Introduction
Filipinos are no strangers to international money transfers. In fact, the Philippines is regarded as the country with the fourth-highest remittance flow across the globe. This is no surprise considering our culture’s deep-rooted familial bond and the overall competitiveness of the country’s global workforce. Plenty of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) send their hard-earned money back home to help their loved ones have a better life.
The familiarity of Filipinos with international money remittance, however, is not nearly enough to make them immune from the different issues related to international money transfers to the Philippines. This is why, here at Cebuana Lhuillier, we strive to guide you through some of the most common issues you might face when transferring money internationally.
Read this article today! It will help you understand how money transfers to the Philippines work. This way, you can better handle related problems if you ever face them in the future.
How Globalization Drives the Need for Money Transfers Abroad
We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly globalized despite pandemics, geopolitical tensions, and other threats that happen both constantly and simultaneously. Globalization introduced a way for people around the world to connect freely in many forms, including in an economic sense. It made the flow of trade and commerce easier between one country and another.
Globalization somehow also made countries interdependent on one another. All in all, it also drove the need for our country’s economy to rely heavily on international money transfers to the Philippines due to many factors. For one, it increased migration, so many Filipinos ended up moving abroad to find greener pastures and better job opportunities; even so, they still send money back home to help their loved ones who cannot come with them.
The interconnectedness of nations also led to the opening of many businesses across all major industries. Companies require high- and low-skilled employees, and many of them hire OFWs to complete their workforce. Filipinos who went abroad to work find ways to support their families back home by making international money transfers to the Philippines from the country they are stationed in.
Addressing Common Money Transfer Issues
There is no scarcity of problems when it comes to international money transfers. Many of those who need it are faced with inefficiency when sending money from one country to another. Here are just a few of the issues you might encounter and some of the ways to solve them:
High Transfer Fees
Nobody likes paying high fees, but it cannot be helped when doing money transfers from abroad. Sending money from one country to another can be quite expensive because there are plenty of charges that pile up in every transaction.
Each time you send money back to the Philippines, you will have to settle the service fee charged by the intermediary. You will also have to pay other fees, depending on the policies of the money transfer operator (MTO) you chose. Foreign exchange fees will also be taken from the total amount of money that will be received by your loved ones at home.
All of these overwhelming fees make it hard for people abroad to send money. Fortunately, there are international money transfer service providers that go below the market value to offer their customers the most affordable fees for international remittance services. One of these service providers is Cebuana Lhuillier and its international remittance partners.
Delays
International remittance often takes a long time. On average, it can take somewhere between one to five business days due to the number of intermediaries involved in the process. While it doesn’t seem like a big issue, these delays can cause unnecessary stress to the receiver, especially if they need the money for an emergency.
To avoid delays, you can ask your service partner if they offer expedited services. Some of Cebuana Lhuillier’s remittance partners can speed up the transaction to less than an hour. This expedited process, however, comes with a fee, which is perfectly reasonable if your loved ones back home are dealing with an emergency financial situation.
Security Risks
When it comes to sending money online, you should be careful in taking risks. Only transact with reputable service providers who will keep your information safe. Cyber-attacks are becoming more and more prevalent, and if you are not careful, you might just get targeted.
You should always keep your remittance app password and remember not to share it with anyone. Remittance service providers like Cebuana Lhuillier provide a unique control number for every transaction. This code should only be shared between the sender and the receiver to ensure that no one else can get the money.
Cebuana Lhuillier also imposes strict regulations in all their transactions. This provides you with peace of mind that your data and assets are being protected.
Claim Issues
Some MTOs only allow the money to be claimed in person at their branch. This is inconvenient if you are a busy person or living in a remote area far away from their physical establishment.
The best way to deal with this is to find a service provider that offers online services for claiming international cash remittances. One such app is eCebuana. Through this app, you can claim international remittances without leaving the comfort of your home.
Send Money Safely and Quickly With Cebuana Lhuillier
Send money no matter where you are in the world and experience the safety and security of Cebuana Lhuillier’s money remittance services. Better yet, use the eCebuana app for more convenience when making financial transactions with us. This app lets you make international transfers directly from your micro savings account.
For people who want to send money abroad, you can process your transaction at any of our 3,000 branches nationwide. With Cebuana Lhuillier, online money transfers from the Philippines to Australia or any other part of the world can be possible, as long as our international remittance partners are there.
Conclusion
International money transfers to the Philippines come with some challenges. However, with a reliable service provider by your side, you can keep your assets secure and continue supporting your loved ones even if you are far away from them.
Process your international remittance transactions with Cebuana Lhuillier, and let us give you the convenience you deserve. For inquiries about the maximum amount for money transfer to the Philippines and other related questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!