our analysis of some of the most popular US consumer banks in terms of sending money to Pakistan below.

2.1 Wells Fargo

You can send money to Pakistan from Wells Fargo’s website or phone app by following these steps:

1. Select “Transfer & Pay” and then choose “Wire Money”.
2. Add the details of the recipient.
3. Confirm details and send.

Their transfer fees, limits, and exchange markups depend on your account type. The costs of transfer and limits are listed transparently on the transfer page. Pakistan is not supported by Wells Fargo’s dedicated ExpressSend remittance service.

2.2 Bank of America

By using the international wire transfer option on the website or the mobile app, you can send money to Pakistan. If you don’t convert USD to PKR, then you will be charged a $45 USD fee. However, if you convert to PKR before sending then they charge 0 USD fee on the transfer but they apply a markup on currency conversion that depends on the account type.

Bank of America Transfer Fees

2.3 Chase Bank

You can send money to Pakistan from their digital banking portal on the website or the phone app. If you use your checking account to fund the transfer, they charge a $5 USD fee on every transfer below $5000 USD. After this limit, there is no transfer fee. They also charge a currency exchange margin on USD to PKR conversions. If you don’t have an account with them, you can send the money after paying a $50 USD fee.

2.4 Citibank

You can wire money to Pakistan from their phone application. The app also comes with a cost estimation tool. You can send up to $10,000 USD. They charge a $0-45 USD fee for every transfer to Pakistan depending on the account type. Additionally, there is also a currency exchange markup that varies with the type of account you have. Their wire transfers are concluded within 3-5 days.

Note: banks not mentioned also have similar fees and exchange rate margins.

3. 8 Best Apps to Send Money from USA to Pakistan

4. Best for Cash

After comparing all the options for sending cash payments to Pakistan from the USA, MoneyGram and WorldRemit come out strongly. In our view they have the best combination of fees, transfer speed, agent networks, and easy-to-use services for cash transfers.

4.1. MoneyGram

MoneyGram is one of the biggest and better-known money transfer companies out there, and for good reason. In our view, they are ahead of everyone else in terms of sending cash payments to Pakistan from the US.

They are based in the US and have locations everywhere – over 30,000 agents cover the entire country. In Pakistan, they have more than 2,500 agents, including official partnerships with leading banks and exchange companies like MCB Bank, Bank Alfalah, Soneri Bank, and WallStreet Exchange Company.

Transfer fees ($0-15 USD) depend on how you fund your transfer and the receiving method. Cash transfer fees are slightly higher than bank transfer fees. Both web and mobile apps provide cost estimation.

MoneyGram applies around 0.3-1.5% markup on USD to PKR conversions. The recipient can usually pick up cash within an hour.

4.2. WorldRemit

WorldRemit has seen a steady growth in recent years. Over 5 million users use the service worldwide to make international transfers.

They are licensed as a money transfer company in both the US and Pakistan, and abide by all regulations in both countries. In Pakistan, they have an official partnership with Allied Bank, Bank Al Habib, MCB Bank, and Bank of Punjab so you can pick cash from these banks.

Their cash pickup locations are fewer than MoneyGram and only include banks. So the receiver can only get cash within the banking hours in Pakistan. That said, they advertise that 95% of their cash transfers are available within 3 minutes.

There is no transfer fee for sending PKR to Pakistan. They make money by charging you a markup (roughly 1-1.5%) for USD to PKR conversions.

5. Best for Smaller Transfers

Wise and PaySend are our top picks for sending amounts below $7000 USD to Pakistan from the US.

5.1. Wise

Wise has seen remarkable growth in the last decade. The growth has come as a result of dependable service that relied upon constant innovation to push the fees lower. This is why Wise is one of the leading services out there for sending money to Pakistan.

Wise has an official presence in both the US and Pakistan. They follow all the regulations in both countries as well, so your money will be in good hands.

One of the best things about Wise is its exchange rate. They offer real, mid-market exchange rates without any markups. What’s more is that for USD to PKR exchanges, they allow you to fix the exchange for about 25 hours.

