
OrbitRemit Review: Sending Money Overseas, Safety, Usability, and Monito's Verdict

Guide

Byron has a BA Honours in Journalism and has spent over four years writing extensively about financial topics. He has a keen interest in the intersection of personal finance and technology and strives to bring these subjects to life insightfully and enjoyably.
Reviewer

Monika is an expert in international transfers, fintechs, and neobanks. Leading the life of a digital nomad, she shares her knowledge and experience about living abroad with Monito users.
Links on this page may earn us an affiliate commission. This does not affect the opinions and recommendations of our editors.
Read moreOrbitRemit is a good money transfer service (7.8/10), frequently recommended by Monito for international money transfers largely due to its outstanding customer feedback (8.5/10) and its well-designed and easy-to-use web and mobile apps (7.8/10). OrbitRemit is also a well-used and highly credible service with around half a million customers, handling over $1 billion in customer transfers yearly (7.4/10). However, regarding fees and exchange rates, OrbitRemit isn't always the best option out there (7.6/10), and other services on Monito frequently outcompete it.
What Monito Likes About OrbitRemit
- Supports recurring payments
- An easy-to-understand flat fee system;
- Around-the-clock customer service;
- Speedy transfers, often arriving the next day.
What Monito Dislikes About OrbitRemit
- Fairly pricey for a transfer of less than £1,000 or equivalent.
- Bank transfers are the only available pay-in method;
- Only available to UK, Australian, and New Zealand residents.
OrbitRemit is a well-liked and reasonably priced money transfer service that we recommend for bank transfers of above £1,000 or equivalent. On Monito's comparison engine, OrbitRemit is frequently a good deal for transfers from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand to the Pacific, South Asia, and Latin America in particular. However, OrbitRemit is seldom the cheapest of all, and if you'd like to ensure you're getting the best deal no matter what, we recommend running a search on Monito's real-time comparison engine instead.
Category | Monito Score | Highlight |
---|---|---|
7.4/10 | Licensed and authorised in Singapore | |
7.8/10 | Money transfers are seamless | |
7.6/10 | Decent pricing but seldom the cheapest | |
8.5/10 | Very good customer reviews |
Last updated: 01/07/2021
📤 Pay-in | Bank transfer |
---|---|
📥 Pay-out |
|
🪙 Min. Transfer |
$5
Both Australian and New Zealand dollars.
|
💵 Max. Transfer |
$1,000,000
Both Australian and New Zealand dollars.
|
💱 Currencies |
|
👥 Customers | 500,000+ |
⭐ Trustpilot | 4.9/5 |
📝 Reviews | 28,000 |
🌍 Available | Australia, New Zealand |
🌎 Languages | English |
Last updated: 01/07/2021
📍 Headquarters | Wellington (NZ) |
---|---|
📃 Established | 2009 |
🌏 Offices | London (GB), Wellington (NZ), Sydney (AU) |
👥 Number of Employees | 36 |
📈 Private/Public | Private |
🏆 Award(s) | Top 300 Financial Times High-Growth Companies APAC (2020), Cyber Gold Wellington Gold Awards (2018) |
Last updated: 01/07/2021
How We Review Money Transfer Providers
With more than 50 providers reviewed and 100 test transfers made over the past ten years, we pride ourselves on providing the best reviews of international money transfer services online. Curious how we make them and why you can trust us? Take a look at our process below:
🔎 See how our scoring methodology works
All international money transfer services we review are put through a comprehensive and rigorous scoring methodology, which involves the testing of the platform's functionalities, assessment of customer reviews, fees, pay-in options, customer service, and business metrics. The methodology is also powered by an analysis of millions of searches on Monito's comparison engine to determine each provider's competitiveness in terms of pricing. When the research is done, each Monito Score is then peer-reviewed by at least one Monito expert. Learn more about our scoring methodology here.
🤝 See why you can trust our recommendations
Reviews are written independently by Monito's editors, and the recommendations given are our own. We might make money from some links on our reviews to bring you premium content without pesky banner ads and paywalls. We promise you that this never impacts the independence of our recommendations. Learn more about our promise and our business model here.
OrbitRemit Review
Is OrbitRemit Available in Your Country?
OrbitRemit |
Trust & Credibility
Background check
OrbitRemit is licensed and regulated by the DIA in New Zealand, the FCA in the UK, and ASIC in Australia.
Security & reliability
OrbitRemit's website is fully secured and uses top-notch security protocols, including segregated user accounts, 128-bit encryption, and HTTPS.
Company size
Since 2009, OrbitRemit has grown to serve around 500 thousand customers, employ about 50 people, and handle up to US$1.5 billion worth of annual transactions.
Transparent pricing
OrbitRemit is not fully transparent in its pricing, failing to disclose that 75% of its fees are hidden in the exchange rate margin.
Can I Trust OrbitRemit?
Yes, you can trust OrbitRemit with your money. Founded in 2009, OrbitRemit is a worldwide money remittance and payment service provider headquartered in New Zealand that's duly is registered with the New Zealand Companies Office under FSPR reference FSP7721 (this includes a dispute resolution registration).
