Does Zelle Work in Pakistan? (2024)

Guide

Aug 8, 2022

Advertiser disclosure

If you're a Zelle user, you probably know that it's one of the best ways to send and receive money right from your smartphone. But if you've ever tried to use Zelle to send money around the world to Pakistan, you'll probably not have found a clear way of doing so.

This is because, sadly, Zelle is only available in the US and doesn't work in Pakistan. If you want to transfer your money to Pakistan, you'll need to pick a Zelle money transfer alternative to Pakistan instead, such as Remitly, XE, or Small World.

In this short guide, we look at why Zelle doesn't work in Pakistan in the first place. Then, we'll delve into the best Zelle alternatives to Pakistan to help you make the best money transfer choices.

Zelle doesn't work in Pakistan. Compare digital providers instead:

Zelle Pakistan: Alternatives and More

01. Why isn't Zelle available in Pakistan? scroll down
02. Remitly as a Zelle alternative to Pakistan scroll down
03. XE as a Zelle alternative to Pakistan scroll down
04. Small World as a Zelle alternative to Pakistan scroll down
05. Banks or PayPal as Zelle alternatives to Pakistan scroll down
06. FAQ about Zelle Pakistan transfers scroll down

Why Isn't Zelle Available in Pakistan?

As we saw above, Zelle is not available in Pakistan, and the app is currently only available to US residents. —

To use the Zelle app in the first place (let alone send and receive money via online banking), both the sender and the recipient must have US bank accounts. And while you will be able to use Zelle in Pakistan if you're an American in that country, you won't be able to transfer money via Zelle to a Pakistani bank.

So why exactly doesn't Zelle work in Pakistan?

In a nutshell, Zelle transfers to Pakistan aren't possible because foreign exchange is a hugely complex market, with many rules, regulations, and industry standards that companies are obligated to follow. Over and above this, the profit margins tend to be very tight and competitive.

Simply put, this leads to many mobile payments apps avoiding international transfers altogether. It saves them a lot of time, money, and stress! Zelle isn't the only app to avoid foreign exchange for this reason: VenmoandSquare Cash do the same. And those mobile payments apps that do get involved in foreign exchange usually charge exorbitant fees to cover the costs (e.g. Paypal).

Compare alternatives ❯

Zelle Alternatives for Transfers to Pakistan

The good news is that if you're a Zelle user who'd like to send money abroad, you'll have plenty of options to choose from to send your money overseas instead. In summary, here are the main two:

Transfer via a digital provider: Many money transfer providers offer low fees to Pakistan, as well as fast transfers, and a great user experience to suit your needs. The best are Remitly, XE, and Small World. However, pricing and exchange rates vary constantly, so compare providers on Monito to find the best deal every time.
Send an international bank wire: US banks such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank, and others charge very high fees and poor exchange rates because they transfer over SWIFT. We therefore don't recommend them for transferring money abroad for most people. You can learn more about bank charges for international transfers here.

We go over both of these options in detail below:

Option 1 — Digital Providers

Digital international transfer providers are online platforms that have grown in popularity in recent years as a low-cost, savvy, and safe way to send money across borders. If you're a Zelle user, we think switching over to a digital provider is a natural choice for a number of reasons:

Savviness: The user-friendly, seamless experience is usually slick and similar to Zelle in terms of accessibility and convenience.
Cost: They're (by far) the cheapest way to send money to Pakistan, usually costing between 0.5% and 3% in total fees.
Speed: Money usually arrives overseas in a matter of hours or, at most, around one to two days depending on the provider.

To learn more about digital providers and how they differ from banks, take a look at ourbank vs digital provider comparison.

In the end, the digital provider that's best for you will depend on factors such as 1) which country you're sending to, 2) how much you're sending, and 3) how your recipient will receive their funds. According to millions of searches on Monito's real-time comparison engine, here are the three best digital providers for transfers from the US to bank accounts abroad:

Remitly — Great for Cash Pick-Up

A world leader in low-cost internationalcash pickuptransfers, Remitlyoften offers the cheapest (although seldom the fastest) money transfers to Pakistan from the United States.

9.1

Monito Score 2023

Go to Remitly ❯

Transfer cost (US to Pakistan):3.1% on average.

Transfer time:2-3 business days.

More info:See our Remitly review, or visit their website.

XE — Great for Bank Transfers

One of the oldest and most reliable money transfer platforms on the globe, XE Money Transfer has been a world leader in international money transfers (including money transfers from the US to Pakistan) since 1993. It's also one of the fastest ways to send money to Pakistan compared to other similar providers on Monito's comparison platform.

8.5

Monito Score 2023

Small World — Great Option All-Round

Small World is a much-loved money transfer service that's particularly popular for remittances across the globe. It offers fast, affordable bank transfers and cash pickup transfers, but its mobile wallet deposit options are particularly extensive and affordable.

7.6

Monito Score 2023

Go to Small World ❯

Transfer cost (US to Pakistan):0.8% on average

Transfer time:1 business day.

More info:See our fullSmall World review, or visit their website.

Option 2 — Banks and PayPal

The second (and generally the far worse) alternative to using Zelle for Pakistan-bound transfers is to use your bank or PayPal.

Not only is using your bank or PayPal the slower and less convenient to transfer abroad, but going this route also comes with high hidden fees, as both your bank and PayPal will typically give you a poor exchange rate on top of the standard service fees for transfers to Pakistan.

For example, our research revealed that sending $1,000 from the US to a Eurozone country withWells Fargowould cost$30 in service feesand$50 in exchange rate margin fees. Together, these fees amount to around 8% of the amount transferred, which is about10 times more than the cheapestavailable service compared on Monito's comparison engine for the same transfer. And given PayPal's similarly high exchange rate margins, the story isn't very different with them either.

