Companies with top customer ratings for money transfers in the year 2024.
In 2021 and 2023, a comprehensive review of major remittance and money transfer companies was conducted across app stores and Trustpilot by an unspecified entity, with Lucy Ingham and Callum Tyndall listed as contributors. The report, now in its third year, compares customer ratings and reviews from 2024 to earlier years like 2023 and 2021.
The report combines average customer ratings on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store across both the UK and the US. It is accessible with a free account, which also grants access to a range of research and analysis on cross-border payments globally.
As digital transactions become increasingly important for companies in the remittance space, customer ratings are crucial determinants of customer experience. This report is designed to track changes in ratings across the past three years and compare these ratings to their past averages in 2023 and 2021. The ratings in this report are also compared to ratings on Trustpilot.
Western Union, one of the most established and safest services with a huge global network, remains a dominant player in the industry. As of 2025, it has over 100,000 reviews on Trustpilot and more than 4.6 million verified reviews on ConsumerAffairs. However, customer feedback shows mixed ratings, highlighting its higher fees and occasional inconsistent customer service. Western Union is considered reliable for urgent and remote transfers but is viewed as more expensive than competitors.
XE is generally well-rated for its currency exchange accuracy and real-time data. Reviews from late 2024 and 2025 praise XE’s ease of use, professionalism, and continual product improvements. Customers note the platform is effective and client-friendly, making it a reliable option within supported regions. Pricing remains a point where improvements are suggested.
Wise (formerly TransferWise) is frequently compared favorably against Western Union, with reviews from 2025 citing Wise’s lower fees, transparent pricing, no exchange rate markups, and fast transfer times. This contrasts with Western Union’s complex fee structure and higher exchange rate margins, which sometimes approach bank levels. Wise is seen as more affordable and efficient in recent comparisons.
Other providers like Remitly, Ria, Xoom, and PayPal also appear frequently in recent 2025 comparisons. Xoom gets favorable reviews for its digital-led approach and competitive rates, while Remitly and Ria are noted for slower times or limited features when compared to Xoom. PayPal is more suited for intra-currency transfers but less competitive across currencies than Wise.
Regarding rating trends over time, ratings in 2023 and 2021 for these companies tend to reflect similar themes: Western Union’s reliability balanced against high fees; Wise’s emergence as a leading low-cost provider; and growing customer appreciation for digital-first platforms like Xoom and XE as they add features and expand coverage.
The overall customer satisfaction in 2024-2025 shows a shift towards preferring providers with transparent fees, faster transfers, and user-friendly digital apps, while legacy players still dominate remote and cash-based transfers but are often critiqued for costs.
In summary, the report highlights the following trends:
| Company | 2021 Rating Highlights | 2023 Rating Highlights | 2024-2025 Rating Highlights | |---------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | Western Union | Highly reliable, expensive fees| Mixed reviews, reliable service | Large review base, still reliable, perceived costly, inconsistent service[1][4] | | XE | Good exchange data, limited transfers | Improving features, good ease of use | Positive user reviews, effective service, pricing critique[2] | | Wise | Increasingly popular low cost | Lower fees, faster times | Favorably compared vs Western Union, transparent fees, fast transfers[3]| | Xoom | Growing digital convenience | Competitive exchange and fees | Praised for ease of use and speed, digital-led[3] | | Remitly/Ria | Competitive but slower | Mixed service speeds | Remitly slower than Xoom; Ria valued for agent locations[3] | | PayPal | Excellent within currency | Less competitive cross-currency | Best for online family/friend transfers; less so cross-currency[3] |
No direct consolidated star rating averages were found across years, but the volume of reviews and user feedback point to increasing preference for transparent, digital-first providers like Wise and XE, while established names like Western Union remain dominant for coverage and urgency despite cost concerns.
Negative reviews can serve as serious red flags for consumers considering a remittance company. Increases in ratings suggest increased investment, while sharp drops raise concern in the money transfer sector. This report focuses on the money transfer players with the strongest customer ratings in 2024. Euronet, the owner of Ria, reported elevated digital remittances growth as of Q4 2023.
The comprehensive review of major remittance and money transfer companies includes an analysis of personal-finance data in both the UK and US app stores, as well as customer feedback on tech platforms like Trustpilot. The report, which also leverages data-and-cloud-computing for research and analysis, compares changes in customer ratings across 2021, 2023, and 2024, focusing on factors such as fees, exchange rates, transfer times, and user-friendliness.