Moreover, OrbitRemit is also regulated by the relevant authorities in the other countries they operate in, namely the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom.
Outside of regulatory oversight, OrbitRemit has a distinguished record of service and trust. This is evidenced by the fact that, as a company, OrbitRemit today boasts around half a million customers and processes transactions in the region of US$1.5 billion every year on their behalf.
Is OrbitRemit Safe?
Yes, OrbitRemit is a safe and secure provider for transferring money internationally. As per the standards of the government regulators, funds are held in segregated accounts, meaning that client money is kept separate from the company’s accounts, and it secures the customer’s funds if OrbitRemit runs into financial difficulties.
Service & Quality
Opening an account
Opening an account with OrbitRemit is quick and intuitive thanks to the platform's clean user interface, helpful prompts, and lack of information overload.
Making a transfer
Transferring money with OrbitRemit is fast and straightforward, regardless of whether you're a first-time or seasoned customer.
Contacting support
OrbitRemit makes it easy to find help when needed, providing a detailed FAQ, a live chat feature, and phone support, all available around the clock.
OrbitRemit's Service Quality
OrbitRemit is a money transfer specialist that offers international payment and money transfer services for customers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Customers frequently appreciate the service for its speed and efficiency, flat fees, and how easy it is to use their website and app. They offer the ability to transfer money to 23 foreign currencies in around 40 countries.
What's more, OrbitRemit customers in New Zealand enjoy some additional perks, which we'll discuss later!
Founded in 2009, OrbitRemit is a specialised bank-to-bank transfer operator offering exchange rates considerably better than banks. Moreover, OrbitRemit's service is unique in that it charges flat fees and offers around-the-clock customer support. And although the service is currently only available for payments destined for Vietnam, Nepal, and the Philippines, they are particularly competitive for cash pickups. The service is particularly lucrative if you transfer a large amount of money — any amount over 10,000 GBP/NZD/AUD accrues no transfer fee.
Also unique is OrbitRemit's recurring payment feature, which allows customers to set up regular international money transfers (similar to a direct debit) in much the same way as an ordinary money transfer. This way, the money will be deducted monthly from the specified bank account and delivered at the prevailing exchange rates. OrbitRemit's recurring payment feature is handy for people who have regular payments in a foreign country or currency, such as bill payments.
Additional Perks for New Zealand residents
New Zealanders receive additional perks by offering an easy way to pay court fines. Their website offers a dedicated page to pay (for free) New Zealand Ministry of Justice (MOJ) fines and reparations payments. NZ residents can also make free payments to the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (IRD). This can be used to pay off student loans, pay child support or make any other type of tax payment.
Monito's Impressions During Our Test
Our reviewers found OrbitRemit's platforms — both its mobile app and website — to be remarkably user-friendly and slick. The experience was easy-going and guided by helpful prompts, good use of colours, and interesting animated illustrations along the way. When sending money, the user journey with OrbitRemit allowed for a fast transfer (it takes less than two minutes for a verified account to send money to an existing recipient!)
OrbitRemit Mobile App
OrbitRemit has an app that's available for use on both Android and iOS devices. On Google Play, customers have rated the app with 4.6 out of 5 stars from around five thousand ratings, while on the App Store, OrbitRemit has earned 4.7 out of 5 stars from around 17 thousand reviews. The app is frequently praised for its ease of use and simple interface, and customers report good experiences all-round.
Additional Perks from OrbitRemit
OrbitRemit's “refer a friend” benefit kicks in if you refer three new customers to OrbitRemit and each completes a transfer, earning you a payout of 75 GBP or 150 AUD/NZD. New customers you sign up also get their first transfer free.
Additionally, every eleventh OrbitRemit transfer you make is free. The number is listed next to the heart-shaped icon at the top of customers’ OrbitRemit dashboard and resets every ten transfers you make.
How OrbitRemit Works
Step 01
Check OrbitRemit's Rates
Use Monito's comparison engine to see how OrbitRemit's fees and exchange rates weigh up against the rest and make sure they are indeed the cheapest option for your international money transfer. There, you'll be able to discover both the cheapest ways to fund your transfer and have the money received.
Step 02
Register for an OrbitRemit Account
Sign up for OrbitRemit by entering your full name, email address, date of birth, and full residential address. In addition, you can also optionally specify your occupation.
Step 03
Set-up Your Transfer
To set up your transfer with OrbitRemit, you will be required to choose your sending currency, the amount you'd like to send in that currency, and the receiving currency. Click 'Make Transfer' to proceed to the next step.
Step 04
Add Your Beneficiary
Choose between sending to yourself, somebody else, or to a business. Regardless of which you choose, you'll need to enter your beneficiary's country, full name, residential address, banking details, as well as a reason for your transfer.
Step 05
Verify Your Identity
If prompted, upload a scanned copy of your proof of residence to OrbitRemit. This could include a bank statement or utilities bill. The address on the statement will need to match the address you gave when signing up.
Final step
Review and Pay
Go to OrbitRemitIn the final page, you'll be given an overview of your transfer, including the amount to be received, the exchange rate, the transfer fee, and the recipient details. If all's in order, click 'Confirm and continue' and pay for your money transfer as instructed.
