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Compare international money transfer services to the Philippines
Use our comparison calculator to assess transfer fees, exchange rates and other details for sending funds to the Philippines with a money transfer service.
Disclaimer: Exchange rates change often. Confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.
How to compare transfer companies when sending money to the Philippines
Exchange rates. Nearly all providers skew exchange rates for a profit. Compare the rate you’re offered to the mid-market rate – the rate banks and transfer services use when they trade among themselves – and look for the smallest margin between them.
Transfer fees. Find out whether the provider charges a flat fee or a percentage of your transfer. If you’re sending a large amount, ask whether you qualify for a fee-free transfer.
Transfer speed. If it needs to be there fast, companies like Western Union and MoneyGram allow for quick cash pick-ups, often in minutes. If you’ve more time, you’ll get better rates and fees with an independent provider.
Transfer limits. Your best option might depend on how much you want to send. For large transfers, weigh the best exchange rate — especially since providers encourage large transfers by offering low fees. For smaller amounts, consider the fees you’ll pay on top of the exchange rate.
"Hedging" options. Ask whether you can schedule payments ahead of time or protect your transfer against market fluctuations with a limit order or forward contract.
Customer service. Most companies offer customer service by Internet chat, phone, in person or by email. Make sure help will be available if you need it.
Foreign exchange rates explained
An exchange rate determines how much one country’s currency is worth in another currency. When a country’s currency is strong, it yields more money when exchanging it in a country with a weak currency. The Philippine peso has historically been one of the weaker currencies in Asia. Economic stability, inflation and regional politics all impact the Philippine peso’s value.
What are the ways I can send money to the Philippines?
The Philippine peso is traded regularly on global currency markets, which means you have plenty of options to choose from when looking to send money to the Philippines. These include the following:
Bank transfers. Many Australian banks will let you send funds to the Philippines, though you should keep an eye out for poor exchange rates and high fees.
Money transfer providers. Specialist money transfer services like WorldRemit and TransferWise offer fast and affordable international money transfers.
Providers with cash pick-up. MoneyGram and Western Union offer fast transfers that you can pick up from a number of agent locations across the Philippines.
International money orders. Although not a quick option, you can choose to post an international guaranteed cheque from your bank.
Banks versus money transfer companies
Many major Australian banks offer the option to send funds to the Philippines, but they typically charge high transfer fees and offer exchange rates that are significantly lower than the mid-market rate (or the rate banks and transfer providers use when trading among themselves).
A reputable money transfer specialist can often offer better exchange rates and also charge lower fees, saving you money and putting more Philippine pesos into your recipient’s pocket.
Example: Paul sends money to the Philippines
Paul wants to send a gift of AUD$1,500 to his cousins in the Philippines, but he knows that using his bank to do so will be unnecessarily expensive. With this in mind, he decides to compare the exchange rate and fees of his bank with those offered by a specialist money transfer company. The results of his comparison can be seen in the table below.
Major Australian bank
Money transfer specialist
Exchange rate
AUD$1 = PHP36.515
AUD$1 = PHP38.719
Transfer fee
AUD$12
AUD$0
Transfer time
1-3 days
1-2 days
Transfer options
Online, in branch
Online
Amount received for AUD$1,500 (PHP)
PHP54,773
PHP58,079
Difference (PHP)
+PHP3,306
As you can see, not only can Paul save $12 in fees but he can also send an extra PHP3,306 to his relatives by using a money transfer company.
Tips when sending money to the Philippines
Making an emergency transfer to someone in the Philippines
You might need to send an emergency cash transfer to the Philippines – for example, if a friend travelling through the country loses their wallet. When you need to transfer funds urgently, your fastest possible transfer will often be the most expensive option. Carefully review the exchange rate and transfer fee against your needs so you understand exactly how much it will cost you.
Tips for picking up cash in the Philippines
Check an agent’s location and hours of operation before visiting.
Avoid visiting any unsafe areas.
Don’t wave your cash around in public and make yourself a target for thieves.
Don’t carry large sums of money around for any longer than is necessary.
Deposit the money into your bank account as soon as possible.
