Winner Ajibola
SHARE THIS POST
An international wire transfer is one of the fastest and most secure ways you can use to send money abroad from Kenya. This is why it’s also a popular option when you need to make international transfers.
In this post, we’ll share tips on how you can successfully make international wire transfers from Kenya, all you need, and even cheaper alternatives you can explore.
Wire transfers are an electronic means of transferring money from one bank account to another. This means that, they offer the same functions a typical bank transfer would - move money around. However, the primary difference between a wire transfer and a direct deposit is in the process of transferring the funds. Some of them include;
How long does a wire transfer take? Wire transfers are typically faster than other forms of international bank transfers. Although, while regular bank transfers take about 24 hours to complete, it takes at least three days for the money to become available. So if you want to carry out a speedy transfer, wiring the money is a much better option.
Although wire transfers are faster, you pay the cost of the speed in its pricing. Not only do you pay charges as the sender, but the recipient also has to pay a small fee for receiving the transfer.
International transfers are also more expensive since they’d be crossing borders. With bank transfers, you also have to pay a fee. However, this fee is much lower when compared to wire payments.
Some banks or financial institutions tend to give monthly transfer limits. And when you exceed this limit, you either pay extra for each transaction or wait until the quota resets. With international wire transfers, you don’t have to worry about the number of transaction limits you get in a month.
Can wire transfers be reversed? This could be a pro or a con depending on your needs. Since wire transfers are processed instantly, they are most times irreversible. With bank transfers, there’s usually a reversal window you can take advantage of if you sent funds in error.
Before carrying out a wire transfer, you need to have the following information available;
You can make an international wire transfer from Kenya via two options. You can do this directly from your bank or through verified online services.
While a few banks allow you to make wire transfers from your banking apps, especially when you have a domiciliary account, you still need to visit the nearest branch. This is because your bank might not offer this service.
You also need to know the updated exchange rates, wire transfer fees, and any taxes your transactions can incur. So here’s how to make an international wire transfer at a bank;
There are many online money transfer services you can explore. Quite similar to using a bank, these services will ask you to fill out a form with the wire transfer details and ask you to pay the funds you’re sending in person. Once the transfer is complete, they contact the recipient for payment confirmation.
Since they aren’t traditional banks, reviewing how secure and authentic whatever service you use is essential.
Although wire transfers are an excellent and efficient way to send money abroad, they have many limitations that don’t protect you from fraud. For example, once you send a transfer, you cannot reverse a transaction. It’s also hard to identify and track the recipient. It’s why many scammers ask you to send money via this method.
If you can, we recommend using secure alternative options like Grey. Grey is an online banking service that provides Africans with foreign accounts and seamless international payments.
At the moment, Grey only supports payouts in GBP and EUR to the UK and countries in the EEA region. However, instead of using wire transfers to send money abroad, Grey uses local payment schemes (FPAs, CHAPS, and SEPA) that are easy to track.
Some of the other benefits of using Grey include;
Ready to see how it works? Start by downloading the Grey mobile app from the comfort of your home via Playstore or the iOS App Store to start a transaction.
Back to top