How to Send Money Abroad Without a Bank Account in 2026

This is the common case, and there are three solid ways to handle it.

Mobile wallet.

In much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, people hold money in a phone-based wallet rather than a bank. The money lands there in minutes, and they can spend it, pay bills, or cash out at a local agent. Think M-Pesa in Kenya, GCash and Maya in the Philippines, MTN Mobile Money across West Africa, and bKash or Nagad in Bangladesh. Remitly, TapTap Send, WorldRemit, and Sendwave all deliver to wallets.

Cash pickup.

Your recipient collects physical cash at an agent location with a photo ID and a reference number. Western Union and MoneyGram run the biggest networks, with Ria and Remitly also strong. It's the most universal option, since it needs nothing but an ID, though it usually costs a bit more than a wallet. To price a MoneyGram transfer on your route, use our MoneyGram fee calculator.

Home delivery.

In a handful of countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and the Dominican Republic, a courier brings cash right to the recipient's door. Remitly offers this on those routes. It's handy for someone who can't travel to a counter, though coverage is limited and it costs more.

Sending without a checking account of your own is just as doable. You have two routes:

Pay with a debit or prepaid card.

Nearly every transfer app takes a debit card, and many also accept a prepaid card (the kind you load at a store), so no linked bank is required. This is the route to prefer: it's cheaper than cash and stays exempt from the 2026 tax below.

Pay cash at an agent.

Walk into a Western Union, MoneyGram, or Ria location, hand over cash, and set up the transfer in person. It works with zero bank involvement, but it's the priciest way to pay in, and it triggers the tax.

Skipping the bank doesn't have to cost extra, but the method matters a lot. Ranked roughly from cheapest to priciest:

Mobile wallet, card-funded.

Usually the cheapest combination. Apps built for wallets, like TapTap Send and Remitly, deliver straight to the phone, and card funding avoids the cash tax.

Cash pickup, card-funded.

A little more expensive because the payout network costs more, but still reasonable, especially online rather than in a store.

Anything cash-funded.

The most expensive path once you add the higher in-store pricing and the 1% tax. Use it only when a card genuinely isn't an option.

For example, Remitly’s own quote for $200 from the US to the Philippines came to about $3.27 all-in delivered to a mobile wallet, against about $8.18 collected as cash, in quotes collected November 12, 2026. Today that wallet transfer converts at 1 USD = 62.7571 PHP, with no fee. As always, the surest way to find the best deal is to compare the actual payout for your country and amount across a couple of services. Our roundup of the best money transfer apps and the live comparison tool both make that quick.

Setting up the transfer takes a few details, depending on how it's collected:

For a mobile wallet:

the recipient's full name and their wallet phone number. That's usually it.

For cash pickup:

the recipient's full name exactly as it appears on their ID, plus the payout city or country. After you send, share the reference number with them (Western Union calls it an MTCN). They bring that and a photo ID to any agent.

To pay:

your debit or prepaid card details, or cash if you're sending in person. You'll also verify your own identity the first time, which is standard for any money transfer.