Finding yourself needing to wire cash but you are unsure which online service to use? Well there are plenty of options, but you must do some research to avoid getting ripped off by high fees or unreliable companies. It is important to remember wiring money to India via the internet can sometimes be dangerous. At times it is difficult to distinguish between reliable companies and those online companies falsely promising to get your cash there safely.

You must also be cautious to read the fine print. Some companies refuse to offer refunds if you commit a “user error,” and will argue the money cannot be converted back from U.S. dollars to rupees after it had already been converted once. Although it doesn’t make much sense, it’s all the more reason why you should do some extensive research before wiring funds to India.

Another reason to investigate is because the exchange rate differs with each service. This is just one reason why offline wire services and re-loadable debit cards have grown in popularity. Companies like these decide the rate based on the official financial market rate for that day, unlike other companies which are left to make the decision on their own. You can imagine those that decide on their own rate will surely have it benefit the company as opposed to the customer.

Online transfers and  postal mail are other ways to go, with the latter – also known as “snail mail” - taking up to five weeks to arrive. A quicker option is to buy a re-loadable debit card that simply requires web or telephone access in order to add funds from a credit card or bank account. The card is then delivered by FedEx to your intended recipient at whatever location they desire. This method has proven to be quicker and safer than using the postal mail and recipients can avoid exchange rate battles with companies by simply withdrawing their money from an ATM in India.

As you can see, there are several ways to wire funds to India, and as you can also see, it is important to research the methods before committing to any one.