Fees & Exchange Rates
Transfers to a bank account
Cheap and competitive from Australia and New Zealand, but not always the cheapest on Monito.
OrbitRemit's Fees & Exchange Rates
OrbitRemit's fees and exchange rates are fairly competitive, frequently coming in the top five best deals on Monito's comparison engine but rarely in the first place. This means that, while OrbitRemit's transfers are often competitive, they're very seldom the cheapest of all.
OrbitRemit Transfer Fees
OrbitRemit's fees work on a simple fixed fee system for different currencies and transfer amounts. They are broken down as follows:
- From Australia: AU$4;
- From New Zealand: NZ$4 (except the Philippines, which is NZ$6);
- From the UK: £2;
- Transfers of 10,000 GBP/AUD/NZD or more are fee-free.
OrbitRemit Exchange Rates
In addition to the fixed fees outlined above, OrbitRemit charges an exchange rate margin on every unit of currency that it converts. In essence, this means that OrbitRemit makes a small margin fee by charging customers an ever-so-slightly poorer exchange rate than the mid-market exchange rate (i.e. the one you'd find on Google.)
At OrbitRemit, exchange rate margins typically constitute between 0.50% and 0.90% of the transfer value, which is comparatively well-priced. However, when these margins are combined with the fixed fees, OrbitRemit becomes an expensive transfer service for smaller amounts (e.g. less than 1,000 GBP/AUD/NZD).
Compare fees & exchange rates:
Customer Satisfaction
Trustpilot reviews
Outstanding 4.9 stars from nearly 30,000 reviews.
Google Play reviews
Average 3.8 stars from over 6,000 reviews.
Customer Reviews of OrbitRemit
OrbitRemit has mostly excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot and is one of the most well-liked and highly-rated money transfer services we've reviewed. In general, customer feedback reflects the following sentiments:
Positive OrbitRemit Reviews
- Their website is user-friendly;
- Transactions are fast (arriving within a day);
- The app is seen as easy to use and helpful;
- The process of sending money is simple and convenient;
- Exchange rates are competitive and better than banks;
- Flat fees are easy to understand.
Negative OrbitRemit Reviews
- Some customers experienced delays in their transfers;
- OrbitRemit’s customer service was slow at times;
- Only available to send money from 3 countries.
FAQ About OrbitRemit
📑 How does OrbitRemit work?
OrbitRemit is a money transfer operator that works by sending funds from UK-, New Zealand-, or Australia-based bank accounts to bank accounts or cash pick-up locations in around 40 countries internationally. To use OrbitRemit, customers need to register for a new account using their full name, email address, date of birth, and full residential address. A new money transfer can then be set up from the GBP, AUD, or NZD to any one of 23 foreign currencies worldwide.
⏱ How long does OrbitRemit take to transfer money?
OrbitRemit money transfers are comparatively fast, on average taking less than one working day to arrive in the beneficiary's bank account. However, it's possible that in some circumstances, these transfers can take one working day or more to arrive, especially if the destination currency is less frequently traded.
⏮ How do I cancel an OrbitRemit transfer?
To cancel an OrbitRemit transfer, you'll need to contact the OrbitRemit customer support team directly, as the platform currently does not support this service in-app or on the web dashboard.
🔍 How do I track an OrbitRemit transfer?
You'll be able to keep track of the status of your OrbitRemit transfer using the 'Transfers' tab on the web dashboard or the mobile app. This feature will allow you to see the transfer's anticipated arrival time.
⛔ How do I delete my OrbitRemit account?
OrbitRemit currently does not support any feature that lets customers delete their accounts directly. Therefore, to delete an OrbitRemit account, customers will need to contact the OrbitRemit customer support team directly and express their intention to delete their account in writing, if needed.
✅ How do I verify my OrbitRemit account?
To verify your OrbitRemit account, you'll need to upload a scanned copy of your proof of residence to OrbitRemit when prompted. (This step usually takes place after trying to instruct a transfer.) A valid proof of residence could include a bank statement or utilities bill, and the address on the statement will need to match the address you used when signing up.
💻 How do I pay with OrbitRemit?
Currently, OrbitRemit only supports bank transfers as a means to fund international money transfers.
🔒 Is OrbitRemit safe?
Yes, OrbitRemit is a safe and secure provider for transferring money internationally. As per the standards of the government regulators, funds are held in segregated accounts, which means money is kept separate from the company’s accounts and secures the customer’s funds if OrbitRemit faces financial difficulties.
👨⚖️ Is OrbitRemit legit?
Yes, OrbitRemit is legit indeed. Their worldwide money remittance and payment service provider, headquartered in New Zealand, is registered with the New Zealand Companies Office and is licensed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom.
🌴 Where can I claim OrbitRemit cash in the Philippines?
Cash sent to the Philippines through OrbitRemit can be collected at a large number of pay-out locations, including Metrobank, PSBank, RD Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop, M Lhuillier Pawnshop, Robinsons Department Store, LBC Express, and Globe GCash Outlets.
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