CEBUANA LHUILLIER Address: 162 A Arnaiz Ave cnr Hidalgo St., 66 Zone 8, Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +63 2 892 1683
M LHUILLIER Address: 102 Zen Towers, 1111 Natividad Lopez St, 654 Ermita, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +63 2 559 9039
M LHUILLIER KWARTA PADALA Address: Central Building , P A Bernardo, San Martin De Pores , 1111 Quezon City , Metro Manila Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +63 2 376 6386
MoneyGram
BANCO DE ORO – #467 – SALES ST – RAON Address: 545 Sales St cnr G Puyat St (Raon), 1016 Sta Cruz, Manila Hours: 8:30am–5:30pm Phone: +63 2 716 7331
BANK OF COMMERCE Address: Victoria Bldg, UN Avenue, Manila Hours: 9am–4pm Phone: +63 2 526 0222
CEBUANA LHUILLIER Address: 624 P Paterno St, Quiapo Manila, Metro Manila 1000 Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +63 2 899 6208
Western Union
PETNET-RIZAL AVENUE EXT. Address: Rizal Avenue Exit Grace Park, 1695 Barangay 072 District 2 Kaloocan, National Capital Region 1400 Hours: 9am–6pm Phone: +63 2 962 4203
USSC SERVICE STORE – TIMES PLA Address: Un Ave cnr Gen Luna St Gf Times Manila, National Capital Region 1000 Hours:8am–7pm Phone:+63 2 525 8887
USSC SERVICE STORE SHAW CENTER Address: 360 Shaw Blvd Addition Hills, Unit 330, Shaw Center Mall Mandaluyong, National Capital Region 1552 Hours: 9am–9pm Phone: +632 654 9725
WorldRemit
CEBUANA LHUILLIER PERA PADALA Address: Ayala Center Cebu, 176 Archbishop Reyes Ave, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu Hours: 9am–5pm Phone: +63 32 231 5342
M LHUILLIER PAWNSHOP Address: V Rama Ave, Cebu City, Cebu Hours: 9am–5pm Phone: +63 32 253 2544
BANCO DE ORO Address: N Escario St, Cebu City, Cebu Hours: 9am–5:30pm Phone: +63 32 254 0482
DE LEON PAWNSHOP Address: Rizal Avenue, Zone 2 Digos, Davao Del Sur 8002 Hours: 8am–6pm Phone: +63 82 553 7452
PETNET INC Address: Rizal Avenue, Ground Floor 2109 Digos, Davao Del Sur 8002 Hours: 8am–4:30pm Phone: +63 82 2721240
RURAL BANK OF DIGOS Address: Rizal Avenue Digos, Davao Del Sur 8002 Hours: 9am–5pm Phone: +63 82 5532691
About the Philippines and Australia
Australia and the Philippines are located quite close to one another and enjoy friendly ties. Australia is home to over 220,000 Filipino Australians, the fifth largest subgroup of overseas Filipinos in the world. The largest communities of Filipino Australians can be found in Sydney and Melbourne, though smaller pockets exist in other capital cities.
According to data from the World Bank, in 2017 Australia sent just over $1 billion in remittances to the Philippines. How do the other top 10 countries stack up against how much Australia is sending to the Philippines?
Rank
Receiving country
Amount of remittances Australia sent in 2017
1
China
$2,921,831,167
2
India
$1,943,847,714
3
Vietnam
$1,182,063,046
4
United Kingdom
$1,084,074,219
5
Philippines
$1,002,359,356
6
Lebanon
$951,642,777
7
Italy
$733,516,523
8
Germany
$556,414,028
9
France
$424,370,489
10
Sri Lanka
$392,587,253
Next steps
While you can send money to the Philippines via your bank, there are other more affordable ways to send money overseas. Once you've compared your options in the table above and found the best one for you, head over to the provider's website and register for an account. While the registration part of the process may take some time, once you have your account set up, you'll be good to go.
Frequently asked questions
You'll get the most for your Australian dollars when either the AUD is doing well, or the PHP is weak. However, it's nearly impossible to predict when this will be. There are a few factors you can monitor that can indicate what the exchange rate might do:
Political climate, particularly if there are any elections coming up
How much debt the country you're sending to has
The interest rates set by the country's central bank, especially if there's a rate change announcement coming up
It depends on what transfer company you go with. Some allow it and some don't. When comparing your options, make sure to check this before registering.
PayPal is an option when sending money to the Philippines, but both you and your recipient will need accounts. If they don't have it, they'll receive a link to sign up to it when the transfer goes through. You can use your bank account or card to send money, but there's a flat transfer fee for both. If you pay by card, there will also be a transfer fee on top of that flat fee.
It depends on the money transfer provider you chose. Some do offer no transfer limit, meaning you can send as much money as you want. Generally, you'll get a better deal for larger money transfers.
