Ria Money Transfer Review

Ria is one of the largest and most well-established money transfer providers in the world. They began operations the New York City in 1987 with the goal of allowing people to send money overseas. Owned by Euronet Worldwide, a leading provider of electronic payment services, Ria has expanded to conducting business across the globe, with over 435,000 agent networks spread across 160 countries. The company enables users to send money domestically and internationally through their secure and user-friendly online platform and their traditional brick-and-mortar locations.

How do You Send Money Through Ria

Ria offers three ways for you to send money. The process for each method varies; you can choose the one most appropriate for your circumstances.

• Online: This method allows you to send money directly to almost any bank account in the world. Though Ria only offers online money transfer services in a few countries, Canada is one of them.
• App: You can send money directly to a recipient using Ria’s dedicated mobile app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices. 
• In-person: You can initiate a cash transfer at a local Ria agent location. The beneficiary can also pick up the transferred funds at their preferred Ria agent location. 

What Type of Transfers Are Available?

Ria’s user-friendly online platform and its accompanying app allow you easily transfer funds. You can send a transfer using three different methods.

Bank Deposit

You can send money directly to someone’s bank account. As long as you include the recipient’s bank name and account number, you can transfer money using your bank account, credit card, or debit card. A bank account transfer will take more time than if the transfer is done using a credit card or debit card, but it costs less.

App Transfer

Ria offers a convenient app to help you facilitate money transfers quickly and effortlessly. The app is easy to use and is designed with a user-friendly experience. You can send money securely, as the app adheres to the highest security standards in the payment industry. 

Check out how you can use the Apple Pay app to make payments. 

Cash Pick-up

You can arrange to have your money transfer to be picked up at a physical location. When finalizing the transaction, you specify the recipient’s preferred pick-up location. Ria will convert the money to the local currency and notify the beneficiary once it becomes available. Some places also provide home or work delivery of transferred funds.

How do Ria Money Transfers Work?

Bank Deposit

To transfer money using a bank deposit, you’ll need to follow these steps:

• Setup a Ria account. You will need to provide your name, address, contact information, bank details, and valid identification.
• Confirm the currencies you want to exchange money with.
• Select an exchange rate and book it online, on the app, or through a Ria agent.
• Provide details of the beneficiary, including their full name, address, phone number, and bank details. 
• Send the money. You can fund the transfer using your bank account, credit card, or debit card.

Once you have provided all the necessary details and the transaction is complete, you can track the transfer online. Ria will also send you notification emails throughout the process.

App Transfer

The process works the same as with a bank deposit – you must submit your personal details, book your exchange rate, and provide information on the recipient.

Cash Pick-up

As with a bank deposit, you must provide information on yourself and the recipient. The only difference is that you must specify the recipient’s preferred Ria receiving location. Home delivery of the transferred funds is also available in certain jurisdictions. 

Do you know what a wire transfer is?

What Kind of Payments Options Are Available With Ria

• Credit card: Payment by credit card, but this is the most expensive option as the fees for using a credit card are quite high.
• Bank Account: This method uses the funds in your bank account and is the cheapest method to transfer funds.
• Cash: Payment can be made by cash at a Ria agent location, but as with credit cards, you can be subject to high fees.
• Debit Card: Payment can be made using a debit card. The fees are typically lower than that of credit cards.

Ria Money Transfer Key Features

How Fast Can You Send Money Through Ria?

The fastest way to send money is by using your credit card or debit card. Though you’ll incur higher fees, you will be able to complete the transfer in as little as 15 minutes. If you opt to use your bank account, it could take up to 4 business days. However, this is typically the cheapest way to transfer money. Cash pick-ups can usually be arranged immediately, provided the recipient is in the vicinity.

How Much Does it Cost to Send Money?

The fees charged by Ria vary and depend on several factors. These include the location, the amount you’re sending, your payment method, and the delivery arrangement. Ria offers a fee calculator on their website to help you determine what amount you can expect to pay.  

• Transfer fee: Transfer fees are based on the transfer destination, but they start at CAD 3.00.

• Exchange rate: Expect the exchange rate to vary considerably, depending on the country you’re sending money to. It can be anywhere from 0.25% – 3.5% higher than the mid-market rate (the midpoint between the buy and sell prices of two currencies, regarded as the most objective way to compare rates offered by money transfer providers).

• Taxes: Ria doesn’t levy any taxes on its services.

• Credit card: The fees for credit card usage vary depending on the destination and the amount you want to transfer. They can be relatively high, with some transfer arrangements costing up to $45. Also, your credit card issuer may charge you a cash advance fee. Because of the high costs associated with credit cards, consider using a debit card instead.

Is Ria Safe?

Ria is a well-established and trustworthy company and can be counted on to protect your data and carry out your money transfer safely. They are a brand with a long history (over thirty years) and are in full compliance with the laws and regulations of the locations in which they operate.

The company is committed to transaction security and performs strict due diligence to detect irregularities and criminal activity. Some of the security measure they have in place include:

• State of the art identity verification to proactively identify suspicious transactions before they cause harm.
• Around the clock monitoring of transactions by security experts
• Extended Validations SSL Certification, ensuring their website and app’s security and integrity is reinforced to the highest industry standards.
• Never storing customers’ credit and debit card details on its servers.

Worried about scams? Check out these common scams in Canada.

Is Ria The Right Transfer Service For You?

It’s crucial to examine both the pros and cons when assessing a money transfer service. Here are some of the key points you should consider before you open an account with Ria.

Pros

• Great to use when you only need to send a small amount of money.
• Convenient and easy to use interface.
• Ria is present in more than 435,000 locations across 160 countries, giving you an extensive global reach.
• Transfers are processed quickly.
• Many options are available to fund a transfer, both offline and online.
• Safe and reliable to use when sending money overseas, thanks to its sophisticated security systems.
• Ria offers an extensive agent network of pick-up services, more so than its competitors.

Cons

• Getting signed up can be complicated and tedious.
• Not ideal if you need to transfer a large amount of money; you can only send $3,000 in a single transaction, or $8,000 over thirty days
• Rates can differ considerably between what’s displayed on the online platform and what a local agent quotes.
• Fees for transfers made by credit card can be substantial.
• Exchange rates can vary widely and can end up costing you quite a bit.
• No ability to lock in a favourable exchange rate on future transfers.

Final Thoughts

Ria is an exceptional company worthy of consideration for your money transfer needs. They are one of the largest and most credible money transfer providers in the world, and they provide a comprehensive service that allows users to easily and quickly send and receive money, both online and via local agents.

With a stellar track record in security and fraud detection, attentive customer service, and flexible payment options, Ria is a company you can rely on when you decide to send money abroad.