Send Money to Honduras from the USA: Cheapest Ways in 2026

All-in cost: fee plus rate margin, measured against the mid-market USD/HNL rate in August 2026.

All-in cost in US dollars on the USD/HNL corridor, August 2026. Green marks the cheapest standing price at that amount. Rows flagged as an intro offer are shown but never marked cheapest, because they are not what a returning customer is quoted.

One option is missing from the table because it is not really competing: a bank wire. Expect $25 to $50 up front and another 2% to 4% buried in the rate, which on a $1,000 send is many times what any app on this list charges. Cash pickup is the common route, but a bank deposit costs less on the same service where the recipient has an account.

See what each app charges on your amount with these calculators:

How the money arrives often matters more than which app you use. Pick the rail that fits your family:

Cash pickup:

the most common option in Honduras. Remitly, Ria, Western Union and MoneyGram pay out lempiras at thousands of points: Banco Atlántida, BAC Credomatic and agent windows in every department. Bring ID and a reference number, collect in minutes, no bank account needed.

Tigo Money wallet:

a fast, popular choice. Money lands in the recipient's mobile wallet to spend or cash out locally, ideal for family outside Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Bank deposit:

the cheapest route for regular support. Funds reach a Honduran bank account (Banco Atlántida, Banpaís, BAC Credomatic or Ficohsa), usually within 1-2 business days.

The exchange rate is where most of the hidden cost hides. The real mid-market USD/HNL rate has sat around 26-27 lempiras per dollar (about 27.0 in mid-2026). The lempira is a slow, managed currency, easing down a little each year rather than lurching, but a provider that quietly marks the rate up 2%-3% still drains far more than its advertised fee.

On a $1,000 transfer that 3% markup quietly adds up to roughly 800 lempiras (about $30) gone, money your family never receives. Lean on a near-mid-market service: TapTap Send and Paysend both stay close to the real rate, and Wise uses the exact mid-market rate. Then glance at the live lempira rate before you confirm.

A quick heads-up on one new charge. The 1% federal excise tax the US introduced on January 1, 2026 is carried solely by remittances funded with physical cash or a money order. Reach for a debit or credit card, or fund straight from your bank, and you owe nothing extra.

For the Honduras corridor that's a real consideration, because a lot of money still goes over the counter in cash. Send online with TapTap Send, Paysend, Remitly or Wise, all of which draw from your bank or card, and the 1% never applies. It only appears when you hand cash to a storefront agent, which is one more reason to move that habit to an app. (Tax rules can shift, so check your own circumstances before a big transfer.)

1. 01Pay in from your bank, not cash. ACH funding is the lowest-cost way to load a transfer, and it keeps you clear of the new 1% cash tax.
2. 02Send to a bank account or Tigo Money instead of cash pickup when you can. It usually shaves a dollar or two off, and arrives just as quickly.
3. 03Judge the rate, not the headline fee. The exchange-rate markup is the bigger cost on most sends: TapTap Send and Paysend keep it tiny, and Wise gives the exact mid-market rate.
4. 04Group your transfers. Because a flat fee hurts less on a bigger amount, one larger monthly send beats a string of small ones.
5. 05Take the first-send deal. Remitly and its rivals routinely waive the opening fee and sweeten the rate. Claim it once, then compare again next time.