Ria Money Transfer Review
If you need to send money, pay bills, cash checks, or obtain money orders, you can do it all with Ria. Our comprehensive Ria money transfer review will tell you everything you need to know about sending money with the service and how to get the most for your money.
Who is Ria Money Transfer?
In 1987, Ria broke into the money transfer market with a store in New York. Today, their business reaches all across the globe. With upwards of 300 thousand locations in 146 countries, Ria is the third largest money transfer service in the world.
This humble company originated in Buena Park, California but now has agents and stores in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Parent company Euronet Worldwide also oversees ATMs, point of sale (POS) services, credit and debit card services, and other electronic financial solutions across the globe.
Ria Money Transfer is not only present worldwide, processing millions of transfers each month, but its online portal and 2014 collaboration with Walmart brought cash transfer capabilities to even more people than ever before. Keeping cash transfers accessible and affordable are pillars of Ria Money Transfer’s business operations.
Ria Money Transfer Locations
With 146 countries on its list, Ria is indeed a global company. With the ongoing expansion, its capabilities will only grow. Currently, however, its online services are only available to consumers in the United States, Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Store locations, on the other hand, spread across all continents, and Ria offers a complete list of countries and territories where it has sending and receiving locations. Every country on its list has receiving locations, but not all locales provide sending services.
Pros
- Get a competitive and fair currency exchanges
- Transfer money securely
- Work directly with a person if you wish
- Learn about foreign currency markets
Cons
- Cash pick up is not available
- Slow transaction rate, you have to wait 24-48 hours
- Small numbers of currency available for small exchanges
How It Works
Whether you’re sending money across town or need an international money transfer, Ria can do both. Most transactions take an average of 15 minutes to complete, but the timeframe does vary depending on how much you’re sending and through what means. Courier and home deliveries often process the same day, but bank transfers take the most time.
Luckily, starting the transfer process is simple, and you can start at home anytime. You’ll simply need online access and the details for the person that is receiving the money. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow to learn how Ria money transfer works and get started.
Opening a Ria Account
For any of your money handling needs, starting with Ria’s free account signup is the first step. Then you can choose where and when to send your transfer. To create an account, just enter your email address, create a secure password, and supply your personal details.
Making sure that all information is correct helps ensure that the transfer process goes smoothly. Both your data and your recipient’s information need to match your government identification to guarantee a secure transaction.
Once you create an account, you can quickly log in to view your account dashboard to track transfers and recipients. For repeat transactions, it’s simple to select your recipient and submit a transfer in only a few steps.
Choosing What and How to Send
Transfer methods include direct deposit to the recipient’s bank account, sending an amount for pickup at one of 332,000 Ria locations worldwide, or delivery to a private home. If your recipient lives in Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Hungary, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, the Philippines, or Vietnam, you can have funds delivered straight to their door.
You’re able to use a bank account, debit card, credit card, or cash to supply funds to your recipient. However, each method has a unique fee structure and requirements, so keep that in mind as you prepare to transfer money.
Providing Recipient Details
You’ll need to know the recipient’s full name and address, and it must match what is on their government-issued ID. This is important to ensure a secure transfer to the intended party, and it allows the receiving location to verify their identity. If any of this information is incorrect, it can delay or even stop your transfer altogether.
Sending and Tracking Funds
A few clicks is all it takes to send money. Once you’ve successfully submitted your transfer, you can track it with Ria’s online transfer tracking tool. With tracking throughout the process, you can feel confident that the funds will reach their destination safely and securely. Plus, you can find out quickly if there are any issues with delivery or pickup.
Transfer Limits
If you are attempting to send money via Ria’s online portal, note that their daily transfer limit is $3,000 per individual. However, visiting one of their physical stores allows you to exceed that amount, although limitations still apply. Whether online in or in-person, you may not surpass USD 7,999.99 funds transferred per 30-day period.
Additionally, residents of Oklahoma and Arizona may not exceed $999.99 in all transactions per calendar day. This is an important consideration for people who live in those states and may want to send higher amounts.
Delivery Options
Three delivery options let you choose the most convenient way for your recipient to receive their funds. Cash pickup and bank deposit are available worldwide, while courier delivery is available in specific locations.
Cash Pickup
To pick up cash, your recipient must bring their valid, government-issued photo ID and the order number for the transaction.
