Tips for Sending Money Online to Ghana from the United States

According to the Pew Research Centre, more than 155,000 Ghanaians live in the United States. In 2017, Ghanaians in the diaspora sent home US$ 2.19 billion, 27.85 percent of which came from the United States. This means they’ve sent quite a bit of money to Ghana from the USA: approximately US$610 million. 

Apart from the United States, other significant remittance corridors include Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. Together, these five countries account for more than 60 percent of the remittances.  

How to send money to Ghana from the United States? 

If you are a Ghanaian living in the United States and want to send money home to family, relatives or friends, there are several channels you could use: bank to bank transfers, money transfer services, and mobile wallet deposits. Below, we share some great tips on how to send money to Ghana. 

Inter-bank Wire Transfers 

Bank transfers are one of the oldest ways Ghanaians have been using to send money home. However, recent data shows that most of these transfers are for business purposes and usually involve large amounts of money. There are two main ways you can send money using wire transfers: SWIFT and ATM. 

• SWIFT Transfers- Using this method, you can do Inward Transfers where your bank in the United States sends money to a correspondent bank in Ghana. The bank then credits the money to the beneficiary’s Foreign Currency account. You could also do an Outward Transfer from your foreign currency account to the beneficiary’s offshore account. 
• ATM System -This method of transfer requires that you have two ATM cards, Visa or MasterCard. One card remains with you and the other with the recipient. When you deposit money into the card, your loved ones can access it from their end. Ecobank Ghana has a few customers who use this method. 

Money Transfer Companies 

These companies are increasingly dominating the transfer corridors to Ghana. They use the latest technologies to ensure your money gets to your loved ones fast and cost-efficiently, therefore being one of the best ways to send money to Ghana from the United States. There are two main ways you can send money through money transfer operators (MTOs): 

• Deposit to Recipient’s Bank Account- This method is faster and more affordable than inter-bank transfers. To use this service, you need to provide the recipient’s bank details including the SWIFT code. 
• Cash Pick Up – This channel is what makes MTOs steal the thunder. It allows you to send to your family in Ghana through the provider’s agent network. It takes a few minutes and the beneficiary gets a notification to collect the money from their nearest location. 

Why Use Money Transfer Services to Send to Ghana 

MTOs tick a lot of boxes for anyone looking for a convenient way to send money from the USA to Ghana. Curious about why you should consider using money transfer services when sending your next remittance to your loved ones in Ghana? We list some of the reasons below:   

Transaction Fees – Inter-bank transfers are usually expensive compared to MTOs. Most money transfer service providers leverage the number of transactions to charge low rates to their customers. That said, you need to compare across the different providers for the best fees. 

Exchange Rates – Money Transfer Companies use the mid-market rate, which reflects the real exchange rate. This rate gives you more Ghanaian cedi for the United States dollar. Most of them do not add margins to this rate, unlike banks. 

Transfer Speed – Instead of the 3 to 5 days it takes to send money through banks, MTOs can help you send money in under an hour. When sending money for emergencies, speed is of the essence. 

Agency Network Coverage – Money transfer operators have an extensive payout network. For instance, Ria Money Transfer operates in more than 385,000 locations in 160 countries.  

In Ghana, Ria has over 1,700 locations and strategic partnerships with banks such as Access Bank of Ghana, GCB Bank, GTBank Ghana, and Agricultural Development Bank. That means your loved ones can receive money conveniently as there is likely a Ria location nearby. 

Setting Up – Typically, a bank would require a lot of personal information to enable you to sign up for an account. MTOs, on the other hand, only ask for your name, email, and phone number. 

Once they set you up, you can pay for your transfer with a debit or credit card, bank transfer or bank debit (ACH). Then, you can send the money through their websites or downloadable mobile apps. 

To send money to Ghana from the United States, you’ll need your social security card, driver’s license or passport, and the details of the person you are sending the money. It is that simple!   

Good to go? In our Ria Money Transfer website, you can easily send money to Ghana following a few simple steps.  You can also download the latest version of our app for iOS or Android – it’s simple, fast and safe.