Money transfers from the USA to Nigeria can be executed in various means. If you are reading this post with questions in your mind regarding how to send money from the United States to Nigeria, then you are on the right page.
If you reside in Nigeria and want to send money from your USD account based in the USA to a naira account in Nigeria, it will be a difficult task due to the recent policy by CBN which prohibits dollar account transfer to Naira account. In other words, a dollar account can only transfer money to a dollar account based in Nigeria.
Assuming that is what you intend to do, then open a dollar account in Nigeria so that it will be easy for you to make a direct transfer from any bank account based in the USA to your dollar account based in Nigeria. Without a dollar account in any of the Nigerian banks, you may find it practically difficult.
Before now, sending money from a USA bank account to a Nigerian Naira bank account can be done automatically using most of the online payment platforms such as PayPal, Wired, MoneyGram, and lots more. However, such a transaction henceforth will require a dollar account based in Nigeria as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
HOW TO OPEN A DOLLAR ACCOUNT IN NIGERIA
Before you can open a dollar account in Nigeria you will need the following:
Two recent photo-passports
Two references that operate a current account in any of the Nigerian banks. This could be anyone you know that will help you to fill the reference form. You will need two persons for that purpose.
One of your utility bills e.g.; Recent NEPA bill
Two of any official documents from the government such as driver’s license, international passport, and voter’s card, and national ID card, etc.
Then a filled form from the Bank requesting for the opening of the dollar accounts with your details on the form.
Submit the items to the bank and wait for some days for the account to be ready. Some banks will require you to make a physical deposit of $100 for the opening of the account while some banks can open it for you without any initial deposit. Please discuss with any bank you want to use to know if any initial deposit will be required.
Now it is assumed that you have got your dollar account in a Nigerian bank, you can now initiate the process of moving money to the dollar account. Below are means you can use to make it possible:
WORLD REMIT
World Remit is a popular means known to many people for international currency transactions. The platform allows you to transfer money from your bank account to another bank account internationally.
It is a very fast service that could transfer USD within few minutes. It is equally reliable and has an effective feedback system that notifies the sender the progress of the transactions.
Nevertheless, World Remit can only work if you are already in the USA because you can only open an account on the World Remit website if you are from the selected countries listed on the website. Nigeria is not among the listed countries that will be opening an account with World Remit, however, you can use any account in the platform to send money to any Nigerian dollar account.
PayPal had been an old name when it comes to online transactions and online payments. It is so popular that most websites that receive payments online usually provide PayPal as an option besides debit cards and credit cards.
Before now, PayPal was a major means of transferring money to to-and-fro Nigeria vs any part of the world using USD calculations. However, after the change in the transfer policy by the CBN, a PayPal account can only make transactions from your linked dollar account ATM card to another dollar account within and outside Nigeria. The same thing applies to transactions between naira accounts to naira account using the naira accounts ATM cards.
So you can create a PayPal account and use your dollar account ATM card to transfer money from the United States to Nigeria.
TRANSFER WISE
Transfer Wise is another stable and reliable platform that can help you execute international transactions. With the list of countries provided, you can open a Transfer Wise account depending on the country of your location.
Visit the transfer wise website and open an account link to your dollar account ATM with the Transfer wise account. You can then execute transactions to any dollar account.
MONEY GRAM
Money Gram is an old name in the business of transferring money internationally. Most Nigerian banks operate with MoneyGram to receive money from abroad for their customers. You can equally send money abroad through MoneyGram.
If you want to use MoneyGram to send money to the United States you will need to visit your bank to get more details about the procedure.
WESTERN UNION
Western Union is another popular platform that specializes in international money transactions. You can make a reliable money transfer to the United States by visiting any of the Nigerian banks that offer such services.
XE is an online platform that offers international money transfers to over 170 countries with low charge rates. Though Nigeria is not among their major countries that transactions can occur, you can use the platform if you have created an account with the platform while in any of the countries listed as their major route.
OFX
OFX is another platform that enables you to make international transfers in over 155 countries delivering over 55 currencies. The company has been in this business for over 20 years and has made up to 67 billion Euros worth of transactions with a wide route across Auckland, Hong Kong, Sydney, Toronto, and London.
They offer a competitive exchange rate with a wide banking network and offices in different locations worldwide. You can make instant international transfers using the website and/or the mobile application of the company on your device.
PAYONEER
When it comes to international transactions, Payoneer has made a name with its long-time existence in the business covering over 200 countries and 150 currencies. It is usually a payment option alongside PayPal in most online payment website pages.
The company offers free payments between Payoneer accounts. They equally give out custom invoices and you can equally receive money from clients through the platform.
REMITLY
One of the trusted names in online money transfers is Remitly. It provides international money transfers from 17 countries to more than 50 countries serving as recipients. The company equally has 14, 000 agent locations worldwide that make it easy and fast for cash pickups.
You can use the mobile app to execute your international transfer within few minutes. Because Remitly operates with many commercial banks, recipients can equally visit any bank to make a withdrawal of the money.
A lot of options are available for the receiver. You can receive it from the participating bank, pick it up at a nearby office, and receive the money in mobile wallet deposits. You can still opt for home delivery.
SKRILL
Skrill is a popular company known for instant online transactions. It has over 120,000 online users globally. Skrill is known for quick transfer and the use of cryptocurrencies as an option for transfers.
This service is available to over 200 countries. Skrill can be very effective in sending money from your bank account to any online platform. With a Skrill account, you can buy and sell cryptocurrencies. It is a good option for Forex traders. With your Skrill account, you can send money easily to a phone number or email address linked to a bank account.
RIA MONEY TRANSFER
Ria Money Transfer is a 30-year old service company working directly with Nigerian commercial banks to execute international money transfers for Nigerians. It can be an option if you want to follow the regulated process of sending money to oversee.
Majority of Nigerian Banks such as UBA, Access Bank, GTB, First Bank, and lots more. Sending money to the USA through Ria is very simple. Visit any of the banks’ partnerings with Ria Money Transfer, make a payment, and provide details of the receiver in the USA. The money may take a longer time to arrive in the USA but the process is secured and fully regulated.
The above options are available for you to choose from when it comes to sending money to the United States. You can carefully browse and understand more about each platform and how to effectively use their service.
