The question is how much less, and whether the normal price is still good. On the prices checked for this review in October 2026, it was good on Nigeria, on India for larger sends, and on Jamaica. It was a little behind on the Philippines. On Ghana, another app delivered more.
When Remitly is the right app
Remitly is strongest when the money needs to arrive somewhere other than a bank account. It pays out to cash pickup points in all five of the big routes covered here. It pays into mobile wallets in Nigeria, Ghana and the Philippines; its partners include MTN Mobile Money and Paga in Nigeria, MTN Mobile Money, Telecel Cash and AirtelTigo Money in Ghana, and GCash and Maya in the Philippines. In India it pays to a bank account, to cash pickup, or by UPI. In the Philippines it also offers home delivery.
On Nigeria, the normal rate after the welcome offer stayed close to the real rate: about half a percent below it on the October 2026 check. There is no fee on sends of £100 or more. On £1,000, Remitly's normal price delivered about the same naira as Wise, a little more in fact.
On India, the same is true for larger sends. From £500 there is no fee, and the normal rate was about 0.3 percent below the real rate. On £1,000 it delivered slightly more rupees than Wise.
On Jamaica, Remitly is the app to open even at the normal price. Wise sends Jamaican dollars the slow way, through the international banking system. Its fee was more than £15 on a £200 send, and its own arrival estimate was about five days. Remitly charges £1.99 and pays into a Jamaican bank account or for cash pickup. On £200, the family got roughly £10 more in Jamaican dollars from Remitly than from Wise, after the welcome offer was gone.
When to open something else
On the Philippines, if the money is going into a bank account, Wise delivered a little more than Remitly's normal price: under £1 more on £200, and about £4 more on £1,000. If your family wants the pesos in GCash, Maya or at a pawnshop counter, Remitly is still a fair choice. The gap is small.
On India, small sends carry a fee. Remitly charges £1.99 on sends under £500. On a £200 send that fee pushed Remitly just behind Wise, by about £1. If you send under £500 to a bank account every month, Wise is the better habit.
On Ghana, Remitly does not offer a special rate at all. New customers get £10 off a first send of £50 or more, and no fee on any send. But the normal rate on a £200 send was about 2 percent below the real rate. Sendwave delivered about £4 more on the same £200 into Ghana. If the money is going to an MTN Mobile Money wallet, open Sendwave first.
- You send £500 or more to Nigeria or India. Remitly is a good choice, also after the first send. Check Wise on the same amount once a month.
- You send to Jamaica. Use Remitly. Even at the normal price it delivers clearly more than Wise.
- You send to a GCash or Maya wallet in the Philippines. Remitly is fine. Wise is slightly cheaper only into a bank account.
- You send to MTN Mobile Money in Ghana. Check Sendwave first. It delivered more on the same send.
- You stayed with Remitly because the first send was so good. Do not judge it by that send. Compare your second send with Wise on the same amount.
How the price works
Every Remitly send has two parts: the exchange rate, and sometimes a fee.
The rate is where most of the cost sits. Remitly keeps a small gap between the real rate and the rate it gives you. On the five routes checked in October 2026, that gap on a normal send was between about 0.3 percent and 2 percent. It was smallest on India and Nigeria, and largest on Ghana and Jamaica on a £200 send. On larger sends the gap was often smaller.
The fee depends on the route and the amount. On Nigeria it is £0.99 below £100 and nothing from £100. On India it is £1.99 below £500 and nothing from £500. On Jamaica it is £1.99. On Ghana it is nothing. Remitly adds the fee on top, so the whole amount you type is changed into the family's currency.
On Nigeria, India, the Philippines and Jamaica, the welcome offer is a better rate on your first send, and no fee. In October 2026 it was between about 1 and 2 percent better than the real rate. That is Remitly paying to win you. It only covers part of a large send: the first £250 on Nigeria and Jamaica, the first £1,000 on India and the Philippines. Above that, the normal rate applies to the rest. On Ghana there is no better rate. The offer there is £10 off a first send of £50 or more.
