Small World Review: Transfer Fees, Safety, Usability, and Monito's Verdict
Small World is a decent money transfer operator (7.2/10), sometimes recommended by the experts at Monito. Serving more than 15 million customers worldwide, Small World is a trusted provider (8.4/10), although its fees and exchange rates are seldom competitive or cheapest on Monito (5.6/10). However, Small World stands out for its large network of cash pickup locations and provides a good option for sending money to South America, Asia, and Africa.
What Monito Likes About Small World
- Consistently offers cheap rates and is highly competitive,
- An extensive network of cash pickup locations around the world,
- Offers a variety of pay-out options.
What Monito Dislikes About Small World
- Non-transparent pricing,
- The sign-up process is laborious,
- Customer support can be slow.
Category | Monito Score | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
8.4/10 | 15 million customers across the globe | |
6.2/10 | Signing up takes long, but sending money is easy | |
5.6/10 | Seldom the cheapest provider on Monito | |
7.5/10 | Decent reviews on Trustpilot and Google Play |
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:
Small World Review
Is Small World Available in Your Country?
| Small World |
Trust & Credibility
Background check
Accredited and regulated in the countries where it operates.
Security & reliability
Fully secured through the use of top-notch security protocols, such as segregated user accounts and HTTPs.
Company size
Established in 2005, has 15 million customers and 650 employees, and transfers over $4 billion annually.
Transparent pricing
Doesn't disclose that 56% of its fees are hidden in the exchange rate margin.
Can I trust Small World?
Moving over $4 billion for 15 million customers across the globe, Small World is a well-established and trusted international money transfer provider that has been in the field for over 15 years.
Service & Quality
Opening an account
Opening an account is a lengthy and laborious process, especially regarding ID verification.
Making a transfer
Once you have an account, making a transfer with the provider is a relatively simple process.
Contacting support
Though Small World has live chat and phone support for customer service, it's not available 24/7.
Small World's Service Quality
Although Small World has good customer service options and makes sending money a relatively easy process, opening an account with the provider is a lengthy and sometimes discouraging process.
Monito's Impressions During Our Test
Despite Small World being great for its low fees and rates, especially when sending money for cash pickup, we were unimpressed with the speed of service experienced with the provider. Small World’s website is slow to navigate, its sign up process is lengthy, and its customer service slow to respond to requests. While making a transfer was relatively easy in the end, the steps taken to make a transfer possible greatly slowed down the process.
Fees & Exchange Rates
Transfers to a bank account
Competitive, but seldom the cheapest provider on Monito.
Small World's Fees & Exchange Rates
When it comes to transferring money for cash pickup, Small World offers the cheapest fees and rates in 43% of cases and gives a competitive offering in almost 90% of relevant searches.
Small World ranks slightly less well when it comes to transferring directly to a bank account – offering the cheapest option in only 5% of cases – but it remains competitive in a highly respectable 74.3% of searches, making it an overall excellent provider specifically for its fees and exchange rates.
Compare Small World's fees & exchange rates:
Customer Satisfaction
Trustpilot reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars from nearly 30,000 reviews.
Customer Reviews of Small World
Small World is well-reviewed by its customers, receiving an overall 4.3/5 stars on Trustpilot and a total of nearly 30,000 reviews in total. Its mobile app is also well acclaimed by its users, with scattered complaints for its user-friendliness.
Positive Review Highlights
- Many customers are very happy with the service of Small World and are loyal to the company;
- Fees and exchange rates are often better than banks or traditional money transfer operators;
- The speed of the transactions is a positive aspect often mentioned in the reviews.
Negative Review Highlights
- Some users had issues with their transfers due to the length of the compliance process;
- A few customers experienced delays in their transfers;
- Customer support sometimes isn’t very responsive, especially on the live chat support.
How Small World Works
Step 01
Check Small World's Rates
Use Monito's comparison tool to understand Small World's exchange rates and fees to ensure they are the cheapest international transfer option. You can find the cheapest way to fund your transfer (pay-in) and receive the money (pay-out).
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Step 02
Create an Account with Small World
You can sign up for Small World on the web or via the mobile app using an email address. You’ll need to provide Small World with your full name, residential address, date of birth, and the reason for your money transfer.
![Small World Account Creation]()
Step 03
Verify your Identity (KYC)
Next, you'll need to upload images of identification documents such as a passport or ID card before being able to access your Small World Account.
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Step 04
Initiate a Transfer
Enter how much you're sending, the destination country and currency, and delivery method. If you decide to send money to a cash agent location, you need to pick with an agent exactly on a map.
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Step 05
Add a Beneficiary
Enter the recipient’s details, including their full name (which should match the name on their ID.)
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Final step
Pay for your Transfer and Click "Confirm your transaction"
Try Small WorldPay for your transfer with the payment method you selected, then click 'Confirm your transaction'. Voilà, the money is on its way!
Small World FS’s Regional Brands
Small World FS was founded in 2005 by Nick Day (the company’s current CEO), Michael Kent (current CEO of Azimo) and three other co-founders. Today, the company encompasses different brands in different countries:
Small World Choice
Canada, USA and Spain
Small World Express Funds
United Kingdom
Small World Global Link
United Kingdom
Small World LCC
Belgium, Ivory Coast, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and United Kingdom
Small World Swiss Transfers
Switzerland
Small World Universal Envios
Spain
Small World Uno Money
Spain and Italy
These different brands can sometimes be confusing, but the local entities (which in most cases were once independent companies which were acquired by Small World FS) are less relevant if you want to transfer online, as their digital presence is unified under the Small World FS brand.
FAQ About Small World
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