Azimo Money Transfer Review

Exchange rates, Payment methods, How to, Transfer fees and much more

Trademark Disclaimer : Azimo* is a trademark of Azimo Limited, Azimo BV with whom Remitbee Incorporated (“We,” “Us,” “Our”) has no direct or indirect association in marketing, sales or customer service. Indeed, the enclosed contents are provided only for information and comparison purposes. We further state that all third-party products, services, company names and logos remain the property of their respective holders. Use of them here in this article does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Azimo Review

Azimo Money Transfer is one of the many options for sending money online. You may be looking at sending money abroad to family or friends. If so, you’re probably curious as to if Azimo Money Transfer is right for you. You’ll want to know its services, speed, price, and if you get a good exchange rate with Azimo.

First off, what does the company do? Azimo’s main service is a digital option for sending international money transfers. It has a sleek website as well as apps on Android and iOS. Using Azimo you can send money from anywhere.

Transfers can be funded with a local bank transfer or a debit or credit card. Azimo also offers online payment with services like SOFORT in some locations.

What Azimo Money Transfer Does

Using Azimo, you can send money to a large number of locations. It also offers a wide choice of ways money can be received. Using Azimo Money Transfer you can send money from 25 countries. For receivers, it’s possible to receive money in over 190 countries worldwide.

In addition to cash pickup, Azimo also offers other options.

These include:

  • Crediting a receiver’s bank account - possible at over 20,000 banks.
  • Sending to a mobile wallet.
  • Cash delivery to the receiver’s home in some countries.

Azimo is especially popular with immigrants. If you need to send money back home to friends or family, it could be a great choice for you. Another great feature is that the service is available in 10 languages. This way you can feel comfortable using the service in your native language.

Compared to traditional money transfer companies and banks, Azimo Money Transfer is a less expensive option to use. The company has excellent reviews, which shows customers trust them for sending money.

History of Azimo

Wondering how Azimo started? The story of the service starts in 2012. Two immigrants from Poland founded the company in the UK. Marek Wawro and Marta Krupinska wanted to provide a cheaper, digital service for sending money home. Their personal experience made them motivated to find a solution to the international money transfer options that were available then.

The CEO of Azimo, Michael Kent, is an experienced figure in the money transfer industry. Before he joined the company, he helped create Small World Financial Services. This was one of the largest money transfer services in Europe.

To date, the company has raised over $45 million in funding. It has its headquarters in London, and also an office in Poland.

How to Send Money With Azimo Money Transfer
Here's how sending money works:
  1. Sign up and verify your account

    Create your account at azimo.com by entering your email address and password. Make sure your name is exactly how it appears on your ID. You’ll also need to provide your date of birth and current address. If you have a referral code, this is where you can enter it. Note that you can only have one account with Azimo.

    Some senders may receive a request from Azimo to provide additional documents. If you do not provide these, your transfer will not be sent. Identity documents are the most important, and Azimo accepts driving licences, national ID cards, passports, or residence permits if you live in the EU.

  2. Add recipient details

    Next you enter your receiver details. You may want to contact your recipient to confirm information before initiating a transfer. Their name must be entered exactly as it appears on their ID. Be sure to include surnames and all given names. Also confirm their bank details before you enter them.

  3. Fund your first payment

    Azimo allows you to use two options:

    • Credit or debit card, which must be in your name. The maximum amount you can send using a card is limited. It is either EUR 13,500 or GBP 12,000.
    • Bank transfer, using the local bank transfer details they provide. Make sure to include the payment reference.

  4. Other payment options including bank transfer

    In addition to the above Azimo also accepts SOFORT payments. If you live in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy or the Netherlands you can take advantage of this method. In the Netherlands, Azimo also accepts iDeal.

  5. Confirm your transfer

    Confirm that the details you have entered are correct and the transfer will be on its way.

Fees and Exchange Rates

One of the most important factors when choosing to send money internationally are fees and exchange rates. Keep reading to find out Azimo Money Transfer’s fees and exchange rates.

Transparency

Unfortunately, Azimo’s fees are not that transparent. It doesn’t disclose to customers that an exchange rate margin is a big part of the transfer’s cost. Azimo’s fees are also complicated to understand.

Transfer fees

The fees charged for your specific transfer will either be flat, or variable. This all depends on what countries and currency pairs you select for your transfer. The method you use to fund the transfer, and how the recipient gets the money also matter.

Other fees

It’s important to be aware that a credit card payment will cause a 2.99% fee. Azimo uses local accounts for receiving and crediting transfers. This means there should be no fees charged by the respective banks.

Exchange rate and margin

The best way to know the exchange rate offered is to get a quote. The rate will change according to the payout type chosen by the sender. However, you will have the confidence of knowing it in advance as the rate is locked in.

Where You Can Send Money With Azimo Money Transfer

If you’re interested in sending a transfer, you’ll need to know what countries Azimo is available in. Thankfully, the company has one of the widest range of countries available in the industry
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Is Azimo Money Transfer a Trustworthy Company?

Azimo is audited and monitored by the relevant authorities in the United Kingdom. These include the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs). They offer institutional level security, including 256-piece SSL encryption with a 2048-piece signature.

