Send Money to Vietnam from the USA: Cheapest Ways in 2026
Plenty of Viet Kieu families send money home every month, and the apps that serve this route have gotten cheap and quick. You can land a deposit at Vietcombank or Techcombank, push cash into a MoMo wallet, or have a relative collect dong (or dollars) at a counter the same day. This guide walks through which option costs you the least.
The Short Answer
Send through an app built for this, not through your bank. On a $500 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is Taptap Send at about $3.19 all-in, then Instarem at about $3.46 and Ria Money Transfer at about $4.76. In our current data the cheapest standing price changes with the amount: Taptap Send from $200 to $1,000, then Sendwave at $5,000. Want the money in a MoMo wallet or sitting at a cash counter instead? The price changes with the delivery. For delivery to a mobile wallet on a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $11.50 (as listed by moneytransfers.com) all-in, then Ria Money Transfer at $12.80 and Western Union at $13.83. For cash pickup on a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $10.98 (as listed by moneytransfers.com) all-in, then Ria Money Transfer at $12.12 and Sendwave at $12.63. Wise works differently: it gives you the exact mid-market rate with no margin baked in and shows its whole cost as a fee, so run your amount through its calculator.
Skip the bank wire. US banks charge up to $75 to send it and a correspondent bank typically takes about $20, before an exchange-rate markup the banks don’t publish, against $6.38 all-in through Taptap Send, the cheapest standing price in our current data.
On October 21, 2026 one dollar bought 25,871 dong, so the payout shows up in the millions. At that scale a tiny rate markup turns into real money, and a "no fee" banner tells you nothing about it. Look at the actual dong figure that lands, not the fee line.
Compare Live Rates & Fees
The Cheapest Services Compared
All-in cost: the fee plus whatever is taken in the exchange rate, measured against the mid-market USD/VND rate at the moment each provider quoted. Prices collected October 19–20, 2026, from each provider's own quotes or, where marked, a comparison site's listing.
| Service | Cost shape | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taptap Send | 0.64% rate, no fee | ≈$1.28 | ≈$3.19 | $6.38 | $31.90 |
| SendwaveDelivered by bank deposit | 0.57% rate + $0.99 | — | — | $6.73 | $29.69 |
| InstaremPaid by ach/direct debit | 0.63–0.69% rate, no fee | ≈$1.38 | ≈$3.46 | $6.92 | $31.62 |
| Ria Money TransferDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank account | 0.77% rate + $0.90 | ≈$2.44 | ≈$4.76 | $8.63 | $39.57 |
| Remitly | 0.76–1.01% rate + $1.99 | ≈$3.99 | ≈$7.03 | $12.08 | $40.05 |
| WiseDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank transfer | 0.01% rate + $8.96–$34.73 | ≈$8.98 | ≈$10.64 | $13.39 | $35.40 |
| Western UnionDelivered by direct to bank, paid by bank account | 1.29% rate + $0.99 | ≈$3.55 | ≈$7.41 | $13.83 | $65.26 |
| Paysend | 1.36% rate + $1.99 | ≈$4.69 | ≈$8.78 | $15.60 | $70.12 |
| MoneyGramas listed by moneytransfers.com | 0.78% rate + $8.00–$50.00 | ≈$9.50 | ≈$11.86 | $15.78 | $88.80 |
| WorldRemitDelivered by bank deposit | 1.92% rate, no fee | ≈$3.83 | ≈$9.58 | $19.15 | $95.77 |
| XoomDelivered by bank deposit, paid by bank account (ach) | 2.92% rate + $2.99 | ≈$8.74 | $17.51 | $32.11 | $148.93 |
| OFX | 4.70% rate, no fee | — | — | $46.97 | $234.87 |
From each provider's own quotes in our current data, collected October 19–20, 2026, for a transfer from the US paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account. A dash means the provider has no quote at that amount whose fee and rate we can state. ≈ marks a price between two amounts the provider quoted, where its fee and rate are known to hold. A row marked “as listed by” comes from that comparison site, not from the provider, and may be older than the date we collected it.