Bank Deposit
Your recipient can provide their bank account and routing numbers so that you can deliver cash directly to their account. Then they can access the cash via their bank card or check.
Courier Delivery
In some areas, couriers deliver cash to your recipient at their home or business. This eliminates the need for people to travel to obtain funds.
Bank Account Validation
Before you can send or receive funds with Ria, you must validate your bank account according to their guidelines. If you’re creating a login on a business day, you can expect to complete the validation process within 4 to 24 hours. However, if you open an account on a non-business day, that delay may last upwards of 48 hours.
The validation process requires you to confirm two small deposits into your account by entering the exact dollar amounts (both are under $1.00) into your Ria account. This connects your bank account to your Ria account and proves your ownership of the bank account.
Although it can delay the opening of your Ria account, this confirmation is a one-time event and won’t affect your future use of the money transfer functions of the service.
What’s Happening with My Funds?
While your money transfer is processing, you’ll receive notifications via email at each step. You will know what is happening throughout the process, and you can reach out to Ria with any questions or concerns.
Verify Bank Account
When you open a new account, or add a bank account to an existing profile, you’ll receive an email notification to confirm the addition. The notification functions as both an informational message and a security notice since Ria wants to make sure that you are the one authorizing any changes.
Order Sent for Review
If your transfer receives a security review flag, you’ll know immediately. Typically, a security review requires you to call Ria and answer specific questions to release any holds on the account. This may result in delays in your order, but as security is the main concern, you’ll need to follow the appropriate steps to resolve any issues before the money becomes available.
Order Cancellation
There are a few reasons why you may receive an order cancellation. If you request a cancellation, the system will confirm via email. Incorrect account details can also cause your transfer to halt, as well as a delayed pickup on the recipient’s end. Transactions do have an expiry period, so make sure that you or your recipient stay on top of any date limitations.
Transaction Paid
As soon as your recipient picks up their transfer, you’ll receive an email notification confirming the details. Of course, you can also enter your tracking number anytime to receive the latest updates on demand.
How Safe Is It?
Transferring cash can feel scary, if only because we can’t physically watch the money change hands. But the good news is, Ria money transfers have multiple security measures in place that protect your investment and ensure its safe arrival on the other end of the transfer.
The bank account validation process mentioned above is the very first protection against fraud that Ria uses, but there are other means of securing your funds and your identity online.
Identification Verification
Ria uses modeling to zero in on suspicious transfers and stop them before money disappears. The company also employs Extended Validation SSL Certificates. An SSL verification means that customers can feel confident that the website they’re using is entirely secure.
With today’s concerns about online safety and security, using enhanced features like Extended Validation SSL Certificates shows consumers that websites are legitimate, eliminating the risk of phishing or other fraudulent activity.
When you visit a website, seeing their SSL certification tells you that the company cares about online safety and has taken precautions to preserve your private information. Not all companies do this, so it’s an important visual indicator in the browser when you’re navigating Ria’s website.
Teams of Security Experts
With its own security team who monitors online activity, Ria places a high priority on consumer safety on the Web. Your hard-earned money has plenty of protection as it moves from sender to recipient and Ria’s security team is on standby if any threats arise.
Temporary Information Storage
Ria doesn’t store credit card information on its servers, which means that your private credit information won’t be hanging out in cyberspace during your transaction. With this additional protection, your information is safer than ever.
Fraud Protection
With an entire website section dedicated to fraud prevention, Ria knows that it’s difficult to zero in on fraudulent online activity. However, by sharing information on potential online scams, Ria helps customers to recognise and avoid them.
A whole host of online scams have siphoned money from unsuspecting individuals in the past, but knowing about the risks and telltale signs of online fraud helps you to stay safe. From online dating scams to deals on vehicles that are too good to be true, scammers will approach from any angle to steal your money.
Fortunately, recognising fraud is the first step in avoiding it, so learning about what to look for keeps your money and your personal information protected.
Security Reviews
Some money transfers receive automatic flagging for security reasons. While Ria does not disclose the parameters of this review process, on occasion, the security review can delay funds. Maintaining secure and legitimate transactions is a priority for the company, and this may slow down your transfer in some cases.
How Much Does It Cost?
Due to the nature of cash transfers, you won’t always see convenient flat rates for services. But there are ways to save money when it comes to transferring funds. Comparison shopping is one way to see how companies stack up in regard to fees, which is why Currency Shop’s tools are so helpful when you’re selecting service.