Marc Terrano is the lead publisher of Points Finder and a co-host of the Pocket Money podcast. He was previously a writer and publisher for home loans at Finder. Marc has a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) from the University of Technology Sydney. He’s passionate about creating honest and simple reviews and comparisons to help Australians get the best value for their money.
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Unfortunately, as a comparison website, we are unable to recommend specific products to our users.
On our comparison table above, there are two options for transferring to a bank account in the Philippines. The Citibank Plus Everyday Account and the WorldRemit International Money Transfers. Unfortunately, our calculator is unable to compute how much your recipient will receive if you send a particular amount. You’ll have to directly go to the provider’s website to calculate the actual rates and fees.
hello how can i track world remit cebuana lhuillier ? WORLDREMIT sent me text message with the control number but the girl said control number is invalid ?
my friend send me money through WORLDREMIT CEbuana Lhiullier (Metrobank Transaction) on DEc.1 but then when i come to the Cebuna Outlet here , its says the control number invalid nothing found on the control number WORLDREMIT texted me and that text i give it to the Cebuna but as they told me many times no money in that control number totally invalid , all outlet i come all says its INVALID!!! i talk them personally and the manager here its INVALID!!. my friend already contact worldremit but then nothing happen What is the problem??? **********
We’re sorry to hear about your experience with Worldremit. As we are not Worldremit unfortunately we do not know what the problem is.
If you’ve quoted the reference “WorldRemit” and your transaction number (the one that your friend has received) and it still hasn’t arrived, please speak to Worldremit directly on: +61 2 6145 2161.
It might be worth checking with your friend that he or she has put in the correct details.
Thank you for contacting finder.com.au, a financial comparison website.
You have reached finder.com.au, we are an Australian financial comparison website and do not process any transaction only supply information regarding services offered by different financial providers. All the information for our international money transfers is for transferring funds from Australia.
We’re working hard to expand our calculator in the near future to offer the ability to calculate transfers from AUD to PHP. Thanks for using our service in the meantime.
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Which is the BEST service to use for transfer into a bank account in the Philippines … taking into consideration the exchange rate and fees involved ?
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for your question.
Unfortunately, as a comparison website, we are unable to recommend specific products to our users.
On our comparison table above, there are two options for transferring to a bank account in the Philippines. The Citibank Plus Everyday Account and the WorldRemit International Money Transfers. Unfortunately, our calculator is unable to compute how much your recipient will receive if you send a particular amount. You’ll have to directly go to the provider’s website to calculate the actual rates and fees.
Cheers,
Anndy
I need to send money from Australia to Philippines as a cash pick up. What are my options
Hi William,
Thanks for your question.
You may want to consider Worldremit if you want a cash pick up option. Most international money transfers process bank to bank transfers.
hello how can i track world remit cebuana lhuillier ? WORLDREMIT sent me text message with the control number but the girl said control number is invalid ?
Hi Janeviel,
Thanks for your question.
Airtime transfers should be instant – if this isn’t the case please get in touch with WorldRemit directly by clicking ‘Go to site’.
Cheers,
Shirley
my friend send me money through WORLDREMIT CEbuana Lhiullier (Metrobank Transaction) on DEc.1 but then when i come to the Cebuna Outlet here , its says the control number invalid nothing found on the control number WORLDREMIT texted me and that text i give it to the Cebuna but as they told me many times no money in that control number totally invalid , all outlet i come all says its INVALID!!! i talk them personally and the manager here its INVALID!!. my friend already contact worldremit but then nothing happen What is the problem??? **********
Hi Janeviel,
We’re sorry to hear about your experience with Worldremit. As we are not Worldremit unfortunately we do not know what the problem is.
If you’ve quoted the reference “WorldRemit” and your transaction number (the one that your friend has received) and it still hasn’t arrived, please speak to Worldremit directly on: +61 2 6145 2161.
It might be worth checking with your friend that he or she has put in the correct details.
Cheers,
Shirley
I am here in turkey. How can i send money through this FINDER .com , is it have here in turkey?
Hi Yasemine,
Thank you for contacting finder.com.au, a financial comparison website.
You have reached finder.com.au, we are an Australian financial comparison website and do not process any transaction only supply information regarding services offered by different financial providers. All the information for our international money transfers is for transferring funds from Australia.
Please feel free to see if any of the providers we have on our international money transfer page work within Turkey.
Regards
Jodie
why NO calculation or calculator for Australian dollar to Philippines peso?
Hi Gabriel,
thanks for the feedback.
We’re working hard to expand our calculator in the near future to offer the ability to calculate transfers from AUD to PHP. Thanks for using our service in the meantime.
Cheers,
Marc.