Best Way to Send Money to Poland from the USA  

If you are sending money to Poland from the US, banks are not the ideal choice due to high fees and poor exchange rates. In this guide, we will explain how to send money to Poland from the USA to help you get the best deal. 

Whether you are sending money to Poland for your family, as a gift or to pay for a hotel or leisure activity, it is important that you get the best exchange rates and know that your money will arrive securely. 

While the most obvious method to send money to Poland from the US would be to use a bank. But there are other services available, such as money transfer services, that can help you to save on fees and get more competitive USD to PLN exchange rates.

This guide will help you find the cheapest way to transfer money to Poland. We will also explain how to save money on transfer fees and exchange rates, and find the best way to send money to Poland from the US. 

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Cheapest Ways to Send Money to Poland from the USA

How to Send Money to Poland from the USA?

There are a few options for sending money to Poland from the US, and all have advantages and disadvantages.

• High-street US banks
• Online money transfer services (such as XE.com, TransferWise, and CurrencyFair)
• Debit or Credit Card Transfer
• Cash pickup

High-street US Banks [Not Recommended]

You can initiate a bank transfer from your US bank account to a Polish bank account. This might look like a convenient and secure way to send money to Poland, however, US banks can cost you a 10x time more (compared to the money transfer services) and it could take several days to transfer the funds to Poland.

Therefore, banks may NOT be the best way to send money to Poland from the US due to the high fixed fee, and banks may not give you the best possible exchange rate for your money. 

Here are fee charged by the US banks on international transfers

US Banks	Fixed Fee
Citibank	$35 to $45 depending on the transfer method
Bank of America	$35 to US$40
PNC	$45
US Bank	$50
Capital One	$50 to $60
Wells Fargo	$30 to $50 depending on the sending currency
TD Bank	$40
JP Morgan Chase	$45 branch, $40 online

It is because banks add a hidden markup on the ‘real’ exchange rate to earn profits from the customers. This is why banks offer different exchange rates than what you see on Google and other credible places.

This means that the recipient in Poland would get fewer Polish złoty than you expected (based on the current exchange rate).

Cash Transfers

You can also transfer money to Poland that can be collected in cash at selected locations. Services like Western Union and MoneyGram offer this option. It’s a convenient option for the recipient because it is very quick, and does not require you to open an account.

However, Cash transfers may not be the cheapest way to send money to Poland from the US because you might not get the best USD to PLN exchange rates, along with a high transfer fee.

Money Transfer Services

You can use online money transfer services like Wise (TransferWise), XE.com, and CurrencyFair, to send money to Poland. These services usually offer fast, convenient, and affordable transfer options. However, you should compare their fees and exchange rates before choosing one.

XE.com is the cheapest way to transfer money to Poland from the US. XE Money Transfer is a credible money transfer provider and has been in the business for more than 20 years. With over £115 billion in transfers worldwide every year, it is one of the safest, cheapest and fastest ways to send money overseas.

Another great alternative is Wise (formerly TransferWise). Wise guarantees you the real exchange rate (also known as the mid-market rate) – the midpoint between the buy and sell rates on global currency markets. You also have the option to choose the speed of your transfer. TransferWise is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, meaning your money is secure.

Debit or Credit Card Transfer

If the recipient in Poland has a debit or credit card, you may be able to transfer money directly to their card. You may also have to check with your bank to see if they support card-to-card transfers.

You can also use money transfer services like TransferWise to send money to Poland from the US using a credit or debit card. Simply sign up for an account, enter the recipient’s bank details, and select the option to pay with your credit or debit card.

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Best Money Transfer Services

XE Money Transfer

With over £115 billion worth of international transfers, XE is quite a credible money transfer company, apart from being one of the most trusted sources to find exchange rates on the internet. 

XE.com is the cheapest way to transfer money to Poland from the US based on the 10 providers that we have analysed. XE doesn’t offer any fee on international transfers, however, they add a very small makeup on the exchange rate to earn profits from the margins. 

Money transfer to Poland via XE is quite simple, all you need is to create a free account, add the bank details of the recipient in Poland, and set up the international transfer. 

XE can take around 1 business day to transfer money to Poland from the US.

Wise (formerly TransferWise)

If you want to send money to Poland from the USA online, Wise is one of the easiest and fastest options. You can simply create a Wise account online. You can also use the Wise app to make international transfers. 

