8 Cheapest Ways to Send Money from the UK to Ghana

There are no better ways to describe convenience when sending money to Ghana from the United Kingdom and the recipient gets a credit alert within hours.

Why the Ghanaian population in the UK matters

The growth of the Ghanaian population in the UK is an opportunity for remittance firms not only to make a profit from charges or the difference in the exchange rate but also to transfer of money to loved ones back home.

According to a record by the Office for National Statistics in 2001, there were 56,112 of Ghana origin in the UK.

By 2011, the number increased: 93,312 in England; 534 in Wales; 1,658 in Scotland, and 162 in Northern Ireland.

And 2019, the number of Ghanaians in the UK reached 114,000. This figure matters for FinTech firms that provide remittance services just like in the case of Nigerians in the UK who want to transfer to their loved ones at home.

What are the best money transfer methods to send money from the UK to Ghana?

Before sending money to your loved ones, it’s a good decision to compare the transfer fees, delivery duration, and track record of the international money transfer firm.

Here is the list of the best money transfer firms to send money from the UK to Ghana:

Remitly

Founded in 2011, Remitly remittance firm has one of the best exchange rates: 1 GBP = 15 GHS – for sending money from the UK to Ghana at the time of publication.

For sending 1,000 GBP on Remitly to Ghana, the receiver will get 15,000 Cedis on their mobile money wallet.

Methods of transfer:

• Bank deposit for a receiver to withdraw at EcoBank, Access Bank, CalBank, ARB Apex Bank, ABSA, Fidelity Bank
• mobile money via Momo Wallet, Airteltigo Money, and Vodafone Cash
• Cash pickup

How to send money from the UK to Ghana via Remitly

• Create an account via the Remitly sign-up page
• Input how much you want to send
• The current GBP/GHS exchange rate will be provided for you and how much the receiver will receive in Ghanaian Cedis.
• Provide the basic details of the recipient like their name, address, phone number, and method f notification.
• Submit your payment information
• Initiate funds transfer

Instarem

• 1.00 GBP= 14.0572 GHS
• 1,000GBP = 14,0618 GHS

MoneyGram

• Exchange rate: 1 GBP = 14.913 GHS
• For sending 1,000 GBP via MoneyGram, the receiver gets 14,913 Cedis at the cash pick centre

XendPay

• Medium: Transfer to bank
• Exchange rate: 1 GBP = 14.0269 GHS
• Transfer fee: 26.55 GBP

Sendwave

Sendwave has been a major player in the across-the-border money transfer sector since 2014 and it keeps expanding.

However, an equivalent of 10,000 Cedis is the maximum amount of money you can send from the UK to Ghana at a time.

According to the £/GHS exchange rate on Sendwave, you can only send 675.21 Pounds Sterling (10,000 Ghana Cedis).

The beauty of this is that you don’t necessarily need a bank account to receive money from the UK, all you need is a Momo Account, a product of MTN Ghana.

A Momo wallet must be empty to accept the equivalent of 10K Cedis.

What are Sendwave’s transfer charges to send from the UK to Ghana?

Charges apply for some countries, but Ghana is one of the five countries on the platform that is operated on a no-charge model.

The company only makes a small percentage of the exchange rate. At the time of publication, £1 is 14.81 GHS on Sendwave App.

For comparison purposes, if your loved one sends 1,000 pounds, you will get 14,810 Cedis.

WorldRemit

• Exchange rate: 1 GBP = 14.75319 GHS
• For sending, 1,000 GBP, the receiver gets 14753.19 Cedis on their mobile money wallet.
• Delivery period: Less than 10 minutes

HSBC

HSBC has the poorest exchange rate when sending money from the UK to Ghana, so when sending money to your loved ones, take time to check the GBP/GHS exchange rate on HSBC.

When you send 1000 GBP, the receiver gets 13,987 GHS

• HSBC Fee: 5.00 GBP
• External fee: 16.63 GBP (237.68 GHS)

Wise (formerly TransferWise)

1 GBP = 14.8564 GHS

For sending, 1,000 GBP, the receiver gets  14,856 Cedis on their bank account balance with a transfer fee of 6.47 GBP.

WesternUnion

1.00 GBP = 12.8246 Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) on the Western Union exchange rate at the time of publication.

We are made to understand that the company makes a profit from the exchange rate, so the exchange rate may vary.

For sending 1,000.00 GBP via Western Union to Ghana, the receiver gets 12824.60GHS in their bank account.

• Cash: 12960.70GHS
• Mobile money: 12798.43GHS
• Cash pickup has the best exchange rate at the moment.

Note: The medium of transfer plays a role in what the receiver gets

Conclusion:

When updating this article (February 15, 2023), Remitly has the fastest and cheapest rate to send money from the UK to Ghana, followed by MoneyGram: 15K GHS and 14,913 GHS respectively via bank transfer.