Monito.com

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

Byron Mühlberg, writer at Monito.com
Monika Macur

Reviewer

May 26, 2023
Advertiser disclosure

OrbitRemit is a good money transfer service (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 (9.3/10), 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.
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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.

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:

Is OrbitRemit Available in Your Country?

OrbitRemit

Trust & Credibility

7.4

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

7.8

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.

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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

    In 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.

    Go to OrbitRemit

Fees & Exchange Rates

7.6

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

9.3

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

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