Their fees are also highly competitive – you pay an average of 0.66% in total per transfer. Using their Wise Calculator (no sign-up required), you can actually see the exact amount your receiver will get right now.

They say 57% of transfers happen in less than 20 seconds, which we also find to be true. In our testing, we found that the rest of the transfers are generally completed within 2 days.

5.2. PaySend

PaySend is our second pick for sending small transfers to Pakistan. They are a well-established service that supports transfers to 170 countries globally. PaySend is unique because, unlike its competitors, it allows card-to-card transfers without any need for bank details.

They comply with all the financial regulations in the US and Pakistan and hold official state-level licenses to operate. You can send money inside Pakistan to any card, private bank account, and mobile wallet without any hassle.

Transfers to cards and mobile wallets have a fixed $1.99 USD fee while transfers to bank accounts have no fee. Transfer limits can vary with the state you are sending money from in the US. You can find the detailed limits here.

They do charge around 0.6-1.5% markup on USD to PKR currency exchange. Card transfers are usually completed within minutes, while bank and wallet transfers could take up to 3 business days.

6. Best for Larger Transfers

OFX is our top pick for sending amounts larger than $7,000 USD to Pakistan from the USA.

6.1. OFX

OFX is considered to be among the pioneers in the money transfer industry. We think they are the best service for sending larger transfers from the US to Pakistan. We especially like their 24/7 phone-based customer service.

Transferring big sums overseas can get complicated with regulations, bank limits, and other issues. Therefore, the availability of consistent customer service can often be super important for a seamless operation.

OFX also follows all regulations in the US and Pakistan. Large transfers are usually subjected to anti-money laundering and terror financing laws and the regulations associated can make transfers more complicated with more potential for issues for services that are designed for smaller amounts. OFX has been designed for large amounts and can do smaller amounts.

Their main revenue generation source is exchange rate markup. They apply approximately a 1.5%-2% markup on USD to PKR conversion at the start, but as you transfer more, the exchange rate markup keeps going down toward the lower limit of 0.4%.

Transfers above $10,000 USD have no transfer fee, but under that, there could be a $15 USD charge. However, we have organized to remove this fee (opens a new tab) so we can all avoid this fee together (if applicable).

They only offer bank-bank transfers and banks could charge extra fees. Most of their transfers to Pakistan are completed within three business days. That said a lot depends on the receiving bank and there can be and extra day or two added.

7. Cheapest Transfers from USA to Pakistan

Cash transfers work differently than bank-to-bank or wallet transfers. To deliver cash, money transfer companies have to develop networks of agents that have to cover the major parts of the countries involved. Such intensive networks need significant financing for their development and maintainability. These are often passed on to the customers in terms of higher fees.

That being said, newer services like WorldRemit have partnered with local banks to try to reduce costs for cash transfers which has meant services like MoneyGram have become more competitive. However, they are still more costly than digital transfers.

If you are looking for the cheapest service to send money to Pakistan then we think Wise is the best option to send amounts less than $7000 USD. You only pay a 0.67% average transfer fee and get the mid-market exchange rate with no markup or other hidden fee. The exchange rate can be fixed for 25 hours for USD to PKR conversions by scheduling the transfer.

For bigger transfers to Pakistan from the US (over $7000 USD), OFX is often the cheapest option. They don’t charge a transfer fee for bigger transfers ($10,000) and just charge a markup on USD to PKR conversion. This markup starts at 1.5-2% and as you send more money it goes down in percentage terms to only 0.4%. Simply put, the more you transfer, the more you save in percentage terms. Moreover, you also get 24/7 phone customer service to ensure transfers happen smoothly.

8. Fastest Transfers from USA to Pakistan

When it comes to transfers of below $7000 USD, Wise’s bank transfers are often the quickest. Their own statistics show 57% of their transfers happen in under 20 seconds, while the remaining transfers don’t take more than 2 business days. In our independent tests, we found these statistics to be accurate.

