Sending money to Vietnam from Canada works best through online transfer services that bypass expensive bank wire fees while delivering funds in hours rather than days.
The right method for how to send money to Vietnam depends on how your recipient wants to receive funds — bank deposit, cash pickup, or mobile wallet — and how much you're willing to sacrifice to fees and unfavorable exchange rates.
Key factors that determine your best option:
- Transfer amount (larger amounts unlock better rates and lower fees)
- Total cost (fees plus exchange rate markup combined)
- Delivery speed needed (minutes to several days)
- Provider reliability and regulatory compliance
- Recipient's preferred receiving method
Quick answer: RemitBee charges $0 fees on transfers over $500 CAD, delivering same-day to Vietnamese bank accounts. Western Union wins on cash pickup availability with 9,800+ Vietnam locations. Wise offers mid-market exchange rates for pure bank transfers.
For most Canadians sending regular remittances to Vietnam, RemitBee delivers the strongest value — $0 fees on transfers over $500 CAD, competitive exchange rates, and same-day delivery options.
However, specific situations favor different providers, so understanding each option's strengths helps you maximize every dong your family receives.
Why does Vietnam receive billions in remittances annually?
According to the World Bank, Vietnam receives more than $18 billion in remittances annually — ranking among the top 10 remittance-receiving countries globally.
Canada's Vietnamese diaspora (over 240,000 people) contributes significantly to that figure, sending money home for family support, property investments, and business funding.
The steady flow of remittances has made Vietnam a competitive corridor for money transfer services. Multiple providers now compete aggressively on price and speed, which benefits senders who compare options before each transfer.
Moreover, cultural ties between Canadian Vietnamese families and relatives back home drive consistent monthly transfers that add up to substantial annual volumes.
What are the fastest ways to send money to Vietnam?
Speed matters when someone's waiting on funds. The fastest methods deliver money to Vietnam in minutes, though premium prices often accompany that urgency. Knowing which service delivers fastest for your specific needs prevents overpaying for speed you don't need.
Cash pickup
Western Union and MoneyGram deliver fastest when your recipient needs physical cash — networks built decades before banks cared about rural coverage. Money arrives within minutes at Western Union's 9,800+ agent locations across Vietnam.
Your recipient walks in with ID, reference number (called MTCN for Western Union), your name, and expected amount. They walk out with cash.
Cash pickup works best when your recipient:
- Lacks a bank account (roughly 13% of Vietnam's population)
- Lives in rural areas without easy bank access
- Prefers handling physical money
Bank deposits
Online services like Xoom deliver to major Vietnamese banks (Vietcombank, Sacombank, Techcombank, and others) within minutes to hours for most transfers.
RemitBee similarly offers same-day delivery to Vietnamese bank accounts. Traditional bank wires take 2-5 business days — significantly slower than modern alternatives.
Mobile wallets
Mobile wallet transfers through MoMo and VNPT Pay complete in minutes.
You send through international services like RemitBee or Western Union, choose mobile wallet delivery, and provide your recipient's wallet phone number. Notification arrives instantly when money lands (no bank account needed, just a smartphone).
Mobile wallets work well when your recipient actively uses these apps — increasingly common in Vietnamese cities, though rural adoption lags urban areas by several years.
What are the cheapest ways to send money to Vietnam?
Price hinges on two factors: how much you're sending and how your recipient wants delivery. Pull up your last transfer receipt and calculate what you actually paid (fee plus exchange rate markup combined).
The gap between providers is substantial — cheapest services charge around 0.3% of transferred amount, while most expensive average 6.5% (more than 20 times the difference).
RemitBee
RemitBee charges $0 when you send ≥$500 CAD via e-Transfer, EFT, or bill payment. Below that threshold, a $2.99 fee applies (still competitive with virtually everything else).
Exchange rates consistently beat traditional banks by several percentage points because banks mark up mid-market rates by 3-5%, while RemitBee's margin stays considerably smaller. Speed depends on your payment method — e-Transfer posts in hours, EFT takes 1-2 business days.
When amount ≥$500 CAD and urgency ≠ same-day, RemitBee saves the most money.
Wise
Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate (the real rate you see on Google or Bloomberg, without hidden markups) plus a small transparent fee shown before confirmation. Transfers to Vietnam are capped at 499,999,999 VND per transfer (roughly $20,000 USD).
Wise only delivers to bank accounts in Vietnam — no cash pickup, no mobile wallets. Just bank accounts. If your recipient has a Vietnamese bank account, Wise works beautifully. Otherwise, you need a different option (Wise won't bend on this).
Western Union
Western Union maintains wider agent networks across rural areas than competitors, though fees run higher for that geographic coverage. Useful when your recipient lives in smaller towns where other services don't reach.
Your bank
Your bank charges roughly 7.8% on average when accounting for exchange rate markups and fees. On a $10,000 transfer, that's $780 lost — enough for a vacation or several months of groceries.
Banks bury profit in exchange rate markups, so even when they advertise "no fees," you're paying plenty (they just hide it where you won't calculate it).
How do the best providers compare on cost and speed?
