Mobile wallet remittances compared with cash and bank deposit

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · Explainers

In Q3 2025 the World Bank recorded a global average cost of 3.92% for remittances paid into a mobile wallet, against 5.56% for cash pickup and 7.86% for a bank account ¹. Corridor prices show the same pattern for some providers. From France to Senegal, a Western Union online card transfer of €140 cost 0.91% to a mobile wallet and 3.05% for cash pickup ². Other providers charge the same for every payout type ⁴.

Mobile wallet, global average, Q3 2025: 3.92% (481 services) ¹
Cash pickup, global average: 5.56% (3,298 services) ¹
Bank account, any bank, global average: 7.86% (2,642 services) ¹
Debit card, global average: 3.61% (48 services) ¹
Digital remittances, global average: 4.59% ¹

Average cost by receiving method

The World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide (RPW) report for Q3 2025 breaks down the global average cost by how the money is received ¹. Payout to a debit card is the lowest at 3.61%, but RPW has recorded it only since 2023 and the sample is small ¹.

Receiving method	Average total cost	Services sampled
Debit card ¹	3.61% ¹	48 ¹
Mobile wallet ¹	3.92% ¹	481 ¹
Cash pickup ¹	5.56% ¹	3,298 ¹
Bank account, any sending bank ¹	7.86% ¹	2,642 ¹
Bank account, same or partner bank ¹	13.91% ¹	102 ¹

Cost by how the money is sent

The same report breaks down cost by how the sender pays ¹. A credit or debit card was the cheapest way to fund a transfer, at 4.39% across 2,992 services ¹. Mobile money cost 5.29% across 54 services, cash 7.01% and a bank account 8.69% ¹.

Digital remittances averaged 4.59% in Q3 2025, against 7.30% for non-digital services ¹. Digital services made up 35% of the services collected ¹. The report found non-digital services faster than digital ones in all regions ¹.

Examples from African corridors

RPW corridor pages list the payout method for each service ^2,3⁴. For several providers, the fee for a mobile wallet payout is lower than for cash pickup, with the same exchange rate margin ^2,3⁴. The table compares the card transfer price for €140 for the same provider ^2,3⁴.

Corridor and provider	Mobile wallet	Cash pickup
France to Senegal, Western Union ²	€0.99 fee, 0.91% total ²	€3.99 fee, 3.05% total ²
France to Senegal, Remitly ²	€1.90 fee, 1.02% total, under one hour ²	€3.90 fee, 2.45% total, three to five days ²
Italy to Senegal, WorldRemit ³	€2.39 fee, 1.45% total ³	€6.99 fee, 4.73% total ³
France to Cameroon, WorldRemit ⁴	€1.99 fee, 2.70% total ⁴	€4.38 to €4.39 fee, 4.41% to 4.42% total ⁴
France to Cameroon, Remitly ⁴	No fee, 1.26% total ⁴	No fee, 1.26% total ⁴

Mobile operators as senders

The World Bank report says the average cost of sending US$200 through mobile operators fluctuated around 3 percent over time, until recently ¹. Mobile operator transfer fees averaged about 1.5 to 2.0 percent, and changes in the total cost since 2021 came mostly from the exchange rate margin ¹. Mobile operators make up less than 1% of the RPW sample ¹.

What the data does not show

RPW records the receiving method as cash, bank account or mobile wallet, and for cash it records the type of pickup location ⁵. Prices are collected by researchers posing as customers ⁵. Fees and taxes charged in the receiving country are not tracked in the database ⁵.

Common questions

Is sending to a mobile wallet cheaper than cash pickup?

On global averages, yes. In Q3 2025 a mobile wallet payout averaged 3.92% and cash pickup 5.56% ¹.

Is a bank deposit the most expensive way to receive money?

Of the main methods, yes. A bank account payout averaged 7.86%, or 13.91% within the same or a partner bank ¹.

Does every provider charge less for mobile wallets?

No. Remitly charged the same 1.26% for mobile wallet, cash and bank payout from France to Cameroon in Q3 2025 ⁴.

Do the averages include charges paid by the recipient?

Not all of them. RPW does not track fees and taxes charged in the receiving country ⁵.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

How remittance fees work
The two parts of a remittance price, how the World Bank measures total cost, the 3% SDG target and the latest global and Sub-Saharan Africa averages.
Exchange rate margins explained
How the exchange rate margin adds to the cost of sending money, how the World Bank and SDG indicator 10.c.1 measure total cost, with RPW examples.
Sending money to Senegal: costs, rules and inflows
World Bank Q3 2025 average costs to send money to Senegal from France and Italy, BCEAO payment service rules and 2024 remittance inflows.
Sending money to Cameroon: costs, BEAC rules and flows
World Bank Q3 2025 cost to send money from France to Cameroon by provider, with BEAC data on transfers into the CEMAC zone and 2026 rules.
Sending money to Kenya: costs and inflows
World Bank Q3 2025 average costs to send money to Kenya from the US, UK and Tanzania, provider types, and Central Bank of Kenya remittance figures.