Instarem and Remitly charge a different rate margin at different amounts, so their costs can fall as the amount rises rather than climbing steadily.
- Pangea doesn’t price a transfer paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account on this route, only other ways to pay or receive.
- We hold no current quote for this route from BOSS Money, Revolut and XE.
All-in cost in US dollars on the USD/VND corridor. Green marks the cheapest standing price at that amount. A promotional price is shown and labelled but never marked cheapest, because it is not what a returning customer is quoted.
One option is missing from the table because it is not really competing: a bank wire. US banks charge up to $75 to send a $1,000 wire (their published fees, checked June to October 2026) and a correspondent bank typically takes about $20, before an exchange-rate markup the banks don’t publish and that we could not check on this route, against $6.38 for the cheapest standing price in the table. Delivery is normally to a Vietnamese bank account, and a cash payout is priced separately, so compare both on your amount.
Punch in your own amount to see what each one charges:
Delivery: Bank, MoMo or Cash Pickup
You get three real ways to hand the money over in Vietnam, and unlike a lot of countries, cash pickup hasn't faded out here:
- Bank deposit:
- lands in a Vietnamese account at Vietcombank, Techcombank, VietinBank, BIDV or Sacombank, typically in 1-2 business days. For larger sums this is where the cost per dollar drops lowest.
- MoMo & ZaloPay wallets:
- MoMo is the e-wallet half of Vietnam seems to live on. Some services drop funds right into it in minutes, which suits younger relatives and day-to-day spending; in our current data MoneyGram, Ria Money Transfer, Western Union and Xoom price delivery to a mobile wallet on this route.
- Cash pickup:
- still how a lot of families do it. Western Union and MoneyGram run dense agent networks, the cash is usually ready within minutes, and in many spots your relative can collect dollars instead of dong.
If your relative already has MoMo, send to the wallet. It clears in minutes and nobody has to leave the house for it, though a wallet payout is not always priced below cash pickup, so compare the two on your amount.
Dollars or Dong? How Family Receives
One thing about Vietnam that surprises people: residents are allowed to hold foreign currency. That means your relative can often take the money as US dollars, paid into a USD account or handed over as cash, instead of having it flipped to dong the moment it arrives.
What they should pick comes down to what the money is for. If it's going into savings, holding dollars keeps a little stability and skips a needless conversion. If it's for groceries and bills, dong is the practical choice. Just watch the rate they get when it converts, because a bad rate on the Vietnam side can swallow whatever you saved on fees back home.
Letting a service that converts at or near the mid-market rate do the conversion to dong usually nets more than receiving dollars and changing them at a local money changer's rate.
The USD/VND Exchange Rate
The exchange rate is where the real cost of a Vietnam transfer hides, and the giant numbers make it easy to overlook. On October 21, 2026 the true mid-market USD/VND rate stood at 25,871 dong per dollar. The dong is one of the steadier currencies you'll deal with because the State Bank of Vietnam keeps it on a tight leash, so it barely moves week to week. That stability is handy, but it's no excuse to ignore the rate a provider quotes you.
Run the math: a 3% markup on a $1,000 send quietly costs about ₫780,000, roughly $30, gone. Against a payout that reads in the tens of millions of dong, $30 is almost invisible. Compare the dong each service delivers, and glance at the live number right before you hit send.
The 2026 US Remittance Tax
Start with the easy part: Vietnam puts no tax on family remittances coming in from overseas, so your relative pockets the whole amount. The wrinkle is on the American end.
Fund the send from your bank or a US card and you're exempt from the 1% federal excise tax the US has run since January 1, 2026. It reaches only the transfers fed with cash or a money order. That exemption covers basically every app transfer, which is one more reason to fund from your bank rather than walking cash to a counter. Tax law shifts, so double-check your own situation before any big send.
How to Pay the Least
- 01Read the rate, not the fee banner. When the payout runs into the millions of dong, a quiet 2% on the rate dwarfs any headline fee. Treat the live mid-market number as the bar every service has to clear.
- 02Fit the method to who's receiving. MoMo or a bank deposit if they're set up for it, cash pickup only when there's no account. Each method is priced on its own, so compare the one they'll actually use.