But it doesn't stop there. When sending money to Pakistan with your bank, your funds will go over SWIFT, meaning third-party banks (called correspondent banks) can potentially charge additional fees (called correspondent bank fees) that can further reduce the amount that arrives in your beneficiary's account.

This makes banks a costly way to send money abroad — and finding a cheap solution is as crucial as ever.

As we explored above, by offering bank-beating exchange rates, very low fees, and a top-notch user experience, digital providers are fortunately doing what Zelle does within the US, but internationally! And depending on where you're sending money to, providers such as Remitly, XE, and Small World will probably be your best choice. See the table below to understand why:

Provider	Total Transfer Cost
	3%	Go to Small World ❯
	3%	Go to Remitly ❯
	N/A	See alternatives ❯
	7 - 10%	See alternatives ❯
	5 - 9%	See alternatives ❯

Last updated: 2022/06/02

In summary, if there were one thing to take away from this article, here's what it'd be:

You cannot use Zelle to transfer to Pakistan. This means you'll need to find alternatives. Banks (and PayPal) charge high service fees and exchange rates, making them a poor choice for most. Digital providers, on the other hand, are by far the cheapest, fastest, and savviest options, making them the best Zelle alternatives for transfers to Pakistan.

Get started now by comparing your options below: —

Compare leading digital providers:

Frequently Asked Questions About Using Zelle in Pakistan

🌎 Can I send money to Pakistan with Zelle?

No, you cannot send money to Pakistan with Zelle, as Zelle is available only in the US. The payment app only allows you to send money from one US bank account to another, meaning both the sender and the recipient must have US bank accounts. We recommend using Monito.com to compare alternatives instead.
💵 What's the best Zelle international alternative?

There are plenty of good options as intuitive as Zelle for sending money abroad with an app. We recommend using Monito.com to compare money transfer providers and find the best alternative for your needs in real-time.
🌐 Can I use Zelle in Pakistan?

While you can use Zelle if you're in Pakistan from the US and already have the app, you cannot use Zelle to transfer money to Pakistan. We recommend using Monito.com to compare alternatives instead.
🇵🇰 Can I Zelle someone in Pakistan?

Only if they already have a Zelle account and a linked US bank. If not, you'll probably need to use a remittance service to send money to your recipient in Pakistan. We recommend using Monito.com to compare money transfer providers and find the best alternative for your needs in real-time.

UAE Exchange Review: Is it safe? How does it work? What are the rates?

August 8, 2022 - by François Briod

Does Venmo Work in the UK?

August 10, 2022 - by Byron Mühlberg

Popular Money Transfer Comparisons on Monito

More about Zelle

Roshan Digital Accounts: Opening Overseas Account in Pakistan

August 8, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

The Best Roshan Digital Accounts for Non-Resident Pakistanis

September 27, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Sending Money to JazzCash in Pakistan

February 15, 2024 - by Jarrod Suda

Cheapest Ways To Exchange Money

February 5, 2024 - by Jarrod Suda

Tips For Your First Online Money Transfer

January 31, 2024 - by Byron Mühlberg

How To Send Money Internationally (Use These 5 Services)

January 16, 2024 - by Jarrod Suda

Best Ways To Send Money Internationally

January 8, 2024 - by François Briod

Can You Transfer Large Amounts?

December 13, 2023 - by Byron Mühlberg

Does Venmo Work With GCash?

November 8, 2023 - by Byron Mühlberg

How Much Are Western Union's Fees?

October 12, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Best Money Transfer Services

October 11, 2023 - by François Briod

4 Best Multi-Currency Business Accounts

September 22, 2023 - by Byron Mühlberg

Does Chime Have Zelle to Send Money Transfers? Not Exactly

August 29, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

The Best Place to Buy Euros in the UK in 2023

June 20, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

The Best Way to Buy Euros in the USA in 2023

June 20, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Monito Awards

June 8, 2023 - by François Briod

Best Place to Buy Dollars in the UK

May 26, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Cheapest US to Europe Transfers

May 11, 2023 - by François Briod

Cash App UK

May 4, 2023 - by Jarrod Suda

Why Trust Monito?

You’re probably all too familiar with the often outrageous cost of sending money abroad. After facing this frustration themselves back in 2013, co-founders François, Laurent, and Pascal launched a real-time comparison engine to compare the best money transfer services across the globe. Today, Monito’s award-winning comparisons, reviews, and guides are trusted by around 8 million people each year and our recommendations are backed by millions of pricing data points and dozens of expert tests — all allowing you to make the savviest decisions with confidence.

Learn More About Monito

Monito is trusted by 15+ million users across the globe.
Monito's experts spend hours researching and testing services so that you don't have to.
Our recommendations are always unbiased and independent.

Does Zelle Work in Pakistan? (2024)

Zelle doesn't work in Pakistan. Compare digital providers instead:

Zelle Pakistan: Alternatives and More

Why Isn't Zelle Available in Pakistan?

Zelle Alternatives for Transfers to Pakistan

Option 1 — Digital Providers

Remitly — Great for Cash Pick-Up

XE — Great for Bank Transfers

Small World — Great Option All-Round

Option 2 — Banks and PayPal

Compare leading digital providers:

Frequently Asked Questions About Using Zelle in Pakistan

Popular Money Transfer Comparisons on Monito

Best ways to send money United States

Best ways to send money Philippines

Best ways to send money India

Best ways to send money Colombia

Best ways to send money Canada

Best ways to send money United Kingdom

More about Zelle

Why Trust Monito?