PayPal has launched Xoom, its international money transfer service, in the UK and 31 other European markets. UK consumers can now use Xoom to send money, pay bills or top-up phones to more than 130 markets internationally.
The global remittance market is an estimated $689 billion industry with Britons remitting over $26 billion annually. The United Kingdom is home to over 9.3 million people who were born outside of the UK – many of whom support family members overseas for things like medical bills, education, utility bills, and other financial needs.
Historically, the speed of securely and efficiently moving money across borders has been slow, but advances in digital technology—in particular mobile—are enabling a significant reduction in transfer time. According to the latest figures from the World Bank, almost half (45 per cent) of all money transfers from the UK are sent to Nigeria, India, Pakistan, China, Kenya and the Philippines, the six largest non-European receivers of remittances from the United Kingdom. The introduction of Xoom usually allows recipients in these countries to receive money sent to a bank account or for cash pick up in approximately five minutes or less.
Dan Schulman, PayPal’s CEO and President said: “The way we move and manage our money has changed dramatically in the last few years. We have moved beyond the days when the only option for sending money abroad was to queue at a counter for hours. But even in 2019, it still takes too long to get money from the United Kingdom to a loved one in another country. We know how important these money transfers are in the lives of millions of people, and how crucial it is that money arrives swiftly and more securely so it can be used for things that matter. With Xoom, someone with a smartphone on a bus in London can send money that can be accessed within minutes in Mumbai to pay for a family member’s medical emergency or to keep the lights on for their family back home.”
Xoom customers can send up to £8,800 in a single transaction. A Xoom account can be set up via the Xoom iOS or Android app or Xoom.com. Existing PayPal customers can use their PayPal account to access Xoom’s services, making it even quicker and easier to send money abroad.
PayPal customers can also use their bank accounts to transfer funds in addition to the debit and credit card options available through Xoom. Depending on the receiver country, users can choose from a range of options: deposit money to a bank account, send cash for pick-up or have cash delivered directly to their recipient’s door. Xoom transfers can be tracked quickly and easily via text updates, email notifications or directly from the mobile app and website. Those who send money abroad can get their questions answered from customer support staff in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Filipino and Arabic.
Share