For what each app actually delivered on a recent Friday, see the Friday number for Nigeria, the Philippines, India and Ghana.
Catch
Remitly's special rate for new customers, where a route has one, is for your first send only, and it is the rate shown when you pay by Easy bank transfer. Your second send gets the normal rate, on any amount.
Which speed to pick
You choose a speed in the app before you pay. Remitly says that for the fastest transfers you may want Express, paid by debit or credit card, where it is offered. On the UK fee tables for Nigeria, India and Jamaica, Express and Economy cost the same fee. The one difference on these routes is US dollars to Jamaica: £4.99 for Express, £2.99 for Economy. The app shows the expected arrival time for each speed on your send. Read it before you press send.
The one check: your second send
The drop from the first send to the second is real. On the October 2026 check, on a £200 send, it was between about 1 percent and 4 percent of the money, depending on the route. On £1,000 it was smaller on Nigeria and Jamaica, under 1 percent, because the special rate there stops at £250. On the Philippines it was about 2.6 percent. That is about £5 less on a £200 send, and about £26 less on £1,000.
The app does not show you last month's rate next to this month's. So do this check yourself, once.
- When the first send arrives, write down what the family got, in their currency.
- Before the second send, search the real rate on Google. Note it.
- Open Remitly and Wise on the same amount. Look at what arrives on each, not at the fee.
- Keep the app that delivers more. Check again every few months.
If Remitly still delivers the most after this check, stay with it. Loyalty to an app is fine when the app keeps earning it.
Is Remitly safe?
Yes. In the UK, Remitly U.K., Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an electronic money institution. Its register number is 1047222. It is a payment company, not a bank. The 
FCA says money held with a payment company like this is not covered by the UK compensation scheme for bank accounts. Instead, the company must protect customer money, usually by keeping it in a separate bank account, so it can be paid back if the company fails. For a money transfer, where your money passes through in a day or two, this matters very little.
Remitly also promises your send will arrive on time or it refunds your fees. That promise covers the fee only, not the rate. On many sends from the UK the fee is £0, so the refund would be £0 too.
Customer reviews mention account holds and extra identity checks, sometimes on small sends. If Remitly asks for a document, send it quickly. The money waits until the check is done.
The verdict
Remitly is a good app for cash pickup and mobile wallets, and on Nigeria, India above £500, and Jamaica its normal price is still among the best. It is not a trap. But the first send is a gift to win you, and the second send is the real price. Judge Remitly by the second send. The number on your family's phone after that second send is the only one that tells you if you should stay.
Questions people ask
Is Remitly cheaper than Wise?
It depends on the route. On Nigeria, India above £500, and Jamaica, Remitly's normal price delivered as much as Wise or more in October 2026. On the Philippines into a bank account, and on India below £500, Wise delivered a little more.
Why was my first Remitly transfer better than the second?
On Nigeria, India, the Philippines and Jamaica, new customers get a special rate and no fee on the first send. From the second send, the normal rate applies. On the same amount, the second send delivers less. On Ghana there is no special rate. New customers get £10 off a first send of £50 or more. So on Ghana the second send delivers the same cedis as the first, but it costs £10 more.
Can I get the special rate again?
No. Remitly's terms say the offer is for first-time customers only, one per person.
Does Remitly charge a fee?
On some sends. From the UK it is £0.99 below £100 to Nigeria, £1.99 below £500 to India, £1.99 to Jamaica, and nothing to Ghana. Larger sends to Nigeria and India have no fee.
Who regulates Remitly in the UK?
The Financial Conduct Authority. Remitly U.K., Ltd is an authorised electronic money institution, register number 1047222.
Corrections
- 2026-10-24: An earlier version of this page said every new customer gets a special rate on the first send, so the second send always delivers less. That is true on Nigeria, India, the Philippines and Jamaica. On Ghana there is no special rate, only £10 off a first send of £50 or more, so the second send delivers the same cedis for £10 more. The page also said the drop on the second send was 1 to 4 percent without saying that range is for a £200 send; on £1,000 it is under 1 percent on Nigeria and Jamaica.