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Cheapest way to send money to the United States

Euro to US dollar. A pure FX corridor rather than a remittance one: business payments and expat transfers, where a 3% bank margin on a five-figure transfer is real money.

Mid-market rate
1.08 USD
Seeded — no live feed for USD
Cheapest route
0.00%
Revolut
Most expensive
4.94%
Typical high-street bank
Corridor volume
$18bn
Annual, order of magnitude

Routes ranked by total cost

EUR to USD transfer routes ranked by total cost
ProviderTransfer feeFX markupTotal costThey receiveSpeedPayoutVerifiedGo
TradFiRevolut
None0.00%EUR 0.000.00%1,080 USDSame dayBank, Walletverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiAirwallex
None0.50%EUR 5.000.50%1,074.6 USDSame dayBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiOFXrate margin not disclosed
None0.70%EUR 7.000.70%1,072.44 USD1–2 daysBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiInstarem
EUR 2.500.50%EUR 7.490.75%1,071.91 USDSame dayBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiCurrencies Directrate margin not disclosed
None0.80%EUR 8.000.80%1,071.36 USD1–2 daysBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiXE Money Transferrate margin not disclosed
None0.90%EUR 9.000.90%1,070.28 USD1–2 daysBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiWise
EUR 5.400.42%EUR 9.580.96%1,069.66 USDSame dayBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
On-chainStablecoin route — USDC via Kraken
EUR 1.100.90%EUR 10.081.01%1,069.12 USDMinutes, including weekendsBank, Walletverified 2026-08-14
  • Buy USDC with EUREUR 5.50· Bank-funded purchase at an exchange or on-ramp — around 0.5% plus a flat charge.
  • Send over BaseEUR 0.60· Network fee only. No banking hours, no cut-off, no correspondent chain.
  • Sell for USD at KrakenEUR 3.98· Local venue spread and withdrawal, about 0.4%. This leg is where the route is won or lost.

Sending EUR 1000 this way delivers 1,069.12 USD. Compare on-ramps →

TradFiPaysendrate margin not disclosed
EUR 2.001.50%EUR 16.971.70%1,061.67 USDMinutes (card payout)Card, Bankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiPayoneerrate margin not disclosed
None2.00%EUR 20.002.00%1,058.4 USD1–3 daysBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiXoom (PayPal)rate margin not disclosed
EUR 4.992.20%EUR 26.882.69%1,050.97 USDMinutesBank, Cash pickup, Walletverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiMoneyGramrate margin not disclosed
EUR 4.992.90%EUR 33.853.38%1,043.45 USDMinutes (cash)Bank, Cash pickup, Walletverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiWestern Unionrate margin not disclosed
EUR 5.993.20%EUR 37.803.78%1,039.18 USDMinutes (cash)Bank, Cash pickup, Walletverified 2026-08-14Get quote
TradFiTypical high-street bankrate margin not disclosed
EUR 20.003.00%EUR 49.404.94%1,026.65 USD2–4 daysBankverified 2026-08-14Get quote

Costs are computed from each provider's published fee schedule and typical rate margin on this corridor, applied to your amount. Promotional first-transfer rates are excluded — they distort the comparison and expire. Always confirm the quote at checkout.

How the stablecoin route actually works

  1. 1. Buy USDC. Fund an exchange or on-ramp with EUR and buy the token. This leg costs roughly half a percent on a bank transfer, several percent on a card.
  2. 2. Send it over Base. Cents in network fees, settled in seconds, on a Sunday if you like. This is the leg that gets all the attention and it is the cheapest part of the journey.
  3. 3. Cash out at Kraken. The recipient sells for USD and withdraws to their bank or wallet — about 0.4%. This leg decides whether the route wins. EUR in over SEPA, USDC out over Base, USD out over ACH — three hops, each cheap.

The recipient needs an account at a local venue and has to complete its identity checks. If they will not or cannot, the on-chain route is not available to you at any price — which is the honest reason the cash networks still exist.

Sending money to the United States

+ What is the cheapest way to send money to the United States?

Rank routes on transfer fee plus exchange-rate margin, not on the advertised fee. On this corridor the fintech providers and the stablecoin route via Kraken are typically within a percent of each other, while cash-network operators cost two to three percent more because you are paying for a physical payout counter.

+ How long does it take to send EUR to USD?

Fintech and remittance transfers to a bank account usually land within minutes to one business day; bank wires take two to five days and stop over weekends. The stablecoin route settles in minutes at any hour, with the only wait being the local off-ramp's payout.

+ Is the stablecoin route to the United States actually cheaper?

It depends on the off-ramp. The on-chain transfer itself costs cents, but you pay to enter the system and roughly 0.4% to leave it at Kraken. That makes it competitive rather than automatically cheapest — and clearly better when speed, weekend availability, or being paid in dollars matters. EUR in over SEPA, USDC out over Base, USD out over ACH — three hops, each cheap.

+ Do I need to pay tax or declare a EUR→USD transfer?

Personal remittances are generally not taxable income for the recipient, but reporting rules, limits and crypto-specific charges vary by country. Check local rules before using any route, particularly the on-chain one.

Informational only, not financial advice. Terms, fees and availability change frequently — always verify on the provider's own site before committing funds. Some outbound links may be partner links; they never affect ranking or scoring.