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Send Money to Pakistan from Australia

Find your cheapest option to transfer money to Pakistan with the best exchange rates.

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, updated on August 18th, 2023       

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Find the best way to send money to Pakistan

When you’re wanting to send money to family or friends in Pakistan, it’s important to be on the lookout for cheap exchange rates, low fees and a simple transfer process. Compare a range of international money transfer providers here with Savvy to help you find the best exchange rates and lowest fees available. Consider a range of options with us before getting your international money transfer underway today.

site-logos OFX
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $250 1-3 days $0 50+
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Special Offer: 5 fee free transfers (saving you up to $75 in fees) + preferential rates for international money transfers

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site-logos Instarem
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $1 Within minutes From 0% to 1% 55+
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Enjoy $40 bonus on your first money transfers of $250 & above! Use code*: SAVVY20X2 (Minimum transfer of AUD 250 Valid till 31st August 2023)

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site-logos Xe
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1-3 days From $0 100
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Xe is a 2021 Canstar Award Winner and offers the best exchange rates, low to no fees so customers save the most money

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site-logos Western Union Money Transfer
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1 - 2 days $0 35
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Send money to over 200 countries and territories across the world online

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site-logos Wise Money Transfer
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 1-3 days From 0.41% 53
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Send money cheaper and easier with Wise with no hidden fees.

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site-logos TorFX
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $200 0-2 days $0 35
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Excellent exchange rates with no transfer fees. Trusted by over 325,000 customers. Awarded Canstar’s 5 star rating 2018-2021.

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site-logos Currencyfair
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $5 Within minutes From $0 20+
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Send money overseas at better exchange rates, with no hidden fees.

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site-logos Remitly
  Minimum Transfer Amount Transfer Speed Transfer Fee Total Currencies Available  
site-logos $0 0-2 days From $0 21
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Remitly offers fast, safe and secure money transfers with excellent rates to over 100 countries

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Disclaimer: Savvy is not advising or recommending any particular product to you. We provide general information on products for the purposes of comparison, but your personal situation or goals are not considered here. Although we try to make our comparisons as thorough as possible, we do not have information on all products on the market on our site.

If you decide to initiate a money transfer with one of the providers listed above via our website, you will not be dealing with Savvy; any applications or enquiries will be conducted directly with the provider offering that product.

More about sending money to Pakistan

How do I send money to Pakistan?

There are many ways to send money to Pakistan. Which method is the best one for you will depend largely on how urgent your transfer is, the size of your transfer, and whether your recipient has a bank account to use. Some of your options include:

International money transfer providers

Using a specialist online provider to complete your international money transfer will be your quickest and cheapest option to send money to Pakistan. These companies charge lower fees and will give you a better exchange rate than most banks. Since they don’t use the traditional SWIFT international banking system, they can transfer money from Australia to Pakistan faster and at less cost.

Cash transfers

If your transfer is urgent and you’re prepared to pay higher fees, you can send money to some cities in Pakistan almost instantly with a cash transfer. Some (but not all) providers can get a cash transfer to many places in Pakistan for your recipient to collect in person. This might be a good option if your recipient doesn’t have a bank account, although the exchange rate you receive may not be as good as a standard transfer and the higher fees can make this an expensive option.

Traditional banks

International transfers through a bank are usually one the slowest and most expensive options when sending funds overseas. If you use a bank transfer, it’ll often take between three and five days to arrive and your bank could charge fees of up to $30 or more to complete the transfer. You won’t get the best exchange rate either. Transfer specialists are a cheaper and faster option, so Savvy has a panel of reputable money transfer services for you to choose from and compare.

Phone top-ups

Another option for recipients without a bank account is to send money using a pre-paid phone top-up (also known as a phone recharge or reload). Again, the exchange rate you’ll receive when you send your recharge will often be much lower compared to a transfer through an international transfer company, plus the fees charged can be expensive. In addition, money sent to recharge a phone card can’t be used as freely as cash.

How long will it take to send money to Pakistan?

In general terms, it often takes up to two days for an international money transfer to arrive. However, many transfers arrive the same day, if not within a matter of seconds, at your destination. The time involved will ultimately come down to the provider you choose. International money transfer providers are specialists in sending money overseas 24/7, so they’ve developed very efficient processes for transferring funds quickly.

Sending your money from Australia to Pakistan via a bank will probably take far longer, as it has to go through the Australian banking system and international banking system before arriving in Pakistan. How long your money takes to arrive can be impacted by banking delays at multiple points in its journey. For example, if a bank’s head office is in Karachi, but you wish your transfer to be delivered to Islamabad or Lahore, the extra distance involved can cause additional delays. Other factors which will impact how long your transfer takes include:

  • The timing of your transfer: weekends and public holidays in Australia and even the timing of important religious festivals in Pakistan can delay the delivery of your funds. If you initiate your transfer early to mid-week in Australia, you stand a higher chance of having your money delivered quickly. If you book your transfer over the weekend in Australia, you may have to wait longer for it to be received.
  • The size of your transfer: how much you wish to send to Pakistan can also affect how long your money takes to arrive. Under Australia’s anti-money laundering rules, all international transfers over $10,000 have to be reported to the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC). AUSTRAC will need to verify the legitimacy and details of any transfer over this amount, which could cause delays to occur. AUSTRAC compliance is the responsibility of the transfer service, not the individual wishing to send money overseas.