As the FCA guidelines require, customers' assets are held in isolated accounts. This means funds you send are kept totally separate from Azimo's own business accounts. Should the organization have any cash flow challenges, your money is protected.

Azimo also offers a money back guarantee. If your transfer is cancelled, you’ll get the funds back.

Employees of the company also seem to rate Azimo highly. On the Glassdoor review site, they rate Azimo 4.5 stars.

Another indication of the trust put in Azimo is the amount of money it has raised. In its starting stages, $10 million in funding was secured by the company.

Pros and Cons

Pros

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    Large network of over 190 countries

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    Many types of payout options for receivers

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    Services is available in 10 different languages

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    Excellent customer reviews

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    Fast speed of the transfers

  • Cons

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    Available only for senders in European countries. Not available for Canadian and USA customers.

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    Customer service has been reported to be slow

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    Fees are rarely the cheapest compared to competitors

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    Customers have reported issues with payouts to receivers

  • Alternatives to Azimo Money Transfer

    Remitly

    Remitly allows you to send international money transfers to over 49 countries worldwide. Its fees are low and it has great exchange rates. Unlike Azimo, you can send transfers from the US using Remitly.

    Compared to Azimo though, its payout options are not as flexible. Remitly works best if your receiver has easy access to a bank account.
    01

    CurrencyFair

    CurrencyFair boasts that it’s “90 percent cheaper than banks” for sending money transfers. It is an open marketplace where users offer and accept exchange rates between themselves. Its fees and exchange rates are usually excellent and money arrives quickly.

    However, the rate you get is dependent on what other users offer, since the exchange is a peer-to-peer one. CurrencyFair’s signup process has also been reported to be confusing.
    02

    Transferwise

    Transferwise offers transparent low fees. Its unique selling point is that it offers the real mid-market exchange rate.

    If you want to send to a bank account, Transferwise is usually better than Azimo. If you want more flexible options like cash pickup, choose Azimo.
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    Remitbee

    Finally, an option for senders from Canada is Remitbee. Unlike Azimo, the fees and exchange rates are competitive and transparent. It also offers a number of options for pickup. This makes it more convenient for a receiver.
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    Other Money Transfer Providers

    Azimo Money Transfer App

    If you are looking to send money on the go, Azimo has a money transfer app. It is available for iOS and for Android. In both app stores the app enjoys high ratings from a large number of customers.

    Customers praise the speed, reliability and intuitiveness of the app. In a few taps, you can send money just as you would with the Azimo website.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Azimo Money Transfer

    The process to send a transfer with Azimo Money Transfer is simple.

    Start by picking how you want the receiver to get the money. Then enter their details, the amount you want to send, and pay for the transfer. Payment is done by card, or by bank transfer.

    At that point the transfer will be processed and delivered to your receiver.

    Delivery timelines vary according to both the country and delivery method.

    To check this in advance, go to the Azimo site and click on “check rate”. You can also click on “new transfer”. Remember that sending on holidays and weekends will increase the delivery time.

    Note that the transfer process doesn’t start until you send the payment to Azimo. When using a card, this is instant. With bank transfer, allow up to 4 hours. This applies to British accounts. In the EU, it can take up to 48 hours.

    For the quickest transfer time, use your card.

    Occasionally your transfer may be delayed when Azimo requests supporting documents. This is a legal requirement and may include proof of identity. Check your email or the app. In most cases, verification does not take more than 2 hours.

    -Cancelling an Azimo money transfer is not always possible if the money has arrived in the receiver’s account or to their bank. If you want to request a cancellation in time however, here is the procedure.

    First go to the site’s support center and click on “Contact us”.

    Enter the details of the cancellation and the transfer ID in your message.

    The Azimo team will get back to you after reviewing the details. The cancellation process takes 24 hours to complete if successful, and a refund will be given.

    The actual speed of the refund depends on your bank, with the maximum time usually being 5 days. With cards, it can be done in as little as 48 hours, excluding holidays or weekends.

    To request a refund with the Azimo app, first locate the transfer.

    Then navigate to its status and click on the question mark in the upper right hand corner.

    From there you can click on “request cancellation” and follow the instructions.

    If you do not see an option to request this, you’ll need to contact customer support.

    You will get updates to the email address you registered with. When the transfer has been delivered, Azimo always notifies you right away.

    At any time, you can go to the app or Azimo’s homepage. The most recent transfers will appear on the home screen. To get details of a specific transfer, tap it for more information.

    This change in status of the transfer means Azimo has transferred the money to the receiver’s bank. In the majority of cases the bank will credit the receiver quickly. Sometimes though it takes up to one business day. In this case your receiver should ask their bank for further info.

    In some cases as well, the bank rejects the transfer after the money has been sent. If this happens, it is usually because the sender has entered incorrect details. Azimo will contact you to let you know of the rejection. This can take several business days. It depends on the bank.

    You should contact Azimo if it has been 3 business days and the transfer has not been completed.

    Azimo offers a student discount.
    Is Azimo Money Transfer the Right Choice for Me?
    Hopefully this will have helped you decide on if Azimo is right for you. Before you send money, make sure you are clear on what it will cost you. Consider the best options for your country and how quickly you need the money to arrive. If you’re not convinced that Azimo is the best option for you, try another service such as Remitbee.