Remittance Fee Comparator
"Zero fees!" is the most expensive phrase in remittances. Most services take their cut not in the fee you see, but in the exchange rate you don't — a margin of 1–3% below the real mid-market rate. On the monthly transfers a family sends for decades, that hidden margin dwarfs every advertised fee.
Enter the amount you typically send. The table shows, for each major US→Philippines provider, the estimated pesos your family receives and the true total cost— fee and exchange-rate margin combined into one honest number.
Estimates, not live quotes. Fees and exchange-rate margins below were sampled 2026-08-11 against a mid-market rate of ₱58/$. Providers change pricing and run promos constantly — use this to understand the cost structure, then check live quotes.
| Provider | Fee | Rate (₱/$) | They receive | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Best PH banks, GCash, Maya — typically within hours | $4.15 | 58.00 | ₱28,759 | $4.15 |
| Remitly (Economy) Banks, GCash, cash pickup — 3–5 days on Economy | $0.00 | 57.13 | ₱28,565 | $7.50 |
| Xoom (PayPal) Banks, cash pickup, some door-to-door | $0.00 | 56.72 | ₱28,362 | $11.00 |
| Western Union Largest cash-pickup network incl. provincial counters | $0.00 | 56.49 | ₱28,246 | $13.00 |
"Total cost" = amount sent minus pesos received, valued at the mid-market rate — it combines the visible fee and the hidden exchange-rate margin into one honest number. Notes: Wise: Converts at the mid-market rate; the fee is the whole cost. · Remitly (Economy): No visible fee; cost is in the exchange-rate margin. Promo rates for new users are better than shown. · Xoom (PayPal): Convenient from PayPal balance; margin typically higher than app-first rivals. · Western Union: Rarely cheapest online, but unmatched physical coverage.
Beyond the cheapest row
The best provider is the cheapest one your parent can actually receive from — GCash for the tech-comfortable, cash pickup for everyone else, bank deposit for bills. For the full decision framework (batching transfers, promo-rate traps, and setting up a fixed monthly support system), read Cheapest Ways to Send Money to the Philippines and How to Financially Support Elderly Parents.