Remitly vs. Western Union: Best options for transfers to India from Germany

With thousands of Indians in Germany, the question of how to send money to India from Germany can often be heard from the local expats. There are endless options, from bank transfers to cryptocurrencies, and you’ve probably heard about Western Union and Remitly. In this article, we’ll compare these two popular platforms to find the best way to send money from Germany to India (maybe it will be a hidden gem? Stay tuned).

Overview

Before discussing how to send money to India from Germany, let us briefly explain Western Union and Remitly.

Western Union

Western Union is an American online service that allows you to send money to India and other destinations from home. It began in the 19th century as a telegraph company. Years passed, and the company changed. Now, you can use Western Union to make money transfers, bill payments, and order a prepaid credit card.

Remitly

Remitily is another American online service that transfers money from Germany to India and other destinations. It’s a digital service with no physical offices for customers. Remitly is much younger than Western Union, founded in 2012. However, the company is rapidly expanding, and currently, you can easily use Remitly for transfer from Germany to India

Website transparency

The first impression of a company is always their website. Let’s walk through it.

Western Union’s main page offers the option to check available countries, a list of fees, and special offers. But to see the final amount to be received and the exchange rate (aren’t those the main things to be displayed?), you sometimes have to take an extra step and click on “send money” on the menu.

Remitly’s main page shows even less essential information for the expats. It’s hard to understand how to transfer money from Germany to India. To find it, click the “Rates & fees” button on the menu and choose the direction of your transfer from Germany to India with Remitly.

Countries and currencies

When searching for how to send money to India from Germany, one should consider a list of available countries for every service.

With its rich history, Western Union has had the opportunity to expand its network to over 200 countries. You can check them all on their main website page. The inconvenience begins here: you can quickly check and change receiving countries, but the sender location is detected automatically. To change it, you should scroll down a little bit and find a special zone.

Remitly offers over 170 countries, less than the Western Union, but still impressive. You can explore them all on their website and make sure that Remitly operates Germany-to-India transfers.

Both services work with over 100 currencies, making them excellent and flexible options for overseas transfers.

With all the essential information in hand, we can now explore the details of how to transfer money from Germany to India using the two services mentioned.

Exchange rates

[The numbers are taken from the official websites at the beginning of December 2024. Check the updated rates on services’ platforms]

Western Union: 1.00 EUR = 90.5496 INR

Remitly: 1 EUR = 89.92 INR

Following these numbers, we can conclude that Western Union is the best money transfer to India option, but don’t rush. A secret will be revealed at the end of this article.

Fees

One word and so much stress.

Western Union fees change depending on the countries and payment/receiving methods you choose. This is inconvenient, but you must accept the reality if you use Western Union. When you decide how to send money to India from Germany, experiment and click on other options as well. Maybe you’ll find the cheaper one. Now, fees for transferring money from Germany to India vary from 1 EUR to 4 EUR.

Remitly has similar policies. Depending on your destination and delivery method, the fees change. When you choose how to transfer money from Germany to India with Remitly, remember that the UPI method is the cheapest with 0.99 EUR fees, while with the bank deposit, they will charge you 2.99 EUR.

Sending process

The algorithm of how to send money to India from Germany with Remitly and Western Union is more or less the same:

1. Register;
2. Prove your identity (not always);
3. Set up the transfer;
4. Confirm and wait.

But note this

• With Western Union, the final amount of your transfer may change upon completion. What you see is not always what you get, so to avoid frustration, consider other services when trying to send money to India.
• Some customers found Western Union’s interface unfriendly, and multiple errors were detected during the transfer.
• Remitly’s transfer can take several days. If your family or friends need to receive funds the same day, this service is probably not the best way to send money from Germany to India.
• Some customers report that Remitly accepts your payment before the persona’s verification and then puts your transfer on hold. Be careful when transferring money from Germany to Kenya, and read more reviews in advance.

Is there a faster and safer option than Western Union or Remitly? Let us reveal the hidden gem — Profee.

Hidden gem

Profee is a platform for online transfer that puts you and your comfort in the first place. You could see Profee as a sponsor of Holi events or in Indian grocery stores in Germany — we value our Indian customers and make everything for their positive experience:

• The website and Profee app are customer-friendly: you have no questions left after visiting the main page.
• What you see is what you get: the final amount to be received doesn’t change during the transfer process.
• Promo rate on your first transfer and unmatched rates afterwards: 1 EUR = 90.642 INR
• We are a licenced company which undergoes safety checks outs. So your money is secure with Profee.
• No fees for your first transfer and no hidden fees at all.
• NRE, NRO and other account types are available.

How to send money from Germany or another EU country to India with Profee? Follow the five simple steps highlighted in our article.

The numbers for the first transfer will speak for itself. Look and decide what is the best money transfer to India option for you:

Your loved ones will get the most with Profee. Isn’t that enough of a reason? Plus, managing transfer amounts is one of the budgeting tips for Indians in Europe. Everyone wins with Profee.