Wise offers mid-market exchange rate – the “real” exchange rates and charge a very small fee if you send money to Poland from the USA (or anywhere in the world)

TransferWise is also one of the safest providers, with over 150K 5-star ratings on Trustpilot.  

How much does money transfer to Poland cost with Wise?

Transfer Fee: 0.6% of the total transfer amount .
Exchange Rate: Wise offers the real possible rate without margins (google rate).

Is Wise safe?
Yes they are. Click here to see our full review of Wise.

Best features:

• Quick online set-up
• Low and transparent fees
• Fast international transfers
• Mid-market exchange rates

CurrencyFair

CurrencyFair is another online money transfer service that offers low fees and competitive exchange rates. They allow you to set your own exchange rate, and they match you with other users who want to exchange currency, thus cutting out the middleman.

If you send money to Poland from the USA via CurrencyFair, there is a chance that you may get a better USD to PLN exchanger rate than the “actual” exchange rate that you see on Google. It is because you can negotiate the rates with other users on the CurrencyFair P2P marketplace. 

You can also choose the regular money transfer services to transfer money to Poland, but this method would have a small fee along with the exchange rate offered by CurrencyFair. However, it is still one of the cheapest ways to send money to Poland (up to 5x times cheaper than the US banks).

What Details do I Need to Send Money to Poland

To transfer money to Poland, you’ll need the following details:

Recipient’s name: The full name of the person you’re sending the money to, as it appears on their bank account.

Recipient’s IBAN: It is the European version of the “bank account number”, which is a unique identifier for their bank account

Recipient’s address: The full address of the person you’re sending the money to.

SWIFT/BIC code: The SWIFT or BIC is an 8-11 character code that identifies the recipient’s bank. This code is required for international transfers.

With these details, you should be able to complete an international money transfer to Poland. Before making a transfer, it’s a good idea to check with your bank or the recipient’s bank to make sure you have all the necessary information and to confirm any fees or charges that may apply.

Step-by-step guide on how to send money to Poland from the USA

Here is a step-by-step guide to make an international money transfer to Poland via online banking

1. Login to your internet banking
2. Go to your account and the transfers option
3. Enter your recipient’s name
4. Add the sum you want to send to Poland
5. Confirm the money transfer to Poland
6. Wait for the bank to transfer money to the receipt’s bank account

Here is a step-by-step guide to how to transfer money to Poland with Wise (formerly TransferWise)

1. Create a free Wise account
2. Set up your money transfer to Poland
3. Enter your recipient’s Polish bank details
4. Confirm transfer
5. Select the payments option (such as bank transfer, credit card, or debit card)
6. Once Wise gets your payment, it will send the money to your recipient in Poland

How long will it take to send money to Poland?

The speed of your money transfer will depend on which option you choose to make money transfer to Poland from the USA. Cash transfer companies offer very quick times, but can be expensive, while banks may need to transfer through several correspondent banks, so can take longer and still cost you considerably more.

If time is of the essence, shop around to find the quickest processing time for your specific transaction.

There are many ways of sending money to Poland, and although banks are the first option that comes to mind. But it may take several business days for the fund to reach the recipient’s Polish account, if you use a bank to transfer money to Poland.

Banks also often have high fees and poor exchange rates. This means it is important to consider all payment options.

If you need to get your money to Poland urgently, you need to consider the speed of the different delivery methods as well as the value you will receive.

Based on our research, Wise (formerly TransferWise) is the fast option available. It takes only a few minutes up to a couple of hours to send money to Poland. The speed of the transfer also depends on the payment option you choose.

TransferWise also has great customer service. That can be reassuring if you have never used a money transfer service before. TransferWise will give you as much information as possible on the fees and the time to transfer.

Sending Money to Poland from the USA – The verdict

If you want to find the cheapest way to transfer money to Poland and save money on high fees and poor exchange rates, you have to avoid using the bank to make international transfers,

Banks charge a high fixed fee that can go up to 50 USD, plus they offer you a really poor exchange rate by adding hidden markups on the “real” exchange rate.  

However, the best way to send money to Poland from the US is by using a money transfer provider. There can be several factors to finding the best money transfer for your needs. 

XE is the cheapest way to send money to Poland, whereas Wise (TransferWise) is the fastest, and can transfer money to Poland in just a couple of hours. 

If you are more concerned about safety, you don’t have to worry because all the providers that we have listed above are well-regulated by various regulatory body in the US. 

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Money Transfer to Poland FAQs