Sending Money to Canada from the USA: Options & Fees

You can send money to Canada from the United States in several ways, sometimes without extra fees. Some methods have associated costs based on a flat-rate fee or a fee associated with the amount of money you send. Fees vary based on the company you use.

The good news is that you don't have to worry about the exchange rate if you know the USA-based amount you want to send because it's handled on the other end. If you want to calculate the exchange rate of U.S. dollars to Canadian dollars so you can send the exact amount in Canadian dollars, this can change every day. Visit a bank or one of the many currency converter websites available online.

You can send money to Canada from the U.S. in a number of different ways:

• Arrange a fee-based private money wire transfer.
• Purchase and send a money order.
  
• Electronically send money from your credit card if it offers this service.
  
• Transfer money via an online service such as PayPal, Google Wallet or Dwolla.
  
• Arrange a wire transfer from one bank account to another.

Wire Transfers

When you have a bank account and you know the bank account number of the person to whom you want to send money, you can make a wire transfer from your own bank. This system is called a bank-to-bank transfer. All banks provide this service to its account holders for a fee. Most of the top banks in the U.S. charge an outgoing service fee for an international transfer. This can be as much as $50 or more, with an average of about $47.50.

Private companies also offer this service. They include a flat fee and sometimes a fee charged according to the amount sent. These types of companies allow you to send money from your bank account or they may require that you provide cash.

Online Payment Services

If you already have an account with an online payment service that's tied to your bank account or credit card, all you need is the email address of the person to whom you're sending money. Depending on the type of account you have, you may have to pay a small fee based on the total amount sent, or you may pay nothing if you're sending money to family or friends.

Some banks and credit card companies also offer this service. You can transfer or send money to anyone if you know his email address.

The Money Order

You can purchase a money order with cash at most grocery stores or the U.S. Postal Service, then mail the money order to the person in Canada. These methods don't cost as much, generally only a few cents for each $10 or $100, but you need to know the mailing address of the person to whom you're sending the money.