Ria Money Transfer Fees
Ria money transfer fees depend on how much you plan to send and where the money is originating. With Ria, the least expensive transfer option is to use your bank account. Credit card transfers involve the highest fees, while debit cards lie in the middle of that range.
Still, competitive rates are one reason to choose Ria for your transfer needs. Ria’s rates are also lower per dollar the more money you send. So, while overall costs increase with the dollar amount, the per-dollar cost only goes down.
In-Store Versus Online Transfer Fees
Do note, however, that Ria’s rates online may not match up with the rates that its in-store locations offer. Discrepancies may be slight, but consumers should be prepared for the difference and realize that often, the convenience of using online services means a slightly higher cost.
What Exchange Rate Will I Get?
Exchange rates vary based on the country you’re sending from, and the country you’re sending to. Rates can change with local and international economic conditions, so it’s difficult to say how consistent rates will remain.
Ria’s Exchange Calculator
To estimate a transfer exchange rate for your Ria transaction, you can visit their exchange price calculator. By selecting a country and a payment method (whether bank account, credit card, or debit card) and entering your transfer amount, you’ll receive an estimate on costs via Ria’s currency converter.
After you find out Ria’s rates, you can either proceed with a money transfer, or compare the details to other providers to ensure you’re getting the best deal for your money.
Learning More About Currency Exchange Rates
Rates can change even from one day to the next so learning more about currency exchange rates may help you to make the most economical decisions about transferring money outside your country.
Often, ordering online presents a convenient and safe option to obtain the proper currency. Alternatives include seeking out money changer locations where you live, including local banks or other institutions.
How Do I Send or Receive Money from Overseas?
Ria International Transfers
International money transfers through Ria have let people send funds internationally for over 30 years, even before the internet made the process simpler. With today’s technology, all you need to send money across the globe is an internet connection and an email address.
At the same time, many companies are focusing on digital solutions to cash handling challenges, Ria also extends its focus to location-specific services that enhance its offerings. In some areas, they provide courier service so that your recipient can have cash in hand without ever leaving the house. However, this service is only available in specific countries, and may not be an option in all scenarios.
Transferring Money Back to New Zealand
You may have taken a vacation overseas and now want to return home with cash in hand. Or, you may want to send money to New Zealand while you’re out of the country. Either way, transferring money back to New Zealand from overseas can be complicated, but Ria offers solutions that make it easier.
Transfer Speed
At the same time, the time that it takes your transfer to complete also relates to the transfer fees. For example, using your bank account may cost less up front, but funds typically take four banking days to transfer.
With a debit card or credit card, the transaction amount is available within minutes on the recipient’s end. Deciding how fast you want your transfer to happen will depend on what fees you’re willing to accept for the convenience of speed.
Overseas Transfers
Because there is no standard exchange rate, each institution can dictate its own fee schedule regarding overseas transactions. Not only is there a difference between currencies when transferring overseas, but there are always differences in the per-transfer fee.
How Do I Pay?
Your payment options include a U.S. bank account, debit card, or credit card.
Bank Account
A bank account takes the most time, but you only need to provide the routing number and bank account number to complete this type of order. Those two numbers are on every check in your checkbook, so this is an easy method for many users.
Debit Card
A debit card pulls funds from your bank account immediately, and functions in much the same way as a check does. However, funds are available faster, making this method quicker than waiting on bank confirmation directly from your checking or savings account.
Credit Card
Credit cards are a fast way to send cash, but they’re also the most expensive. Credit card companies charge businesses a fee each time they use a consumer’s credit card, meaning that Ria passes part of that cost on to you.
Some credit card companies will also charge a cash advance fee, depending on the type of card you have. The best way to determine what your credit card company charges is to read through your credit agreement or contact them directly for clarification.
Cash
While using the online portal requires a digital means of payment, you can also send cash by visiting one of Ria’s in-store locations worldwide. You will still pay transfer fees, but you’ll avoid bank delays and potential credit card transaction fees.
Can I Pay by Credit Card?
Yes. If you are transacting online, you may pay by credit card. Many foreign exchange services do not allow credit card payments; Rio Money Transfer is one of the few that do.
What Currencies Can I Transfer?
Ria Money Transfer offers money transfer services for many currencies. Here is a full list of the countries they serve. You can also use their price calculator to calculate the exchange rate for a a specific country.