Real cost comparison requires looking beyond advertised fees to calculate what your recipient actually receives. The table below shows how the top services stack up for sending money to Vietnam from Canada:
| Provider | Transfer fee | Exchange rate | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RemitBee | $0 (over $500) | Competitive | Same-day | Regular remittances |
| Wise | $5-$15 | Mid-market | 1-2 days | Rate transparency |
| Western Union | $5-$30 | Poor | Minutes | Cash pickup, rural areas |
| OFX | $0 | Good (large amounts) | 1-3 days | Transfers >$5,000 |
| Xoom | $5-$15 | Variable | Minutes-days | Multiple delivery options |
| Bank wire | $30-$80 | Poor | 3-5 days | Formal documentation needs |
Let's look at an example
A $2,000 CAD transfer to Vietnam illustrates the gap clearly.
Bank wire route:
- $50 wire transfer fee
- 3% exchange rate markup (~$60)
- Intermediary deduction (~$15)
- Receiving bank fee (~$15)
Total cost: ~$140
RemitBee route:
- $0 transfer fee (over $500 CAD)
- 0.5% exchange rate margin (~$10)
- No intermediary deductions
- No receiving fees
Total cost: ~$10
The $130 difference on a single transfer adds up fast for anyone sending money monthly. Additionally, exploring the best ways to send money to Vietnam reveals even more corridor-specific strategies that can shave dollars off each transfer.
When should you use traditional money transfer operators?
Western Union, MoneyGram, and Ria built their businesses on cash-to-cash transfers decades before smartphones existed. Massive agent networks make them valuable when your recipient needs cash and doesn't live near a bank (or prefers handling physical money because digital transfers feel too abstract).
Traditional operators work best when:
- Fast cash delivery is critical
- Multiple sending options needed (online, app, or in-person)
- Wide geographic reach matters (small towns, rural areas)
- Recipients lack bank accounts
Skip them when cost matters most — higher fees and worse exchange rates compared to online-only services add up quickly.
Western Union
Western Union maintains more than 9,800 locations across Vietnam, covering areas banks ignore because profit margins don't justify infrastructure costs.
Send through website, mobile app, or agent location. Recipients visit agents with ID, reference number, your name, and expected amount — no bank account needed, no smartphone required.
Western Union also offers mobile wallet receiving through MoMo in Vietnam, providing another option beyond cash pickup or bank deposit.
MoneyGram
MoneyGram runs comparable networks to Western Union with similar coverage across Vietnam. The service also partners with MoMo for mobile wallet delivery. Fees and exchange rates vary by corridor and amount, so compare final delivered amount against other services before committing.
Ria
Ria operates through partnerships with local businesses and banks, creating coverage in smaller towns where bigger services haven't established presence.
Useful when sending to areas Western Union and MoneyGram don't reach, but always check total cost against other options because geographic convenience sometimes carries premium pricing.
How to choose the best way to send money to Vietnam
Your best choice for sending money to Vietnam depends on three factors:
- How much you're sending
- How fast you need delivery
- How your recipient wants to receive funds.
Start with recipient preferences because convenience on your end means nothing if they can't access money easily on their end.
Bank deposits
RemitBee offers $0 fees on transfers ≥$500 CAD from Canada. Wise guarantees mid-market rates (useful if you don't mind the VND transfer cap). Compare final received amounts — not just advertised fees — because a service charging $5 with fair exchange rates might deliver more than a "free" service marking up rates by 2%.
Cash pickup
Western Union and MoneyGram have wider agent networks across rural areas where coverage matters more than cost. Check total cost including fees and exchange rates before choosing. If your recipient lives in a city, they likely have access to all major services. In rural areas, Western Union's network might be your only realistic option.
Mobile wallets
Use RemitBee, Western Union, or Xoom to deliver to MoMo or other Vietnamese wallets through established partnerships. Transfers complete in minutes. Your recipient needs the wallet already set up (you can't create one for them as part of the transfer), so confirm with them first to avoid delays.
Large transfers
OFX offers better rates for amounts >$5,000, though you'll sacrifice some speed. Wise's 499,999,999 VND limit (roughly $20,000 USD) might restrict you. RemitBee's Level 4 verification allows daily limits up to $20,000, covering most situations unless moving serious money for business purposes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send $1,000 CAD to Vietnam?
Costs vary dramatically by provider — bank wires typically charge $50-80 in combined fees and exchange rate markups, while RemitBee charges $0 on transfers over $500 CAD (via Interac) with roughly $5-8 total in exchange costs. Western Union and MoneyGram fall somewhere in between at $15-35 total.
What's the fastest way to get money to Vietnam?
Mobile wallet transfers (MoMo) and cash pickup provide the fastest delivery — often within minutes. Bank deposits through online services like RemitBee arrive same-day, whereas traditional bank wires take 2-5 business days.
Do I need my recipient's bank details?
Requirements depend on delivery method — bank deposits need full name (matching account exactly), bank name, account number, and branch information. Cash pickup only requires their full name and contact information since they'll use ID at the agent location. Mobile wallet transfers just need the registered phone number.
Can I send money to Vietnam on weekends?
Bank wires don't process on weekends, but online services like RemitBee operate 24/7 including weekends and holidays. Cash pickup through Western Union is also available on weekends at most agent locations across Vietnam.
What limits apply to Vietnam transfers?
Wise caps VND transfers at 499,999,999 VND (roughly $20,000 USD), while RemitBee allows up to $20,000 CAD daily with Level 4 verification. Vietnamese regulations may impose additional receiving limits depending on the recipient's bank or wallet.