- 03Fund from your checking account. It's cheaper than card funding, and it keeps you on the right side of that 1% cash-remittance tax.
- 04Settle dollars vs dong before you send. Saving leans dollars; spending leans dong, converted at a mid-market rate instead of at the corner exchange.
- 05Cash the first-send offer. Some services waive the fee or sweeten the rate on transfer number one. Take it the once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to send money to Vietnam?
A remittance app, not your bank. On a $500 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is Taptap Send at about $3.19 all-in, then Instarem at about $3.46 and Ria Money Transfer at about $4.76. In our current data the cheapest standing price changes with the amount: Taptap Send from $200 to $1,000, then Sendwave at $5,000. For delivery to a mobile wallet on a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $11.50 (as listed by moneytransfers.com) all-in, then Ria Money Transfer at $12.80 and Western Union at $13.83. For cash pickup on a $1,000 transfer, the cheapest standing price in our current data is MoneyGram at $10.98 (as listed by moneytransfers.com) all-in, then Ria Money Transfer at $12.12 and Sendwave at $12.63. Wise gives you the exact mid-market rate with no markup and shows its whole cost as a fee, so check its calculator on your amount. A bank wire is almost always the priciest option.
Can I send money to a MoMo wallet?
Yes, through a service that pays into mobile wallets: in our current data MoneyGram, Ria Money Transfer, Western Union and Xoom price delivery to a mobile wallet on this route. MoMo is the e-wallet most of Vietnam uses and some services also reach ZaloPay, so check that your recipient's wallet is on the service's list. It typically lands in minutes, which makes the wallet an easy way to cover a relative's day-to-day spending.
Can my family receive US dollars in Vietnam?
Often, yes. Vietnam allows residents to hold foreign currency, so your relative can take the money as US dollars, either into a USD account or as cash at a pickup point, or have it converted to dong. Holding dollars suits savings, while converting to dong is what they need for everyday spending.
How long does a transfer to Vietnam take?
Pay by card and an express transfer to a wallet, bank account or pickup counter often arrives within minutes. Choose the cheaper bank-funded option and it usually takes 1 to 3 business days. Cash pickup is generally ready to collect within minutes at agents across the country.
Is there a tax on sending money to Vietnam in 2026?
Vietnam does not tax family remittances coming in from abroad. On the US side, funding the send from your bank or a US card keeps you exempt from the 1% federal excise tax in force since January 1, 2026, which reaches only transfers fed with cash or a money order. That's why nearly all app transfers avoid it.
What is the USD to VND rate?
On October 21, 2026 the mid-market USD/VND rate stood at 25,871 dong per dollar. The dong is unusually stable because the State Bank of Vietnam manages it closely, so it barely moves week to week. Still, check the live rate before sending and compare the dong each service delivers.
Key Takeaways
- In our current data the cheapest standing price changes with the amount: Taptap Send from $200 to $1,000, then Sendwave at $5,000. Methods change the price, so check your own amount and method in the calculators.
- MoMo and cash pickup are priced apart from a bank deposit, so price the method your family uses. Wise gives the no-markup mid-market rate with its cost shown as a fee.
- Your relative can often take US dollars or dong; pick by whether they're saving it or spending it.
- Vietnam doesn't tax money sent home. Your real enemy is a marked-up exchange rate, not the posted fee.
- Pay from a bank or card to dodge the 2026 1% cash-remittance tax, and eyeball the live USD/VND rate first.
Send Smarter to Vietnam
Few corridors give you this much room to play with: wallet, bank or cash, dollars or dong. Pick a service that quotes a fair rate, send it the way your family actually wants it, and glance at the live number before you commit. Do that and a bit more of every dollar makes it home.
Calculate Your Transfer to Vietnam
Compare exact fees and rates across services before you send.
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Live mid-market US dollar to Vietnamese dong exchange rate.
Sources & References
Provider pricing and exchange rates are set by the companies named and can change. Figures in this guide are checked against these official sources. Always confirm the live rate before you transact.