subject: Send Money To Russian Federation Using A Money Transfer Service Or A Debit Card [print this page] According to Russian records, the average amount of each remittance to the area is about $427 USD. If you need to send that amount at one time, you might find yourself paying high fees, at least when you go through a method that charges based on the amount you send. If you need to send just a little bit of money one time, you might not pay much in fees, but typically this is not the case.
Before you find the best option for you to send money to Russian Federation, know the currency and exchange rates of the area. The currency is the Russian Ruble, and $1 USD equals about 29 Rubles. Now the next step is to find a way to send money to Russian Federation as soon as possible.
Though many banks do not publish their rates for transferring money to the area, many money transfer services do. With such services, you can typically send money to Russian Federation either online through your bank account, or at an actual location with cash. You can send the money to your friend's home, or to their account. Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $20 to send $100 USD using such services.
Clearly, sending money online through a service or bank could cost a lot of fees. If you want to avoid these, especially if you plan to send money to Russian Federation often, you can do so by using a prepaid debit card. You would sign up, mail the card to your friends, and then add money to it through the phone or Internet. The cost to add any amount of money is $5, so whether you want to add $50 USD or the average of $427 USD, you will pay the same low fee. Your friends could then withdraw money using the card at any of the several ATMs in the Russian Federation, for about 90 Rubles. It would cost less than 30 Rubles to use the card at retailers just like a regular debit or credit card.
As long as your friends live in a large city that has plenty of ATMs and retailers that accept cards, such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, you can use a prepaid debit card to send money to Russian Federation. If they live in a smaller area, you may choose to send money to their bank, or perhaps to a money transfer service location so they can pick up the cash. The method that is cheapest for you and easiest for your friends is likely to be the best.
