This is to be expected as Xoom is one of the most popular ways to send and receive cash.
They’ve been around for a while, so they certainly know what they’re doing. That’s why we’ll be taking a look at the American giant below.
What Is Xoom?
It’s an electronic fund transferring system. With it by your side, you can send cash, pay bills and even reload mobile numbers.
The service was created in the United States and is based in San Francisco, California. They came into being in 2001 and have been highly successful. That being said, Xoom isn’t an independent company anymore. They were until November 2015, when PayPal bought them. They acquired the company for $1.09 billion.
Cash can either be sent through a computer or Xoom’s mobile app. What’s great is the fact that you can send it to pick up locations, not just bank accounts.
Xoom’s services aren’t free as you’re charged for transfers. Depending on the method you’re using, this can either be a little or a lot. This isn’t too surprising as many of the company’s competitors do this too.
They are strict when it comes to money laundering and fraud. Hence, you’ll need to verify your identity.
Is Xoom Available In Australia?
You can send cash to Australia. However, you can’t send cash from the country. Xoom doesn’t allow a number of other countries to transfer money as well.
How Do You Create An Account?
Since it’s owned by the company, you use your PayPal account to create an account with them. If you don’t have a PayPal account, don’t worry. All you have to do is enter your:
- First name
- Last name
- Mobile number
- Location
- Email address
Once you do this, you’ll receive an email to verify your identity. After this, you can use their services but to an extent. If you want full access, you’ll have to send your personal documents as well.
These are:
- Passport, national ID card, driver’s license or residential permit
- Utility bills to verity your address
- Bank statement or a payment stub
The documents needed differ per country. For example, if you’re American, you may also need your Green Card.
Xoom Is Easy To Use
They have agents around the world. So, if you ever face a problem, you’ll always find someone to help you. As of now, they have support centers that can handle calls in English, Spanish, French, and Filipino. The fact that it’s 24/7 support means you don’t have to worry.
They aren’t just easy to reach, they’re helpful too. Many of Xoom’s users have stated that the service has friendly and informative workers.
If you’re not fond of calling customer support, you can get your questions answered through their FAQ section.
Their website makes Xoom easy to use as well. You’ll notice a clean design, which anyone would appreciate. It showcases all the delivery options, costs, and speeds that you can utilize in your country. Such a feature is more than useful.
If you regularly use Xoom, the site would be optimized for you. The moment you log on, you’ll see a quick transfer button. It’ll send cash to whoever you’ve been working with recently.
Let’s not forget that their app is just as good. It’s known for its responsiveness and ease-of-use, which isn’t something money transferring apps are known for.
Xoom Has A Range Of Transfer Methods
A feature everyone loves about them is their transferring methods. You can send cash to someone’s bank account, arrange for a cash pick up, or even send money directly to their house. The latter is everyone’s favourite but it’s only available in a few countries.
Many transferring services don’t allow users to send small sums, but you can do this on Xoom. The minimum amount you can send is $10. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can send a lot of cash. They allow transfers for up to $25,000 a day.
That being said, not all users can send such a sum. You can only send $3000 if you have a basic account (not verified your identity).
Xoom Is Fast
The majority of the time, your transfers are received in a matter of minutes. Depending on the country you’re sending to, this might be quicker, or vice versa. The service is fast all around, even with bank transfers.
As mentioned, the speed depends on the country you’re transferring to. Some countries can accept payments days later.
Speaking of the countries you can send to, the company allows for 70.
Xoom Is Affordable (To An Extent)
If you’re sending cash through your bank account, you won’t be charged much. It’s around $5 which is not as bad as Xoom’s competitors. What’s best is that the amount is the same no matter how big or small your amount is.
This is great, but the service is known for having high markup rates. They’re above the mid-market rate, and at times, 3% higher. This is unfortunate as a range of transferring services have markups that are less than the mid-market rate.
You’ll need to pay $90 to send cash through your credit card. This isn’t the only sum you could be charged. Depending on your credit card provider, there may be additional fees. Unfortunately, the $90 is only when you’re transferring $3000. If you’re sending more, it can double.
Xoom Is Safe
When sending cash online, you want to be safe. You can do this with Xoom as they’re fully licensed and authorized. They have a large corporation backing them up with PayPal. This is why they have a multitude of positive reviews.
Xoom Is More Than Cash Transfers
The service lets you pay bills as well. They aren’t utility bills, but for private companies. This service is only available for several countries. They are:
- Costa Rice
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Vietnam
- Nicaragua
You can also pay for reloads. Once again, this is only available in some countries. However, it’s much larger than the selection of countries you can pay bills in. What’s more, if your reload doesn’t work, the company promises your money back.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Xoom is great, but there are several equally great alternatives out there. These are WorldRemit and TransferWise
WordRemit
Like Xoom, WordRemit is known for their less than great mark up rates. However, their fees aren’t that bad. They are also a fully licensed and authorized company, so you have nothing to worry about.
You can send cash to a bank account, have it picked up, or send the cash to a mobile bank account. Similarly, you can pay for reloads.
They’re known to have one of the best customer services in the game, even better than Xoom’s.
Moreover, cash is sent instantly, but at times it can take a week. Although this is not the best, it’s the same with Xoom.
WordRemit is certainly not hard to use, but Xoom is known to have a better UI.
TransferWise
Once again, TransferWise doesn’t have the most competitive markup rates. However, their transfer fee is great as you only have to pay a percentage of what you’re sending. For example, it’s 0.35%, along with £0.80 fees if you’re sending pounds to euros.
WordRemit has a very easy-to-use site, on par with Xoom. They’re trustworthy as they’re licensed and authorized. It wouldn’t an alternative if it didn’t have great customer service. The best thing is that customer support is also available in multiple languages.
Conclusion
Xoom is one of the leading electronic fund transfer services out there. They’ve been at it for 19 years, after all. Whether you want to send cash, pay a bill or top up your phone, it should be your go-to.