Money transfer tips
How to pay us, how your recipient gets paid, and a few habits that keep more of your money in the transfer.
Most of what affects the cost of a transfer is decided before you press send: which payment method you use, which payout method your recipient picks, and when you send. This page covers all three.
Methods of payment
We accept bank transfer from a UK bank account in your own name. Once you accept a quote, we show our account details and a payment reference: send the exact amount with that reference, and the transfer is released as soon as your payment reaches us. We do not accept cash, card payments, or payment from someone else's account. See How to pay.
Getting the timing right
- A UK Faster Payment usually reaches us within minutes, so the transfer can be released the same day.
- Use the payment reference exactly as shown. A payment without it takes longer to match to your transfer.
- We never charge a monthly account fee. Your bank may charge for the payment itself - check with them.
The fee is ours, the conversion is not hidden
You see the reference rate, our fee, and the amount your recipient receives before you pay. If a bank adds a foreign-currency fee on top, that appears on your statement as a separate line from theirs.
Payout options
How your recipient gets the money is chosen by you when you set up the transfer, and it is at this point that the fee and the speed are determined.
The payout methods available in Zimbabwe
- Cash collection at a partner branch - the most common, and the one most recipients prefer. Your recipient brings a collection reference and their own identity document to any branch in the network.
- Bank deposit - into a bank account they hold in Zimbabwe. Useful for larger amounts, or for someone who cannot travel to a branch.
- Mobile money - where the payout partner supports it for that corridor.
Choosing well
- Mobile money is usually the cheapest payout option, followed by cash collection. Neither requires the recipient to hold a bank account.
- Bank deposit suits amounts above roughly the point where a branch would want advance notice. Check with your recipient before you send - some banks do not accept third-party credits without written confirmation.
- For cash collection, have your recipient tell you which city and location they will collect from before you create your money transfer, so you can include it in your transfer.
Habits that keep more of your money
Practical habits
- Check whether your bank charges for the payment before you send.
- Check the recipient's name matches their identity document exactly. This is the most common reason a collection is refused at the counter.
- If the transfer is time-critical, please be aware of business hours for the chosen payout location, as these may impact collection time for your recipient.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi for the payment step. See Fraud Prevention for safer alternatives.
Beware the guarantee-of-arrival offer
Nobody can guarantee when cash reaches a counter. Any service promising a guaranteed delivery time, or offering a much better rate than everyone else with no explanation, is the most common shape of a transfer scam.