The views expressed within the blog do not represent or reflect the view of Republic Bank & Trust Company or Pathward, N.A. Netspend does not endorse or sponsor the other services mentioned within this blog.
In the modern world, sending money online is no longer a long-winded, complex process. In fact, it’s something that people do every day without even thinking about it.
However, the new challenge is picking the right method. With so many options out there, from traditional banks to neobanks and mobile payment apps, we’re spoiled for choice these days.
To help you choose the right option for you, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to send money online.
1. Peer-to-peer money transfers
One of the easiest ways of transferring money online is with a peer-to-peer service, which allows you to send money from your account using a mobile device or home computer. This has become the go-to method for many people, and there are plenty of options to choose from.
Peer-to-peer transfers are also known as person-to-person transfers, which means they send money electronically from one person to another. The transaction is started and completed by the people exchanging the money and the banks provide the network that helps finalize the transaction.
Netspend FlashPay1
FlashPay is a Netspend service that lets you transfer money from your Netspend prepaid card. You can also receive funds from others with Netspend cards or even ACE Elite, Control, and Purpose cardholders.
All you need to send money is to get the other person’s name and FlashPay ID.
PayPal
PayPal has long been the go-to choice when it comes to peer-to-peer transfers. It’s a widely used service, and all you need is the email address of someone with a PayPal account to start the transfer.
You can use PayPal to send (and receive) money from friends and family and it’s safer than carrying cash. Plus, it can save you from having to share your financial information with others. Every eligible transaction from PayPal is protected by encryption and 24-hour fraud monitoring, which should give you a peace of mind.
PayPal can come with certain fees on some transfers, so be sure to check these out before using the service.
Venmo
Venmo is another popular transfer service that was founded in 2009 and later acquired by PayPal. It’s designed to help friends and family members send and receive mobile payments quickly and efficiently
Venmo has become popular among those who wish to split household or restaurant bills thanks to the fact that there is no fee to send money to people using your Venmo balance, debit card or bank account. You will also not be charged to send money from your Venmo account to your bank account using their “standard” option, which means the money can generally be available in 1-3 business days. If you want to do an “instant” transfer and have your money be available more quickly, then certain fees may apply.
Currently, Venmo is only supported within the U.S., and if you try to use this service abroad, you will likely get an error message. You can reach out to Venmo directly if you expect to be outside of the U.S.
Zelle
Zelle is another way to transfer money. Rather than entering bank account details, Zelle lets you transfer simply with your email or U.S. mobile number through either your banking app or the Zelle app. Word of caution, you can only cancel a Zelle payment if the recipient hasn’t yet enrolled with Zelle, so be extra careful to whom you are sending it and the amount that you want to transfer before you hit “send”.
Zelle is used in more than 1,000 banking apps, which means there’s a good chance you can use it without ever downloading another app.
2. Wise (for international and domestic payments)
If you wish to send money internationally, you might need more than a simple peer-to-peer mobile payment account. An option such as Wise (formerly TransferWise) lets you send money internationally with the help of its multi-currency account.
You can use your card in more than 200 countries and withdraw money from over 2 million ATMs. Plus, for a small fee, it will auto-convert your international purchases on the card at the real exchange rate of that currency.
Wise isn’t just for international transfers. It’s also a great way transfer money electronically as you can set up a domestic wire transfer with a routing number, account number, and the name of the recipient online.
3. Traditional bank transfers
Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. All modern banks allow you to send money online through a simple bank transfer. What used to take days can now happen much more quickly.
You simply need the bank account details and the full name of the person you’re sending money to in order to set up the transfer.
However, traditional bank transfers are known as non-instant transfers, which means they can take longer to process. While many will process on the same day, it can take up to a day or two, especially if they’re international.
Check your existing payment transfer tools
Chances are you already have the means to transfer money online, even if you’ve never done it before. Maybe you have a banking app with Zelle already or a PayPal account that you’ve never really utilized. Maybe you’re already a Netspend customer and can use our FlashPay feature? If not, sign up and take advantage of all the great features that Netspend has to offer.
Take stock of what apps and options you may already have and check the features and terms and conditions to see which ones are right for you, depending on your usage goals. Then, get ready to start transferring your money.
