The currency used in Ireland is the Euro (EUR) . In America the currency is the US Dollar (USD).
If you need to transfer money from the USA to Ireland – you will usually save money if you avoid using your bank.
- Maybe you are moving back home to Ireland and need to send a large amount of money from the USA to Ireland to buy a house?
- Perhaps you need to transfer money from a bank account in Ireland to a US bank account for a relative?
- You might have an inheritance or pension lump sum that you need to transfer between bank accounts in Ireland and the USA.
In general, when it comes to transferring money overseas, people tend to use the services offered by their own bank. Using your bank might seem like the easiest option. However, you need to realise that hundreds of Euros or Dollars could be lost because of poor exchange rates and high fees when sending money to Ireland from the USA.
A report by Capital Investments Ltd found ,that in 2019, people in the USA sending money to other countries paid a total of $7.3 billion in fees and exchange rate markups. However, by using a currency broker instead of banks, they could have reduced those exchange rate markups and often avoided fees altogether.
What is the best way to send money to Ireland from the USA ?
Not all currency transfer companies are approved to operate in both the United States and Ireland – but we have listed a few that are.
How can I send money from the USA to Ireland?
The following money transfer companies are authorised in some, or all, US states and can be used by USA residents to send money from the USA to Ireland.
They are also authorised in Ireland & the EU and can be used by people in Ireland to send money to the USA from Ireland.
Currencies Direct
Currencies Direct is another of the bigger global money transfer companies and has been operating since 1999 transferring over £7.5 billion annually.
Currencies Direct is registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in the USA.
Currencies Direct is also licensed as a Money Transmitter in 12 states of the USA.
Those states are California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. They have an office in Orlando, Florida.
- Currencies Direct is authorised in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution.
- In the EU, they are authorised as an Electronic Money Institution by the Bank of Spain.
- They have an Irish office in County Cork. (You can call them on 00353 (0)151 361 91.)
- Currencies Direct have an office in Orlando, Florida.
Once you have registered with Currencies Direct, you can arrange transfers between the USA and Ireland over the phone, online, or via their app.
Staff are always available to offer personal service and advice.
You can request a quote for currency exchange on their website.
Transfermate
Transfermate has its headquarters in Dublin and also has offices in the USA located in New York, Miami, Chicago, Austin and San Francisco. They are backed by strategic partners AIB and ING.
TransferMate is licenced as a Money Services Business in all the states of the USA and can be used to send money to Ireland from the USA .
In Ireland, it is authorised to carry out money remittance by the Central Bank of Ireland. (This also covers the whole of the EU). See more about their regulation here. So you can also use them to send money to the USA from Ireland .
Transfermate specialises in large business payments – but they are also very experienced in dealing with transfers for personal clients.
If you need to transfer large amounts of money between the USA and Ireland , Transfermate’s minimum transfer amount is €1000.
Once you have set up an account with Transfermate you can arrange USD to EUR transfers or EUR to USD via their website. Personal support will also be available over the phone 24/7.
OFX
OFX offers money transfers and foreign exchange services across 55 different currencies.
Founded in 1998 , OFX now has eight offices across the world, including Dublin and San Fransisco.
With over 200 staff around the world, OFX can offer 24/7 support if required.
OFX is the Official Foreign Exchange Provider of the NHL
USForex Inc. , trading as OFX, is licensed as a money transmitter by state regulatory agencies in all US states apart from Wisconsin. They are safe to use if you are wondering how to send money from USA to Ireland.
In Ireland, OFX is authorized by the Central Bank of Ireland to operate as an e-money institution in Ireland and the rest of the EU. So they can also be used for sending money to bank accounts in the USA from Ireland .
Once you register with OFX , currency transfers between Ireland and the USA can be arranged online or over the phone or on the OFX app (Apple or Android).
A big company like OFX can usually offer better rates to their clients because of the large number of money transfers they do. OFX doesn’t charge transfer fees and their minimum transfer amount is $100 or equivalent.
OFX can transfer Euros to Ireland from the United States and send US Dollars from Ireland to the USA . OFX can also send British Pounds from the USA to banks in Northern Ireland (UK)
Help is always available from OFX agents over the phone and their personal, proactive approach will help you to access the best USD/EUR exchange rates .
If you need to lock in an exchange rate, but aren’t ready to transfer the money now, a Forward Exchange Contract may be a good idea. With OFX, you can book transfers as far as twelve months in advance, protecting you against exchange rate movements.
Garton Global Payments
Garton Global Payments is based in London and was set up by Irish native Niall Walsh. They have plenty of experience in dealing with large international money transfers to and from Ireland.
All customer payments and transfers are carried out on the Currency Cloud platform which is licensed for money transmission in all but 7 USA states.
The Dutch Central Bank has granted Currencycloud BV (their Dutch entity) an e-money license allowing it to operate across all the EU countries.
Currencycloud processes over $1bn a month on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people and companies. (Including Revolut, Aviva, Starling Bank (UK), Brookline Bancorp (USA) and Standard Bank (South Africa) )
Garton Global Payments has a much lower cost base than the banks which means they can offer better rates for you. (Especially on amounts over $10,000 / €10,000) .
They can also offer customers the ability to fix an exchange rate for a date in the future. (max 12 months) .
Click here to Request a Quote for your transfer. Or call them on (UK) +44 20 8004 3288. or on their Irish number 01-5846855
What is the Best Way to Send Money To the USA From Ireland ?
Money Transfer Companies Authorised for Residents of Ireland. (Not for USA Residents)
Fexco
Fexco is based in County Kerry and is authorised as a payment services provider by the Central Bank of Ireland.
If you live in Ireland, you can use Fexco to exchange your Euros into US Dollars and transfer the money to a bank account in the USA. Fexco will also be able to assist Irish residents in sending money from the USA to Ireland. However, Residents of the US cannot currently register with Fexco.
Fexco will help you get the most from your money with bank-beating exchange rates.
You will get direct access to a dedicated currency dealer who will support you throughout your money transfer.
You can request a quote online at the Fexco Website
CurrencyFair
If you are in Ireland and prefer to do everything yourself online – you can use the online peer to peer exchange service CurrencyFair .
CurrencyFair is based in Dublin and is authorised as a payment services provider by the Central Bank of Ireland.
With CurrencyFair you can exchange money straight away at the best available rate or wait for a better rate to be offered. There is no minimum transfer amount.
They are not authorised for use by residents of the United States. However – once you have a Currencyfair account – Irish residents can use it to receive US Dollars sent from bank accounts in the USA. (The person paying you in USD doesn’t need a Currency Fair account).
You may also be interested in our page about Transferring Money Between the UK and Ireland.