For amounts bigger than $7000 USD, OFX offers the fastest service. Despite PKR suffering from a lot of volatility in recent years, OFX has been able to complete most of its transfers within 3 days. Their 24/7 phone customer service is also very handy to address concerns and resolve issues.

For cash payments to Pakistan, WorldRemit is usually the fastest service. In most cases, the recipient can pick up cash within 30 minutes. MoneyGram has more agents, but their cash transfers can take a bit longer (30-60 minutes). Keep in mind though that cash transfers are more costly than other transfers.

Transfer Service	Time of Transfer
American Banks	3-5 days
	30-60 minutes
	10-30 minutes
	Wise-to-Wise (within seconds) Bank-Bank (1-3 days)
	1-3 days
	1-3 days

9. Fees for Transfers from USA to Pakistan Compared

Traditional banks usually charge 5-6 times more in fees than specialized money transfer services.

For cash pick-up, MoneyGram fees are normally in the range of $4.99 USD to $15 USD, depending on the method you choose to fund your transfer. You can fund transfers with an online bank account, debit card (lowest fee), credit card or cash at the counter. They also apply approximately 0.3-1.5% markup for USD to PKR exchanges. WorldRemit has zero fees for cash transfers to Pakistan and charges around the same exchange rate markup (1-1.5%).

For small transfers of less than $7000 USD to Pakistan, Wise has the lowest fee – an average fee of only 0.67%. They also offer a mid-market exchange rate that has no hidden fee or extra markup. This is the rate at which banks generally do business with each other.

PaySend bank transfers to Pakistan have no fee. However, there is a flat $1.99 USD fee on cards and wallet transfers. They charge approximately 0.6-1.5% markup on USD to PKR currency conversion for all transfers.

For larger transfers of over $7000 USD, OFX offers highly competitive terms. There are no transfer fees involved for transfers above $10,000. They only charge approximately 1.5-2% margin on PKR conversion that keeps decreasing in percentage terms to only 0.4% as the amount of transfer increases.

Check the table below for detailed transfer fee and exchange rate comparisons.

Transfer Service	Transfer Fee	Exchange Rate
American Banks	$5 USD to $50 USD (Depending on bank & type of account)	Average 3-5% markup
	Depends on the funding method ($1.99 USD for a debit card, $5.99 USD for an online bank, $14.99 USD for cash-funded )	0.3 to 1.5% markup
	Zero fee	1 to 1.5% markup
	Variable 0.67% on average	Zero markup
	$2 USD for card & wallet, Zero for bank transfers	0.6 to 1.5 % markup
	Above $10,000 USD, no fee Below $10,000 USD, $15 USD fee	0.4-2% markup

10. Requirements and Restrictions

If you have an express account with Meezan Bank or Allied Bank in Pakistan, you won’t be able to receive money through Wise. There is also a limit of 980,000 PKR per transfer with Wise.

Pakistan has enacted new anti-money laundering and terror financing laws in recent years that require the recipient to verify their bank account biometrically before receiving money from abroad.

State Bank of Pakistan can sometimes ask the receiving bank to verify the transaction manually which could delay some transfers.

If the recipient is a notable political person in Pakistan, Wise would not allow you to send the money.

The recipient in Pakistan would have to provide a copy of the national identity card to the agent before receiving the cash payment.

11. How to Keep Your Money Safe

We are highlighting some of the basic but important measures below that you can take to safeguard your money.

• Use passwords that are not easy to guess. Never use the same password for multiple accounts/services. You can use a password manager to store your passwords securely.

• Turn on notifications for your financial apps for account changes and access alerts. This will help you to be informed of any attempts on your account.

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. It boosts security by needing a second verification in the form of a code sent to your mobile that you have to type inside the app.

• It’s important to be watchful of emails and messages or calls asking for personal financial information. Do not click on links if you cannot verify the legitimacy of the sender.

• Hackers usually look for devices running old software and use the reported issues to target them. Therefore, always regularly update your devices and applications to ensure you have the latest security patches.

• Do not share personal information online needlessly like on social media sites and community forums. Cybercriminals can search for and use this information to their advantage.

12. Final Word