The best option when it comes to sending money from Canada to the USA can be determined by a wide range of factors, making it difficult to provide a definitive answer. The United States is renowned as a world superpower, with an approximate population of 331 million people and the world’s highest GDP.

Nonetheless, it has never been easier to send money to the United States in a secure and protected manner. When deciding to send money from Canada to the United States, you will have several options. In most cases, the procedure will entail making a bank transfer, a card payment, or another type of mobile payment.

The length of time it takes will largely depend on your money transfer service, the amount you transfer, the payment method, and the delivery method. A few money transfer services may take several days to deliver your funds, whereas others like WorldRemit, provide an instant and same-day service that can be delivered in as little as one hour.

Trying to transfer bigger amounts of money may also take longer due to the additional processing required. Once you’ve identified a few viable options, try comparing how much they charge for transfer fees and how their exchange rates interact with one another to know which provider is best for you.

How to Send Money from Canada to the USA

If you want to send money from Canada to the United States, you have two options:

  1. Bank Transfers

Making use of your bank — whether CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank, TD Bank, or others — is a safe way to transfer money from your bank account to a bank account in the United States. Unfortunately, it is expensive, and transfers typically take a long time to arrive (between two and five business days).

This is due to the fact that bank transfers are routed through SWIFT, which happens to involve numerous steps. In addition, it is also an option to send an Interac e-Transfer from Canada to the United States using Mastercard or Western Union, however not all Canadian banks provide this service.

Transferring money from Canada to the US with Scotiabank, for instance, can be roughly 10% more costly than trying to make the same transfer online with a leading money transfer service.

  1. Online Money Transfer

Money transfer companies are largely viewed as one of the most cost-effective methods of international money transfer.

When you send money through a specialist transfer provider, you can find lower transfer fees, more competitive exchange rates, a wide range of payment options, and a plethora of tools for your recipient to receive your funds, ranging from cash pickups to direct bank deposits.

The most convenient and cost-effective way to transfer money from Canada to the United States is to use an online international money transfer service. Numerous top online transfer platforms offer CAD to USD transfers, such as:

  • Wise
  • Skrill
  • XE Money Transfer
  • WorldRemit
  • Paysend
  • Xendpay
  • MoneyGram
  • Instarem
  • PayPal (which we don’t recommend due to its fees)
  • Halo Financial and OFX (both are FX brokers for larger transfers)

Things to Consider When Seeking the Best Way to Send Money from Canada to the USA

The best option when it comes to sending money from Canada to the USA can be determined by a wide range of factors, making it difficult to provide a definitive answer.  However, when looking to choose the best way to send money from Canada to the USA, here are Factors to take into consideration.

  • Security: Examine to see if the money transfer company is well-established and regulated by a reputable organization, such as a government agency. Also, take into account their online reviews.
  • Convenience: Assess the payment options provided by the money transfer company. Money transfer companies accept credit card payments, debit card payments, bank transfers, Interac, ACH, and other payment methods. Review the options for receiving money as well. Bank deposits, cash pickup, airtime top-up, mobile money, and SWIFT may be available.
  • Customer Support: If you have any questions about your transfer, you should be able to chat or call a customer service representative.
  • Exchange Rate Margin: This will be the percentage difference between the mid-market and commercial exchange rates, which is the rate that customers pay. Although some money transfer companies publicize no transfer fees, meanwhile their exchange rates are higher than the competitive mid-market rate.

This implies that if you use those providers instead of others, you will end up paying more for your transfers. Enquire if the company provides a locked-in rate for a set period of time to streamline the process of calculating the costs and effectiveness of your transfer.

  • Speed: When transferring funds from Canada to the United States, speed is critical. Money transfers that are instant or same-day are desired. Remember to check how payment methods can extend the time it requires for your transfer to be processed completely.
  • Fixed Fees: Transfer fees should be justified and disclosed in advance. You don’t want a hidden fee to be deducted before the recipient receives funds from a transfer.
  • Commission: This is the percentage of each transfer you will have to pay towards a transaction. Note that the more you send, the more you will have to pay, and vice versa. These rates typically begin at less than 0.50% and can reach 2% or higher.

Conclusion

Truth be told, the speed of your transfer is determined by the method you use to send money from Canada to the United States.

Online money transfer services are usually the quickest option, however, bank transfers and card payments are the most common methods. Also, note that several providers accept cash and most will deliver funds directly to your recipient’s door.