subject: Learn The Fastest Ways To Make A Money Transfer To Vietnam [print this page] The first place you will probably look to for sending money is your bank. You can send a check to Vietnam, but it typically takes two to three weeks for mail to arrive in that country from the U.S., and that's if it doesn't get lost. This means it could take nearly a month for your friends or family to cash and be able to spend the Vietnamese currency of dong. Additionally, your recipient must have a bank account, and whether they use the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade, National Bank of Vietnam, Bank of America, Citibank, VinaSiam Bank, or somewhere else, they will likely be charged exorbitant fees to get money from the check. If they do not need the money instantly and do not mind paying some fees, this is an easy way to make a money transfer to Vietnam.
However, most people do not know when they will need money, so when they ask you for it, they need it quickly. Going through your bank for a wire transfer is fairly fast, as it usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to five days. You would simply go to your bank with your recipient's bank name and account number. Fees depend on the bank, and you should remember that sending money in U.S. dollars is beneficial, as the exchange rate is better in Vietnam. Note that one U.S. dollar is equal to 18,083 dong.
Wells Fargo charges $5 for a money transfer to Vietnam, and will get to your recipient's account instantly. This bank also allows the recipient to pick up cash at some Vietnamese bank locations, which is useful if they do not have an account. If you do not have an account with Wells Fargo, you can send cash to someone with an account, but the cost is $7. HSBC charges $45 for transfer from one account to another, and takes up to five days. You can choose depending on the fees, speed of transfer, and trustworthiness of the bank.
If you need to make a money transfer to Vietnam more than once, you can use a prepaid debit card. If you go this route, you will choose a company to use, send a debit card to your recipient, and then put money on it whenever your friend or relative needs it. Adding money to the card costs about $5 for any amount, and there is also a transaction fee of under a dollar for every time your recipient uses the card. If they do not yet have the card, this method is not the fastest way to send your relatives or friends money since it will take a few days for them to get it. However, once they have it, the transfer will be instant, so sending loved ones in Vietnam a prepaid debit card just in case is not a bad idea.
Debit and credit cards are widely accepted in Vietnam, especially in the larger cities like Ha Noi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh. However, if your relative lives in a smaller, more rural town like Gia Nghia or An Khe, the fees to accept a prepaid debit card, if it is accepted at all, will likely be higher. In Vietnam, there is a daily limit of $500 USD that your relative can withdraw from an ATM using the card, and the withdrawal fees range from $1 to $5 USD, which equals about 18,083 dong to 90,415 dong.
Clearly you have options when it comes to getting money to Vietnam. If your recipient knows they will need money in the future and they have no shortage of it now, or perhaps if you simply owe them, a check in the mail will suffice. But if they have an emergency and need money fast, a
