New York 
Kolkata What are the two costs in every transfer?
Every transfer abroad costs you twice. First, the fee, which you can see. Second, the exchange rate. The real rate is the one you see on Google, also called the mid-market rate. Most companies give you a lower rate and keep the difference. On $1,000, a rate that is 2% lower means your family gets ₹1,899 less.
No company gives you the real rate unless it says so. A company that says “no fee” but gives you a rate 2% lower is still charging you 2%. A company with a small fee and the real rate can be cheaper. The only way to know is to compare how many rupees arrive.
- YouSend from your bank
- Your bank$35–70 in fees
- Bank in the middleMay take a fee
- Indian bankRate 2–3% worse
- Family1–3 working days
- YouHold or buy USDC
- BlockchainMinutes, small fee
- Licensed companyChanges it to rupees
- FamilyBank account in India
- YouBank balance or USDC/USDT
- MuffinPayNo transfer fee
- Family’s bank or the billerRupees, at the Google rate
- ReceiptSent back to you
How do costs compare from the UAE, USA, UK and Canada?
From every country we checked, a bank costs the most. From the USA, $1,000 sent by bank loses ₹5,222 to ₹9,495. From the UK, £1,000 loses ₹4,776 to ₹10,684. From the UAE, AED 3,500 loses ₹2,960 to ₹7,226. From Canada, the average company loses ₹2,871 on C$1,000.
Wise vs Western Union vs banks: which costs least?
Wise and Revolut checked 11 November 2026 · others 25 October 2026
| Company | How it charges | When it costs more | Pays an Indian bill directly | Proof sent to you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | A small percentage: about 0.4–0.7% from the UK and 0.55–1.1% from the USA | A bigger percentage from the USA | No | Transfer receipt |
 | No extra cost on weekdays, up to a monthly limit | 1% at weekends. Above the limit, 0.5% in the USA and 1% in the UK | No | Transfer receipt |
 | A small cost in the exchange rate, and a card fee in the USA | $30 card fee on $1,000 from the USA | No | Transfer receipt |
Banks | Bank fees plus 1.5–3% in the exchange rate | Every amount, from every country | No | Bank statement |
| No transfer fee. The Google rate | Never, for Founding Families | Yes | The biller’s receipt |
Each of these is a fair choice for some transfers. Revolut is a good choice on a weekday within its limit. Western Union is cheap by bank transfer and has cash pickup. Wise is clear about its fees. Banks cost the most and tell you the least. None of them pays your mother’s electricity bill for you.
Type how much you send. You will see how many rupees reach India with each option, and how many reach your family with MuffinPay, at today’s rate.
1 USD = ₹94.95
No transfer fee. The Google rate.
These are typical published prices, so each figure is a range, not a quote. Each company’s own app shows the final amount on the day you send. MuffinPay is not open yet. Founding Families on the waitlist get this pricing when it opens in their country.
Are stablecoins cheaper for sending money to India?
They can be. A stablecoin transfer skips SWIFT (the network banks use to send money abroad) and the banks in the middle. The cost is a network fee, usually a few cents, plus the cost of changing the stablecoins into rupees. That last part varies a lot, and some companies take a big cut. Judge them like any other company: by how many rupees arrive.
There are downsides. Stablecoins are not money in a bank and are not insured. If you send them to the wrong address, you cannot get them back. In India, selling stablecoins on an exchange means 1% TDS (tax taken at the time of sale) and 30% tax on any profit. That is why sending rupees to a bank account is usually simpler than sending stablecoins to a relative. Our guide to changing USDT into rupees explains why.
One family, a year of transfers
You send $1,000 home every month. The company you pick decides how much of that $12,000 your family gets in a year. This is a year at today’s typical prices.
- Sent in a year
- $12,000
- At the Google rate
- ₹11,39,346
- By bank wire
- −₹62,664 to −1,13,935
- By Wise
- −₹6,266 to −12,305
- With MuffinPay
- ₹11,39,346
How do you spot a hidden fee?
- “Zero fee” with no exchange rate shown. Check the Google rate and compare.
- A rate that gets worse at weekends. Some apps charge more when markets are closed.
- Fees in India. Some Indian banks take a fee when money arrives from abroad.
- Paying by card. This often costs more than a bank transfer.
- Free only up to a limit. Some apps are free up to a monthly amount, then charge a percentage.
Questions families ask
What is the mid-market rate?
It is the real exchange rate: halfway between the price banks pay to buy a currency and the price they sell it for. It is the rate you see on Google, and the fairest way to compare companies.
Is Wise cheaper than Western Union for India?
It depends on where you send from and how you pay. From the UK, Western Union paid by bank transfer was a little cheaper than Wise on £1,000. From the USA, the two were close when paying by bank transfer, but Western Union cost more by card because of its card fee.
Why are bank transfers to India so expensive?
Banks charge a fee to send, and a bank in the middle may take another fee. The bank also gives you a rate well below the real one. On $1,000 from the USA, that adds up to ₹5,222 to ₹9,495.
What does the World Bank say it costs to send money?
Around the world, sending US$200 cost 6.36% on average in the third quarter of 2025. Sending to India costs less than that average.
What is MuffinPay?
MuffinPay is a cross-border payments app built on stablecoins. Send money and pay bills for the people you love in another country: rent, electricity, school fees, insurance. Bills go straight to the biller, money lands in local currency, with proof.
What does a Founding Family get?
No MuffinPay transfer fee, for as long as you use MuffinPay, and the Google rate (the real exchange rate) on everything you send. Places go to the first families on the waitlist. MuffinPay opens country by country.