How should I compare transfer services when sending money to Pakistan?

Exchange rates

Even a small difference in the exchange rate you’re quoted can have a big impact on the amount of money you end up sending overseas. That’s why it’s so important to compare exchange rates with Savvy before making your transfer decision.

Look for a company that offers an exchange rate as close to the mid-market rate as possible to get the best deal on your international exchange. The mid-market rate is the ‘true’ international exchange rate, so the closer your rate is to the mid-market rate, the more rupees you’ll be able to buy with your Australian dollars to send to Pakistan.

It’s important to compare the margin being added to the mid-market rate when looking at different transfer providers, which is the difference between your quoted price and the mid-market price. For example, say the mid-market rate between one Australian dollar and Pakistani rupees is 169 PKR. Banks may exchange their funds at this rate, but they may quote you only 162 PKR, meaning they keep the additional 7 PKR as their ‘markup’ or margin.

See the table below to see how the exchange rate margin affects how much money your recipient in Pakistan will receive when you’re sending $500 and the mid-market rate is 169 PKR:

Exchange rate on offer AUD to PKR Amount received in PKR Difference between exchange rates
Provider #1
157
78,500
N/A
Provider #2
162
81,000
PKR 3,500
Provider #3
169
84,500
PKR 6,000

* Note: calculations do not include transfer fees. Exchange rates aren’t necessarily representative of current market rates.

Fees

Next, look at the fees being charged to transfer money. There are three ways that international money exchange companies can make their money:

  1. They can charge a set fee for the transfer (up to $15, such as OFX)
  2. They can charge a fee that is a percentage of the transfer amount (typically from 0.4% to 0.65%)
  3. They don’t charge a fee but add a higher margin onto the exchange rate

Any of these charging methods will probably be cheaper than using your traditional bank, as banks charge higher fees plus a greater markup on the exchange rate. When comparing transfer providers, look for one which has the cheapest fee structure for the amount you wish to transfer and which offers an exchange rate as close to the mid-market rate as possible. In general terms, set fee charges are the best for larger transfers and percentage charges are more economical for smaller transfers.

Transfer limits

Some companies have minimum and maximum transfer limits. Minimums range from $1 up to $250, while maximum limits range anywhere from a daily limit of $5,000 up to maximums of $50,000 all the way up to $500,000. Make sure your provider can facilitate the size of transfer you need to make to Pakistan.

Payment methods

Decide how you want to pay for your transfer from Australia to Pakistan. You could pay by direct debit from your bank account. You could use a credit card, although this is often an expensive option as your credit card provider could charge you high transfer fees of 3% to 5% of your transfer amount. Alternatively, use a debit card with EFTPOS, BPAY or PayWave. You could also choose to send your money using a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or in cash. Which method you choose will also determine which transfer company is best for you, as not all companies will accept credit cards or Apple Pay.

How your money will be received

How do you want your transfer to be received? Do you want it transferred into a bank account, collected in cash, or paid into a mobile app or digital wallet? A transfer from one bank account to another is the cheapest option if you want your recipient to be able to access the transfer as cash. When comparing, check the transfer service you choose offers the transfer method you’re after.

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What is the process for completing an international transfer?

More of your frequently asked questions about sending money to Pakistan

Are there any free money transfers to Pakistan?

Yes – some companies offer free transfers in certain circumstances. Some of these are introductory offers for new customers, while others offer free transfers for an amount over a certain limit (such as $10,000). Such special offers can be the best way to send money overseas as they offer the ideal combination of no fees and a very low or no markup on the exchange rate.

Can I send money to someone in Pakistan without a bank account?

Yes – as mentioned, you can either use an instant cash pickup method, or a mobile phone recharge to get money to Pakistan to someone who doesn’t have a bank account.

Am I able to save on regular business transfers to Pakistan?

Yes – if you’re going to be sending money to Pakistan regularly, it may be worth contacting a business manager at a company which specialises in business transfers, such as Xe or SingX. Such business account managers may be able to offer you reduced fees or a preferential exchange rate for your transfers if you’re making frequent transfers. You may also be able to take advantage of transfer tools such as forward contracts, which can lock in your exchange rate for up to 12 months in advance.

Is it safe to send money to Pakistan with an international money transfer provider?

Yes – all of the international transfer providers that Savvy works with have the necessary permits and licences in their country of origin. They’re all reputable transfer providers that you can trust with your international transfer.

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