Send Money from the UK to India: Cheapest Ways (2026)

The cheapest way to send money from the UK to India is usually a specialist transfer app such as Remitly or Wise, paid for by bank transfer and delivered to a bank account or UPI ID. On £1,000, both cost well under 1% in total when we checked, while a high-street bank can easily cost several times that once its exchange-rate margin is counted. Compare the two on the day you send, because the winner changes.

Below: real quotes, which delivery method to pick, NRE vs NRO accounts, and how to avoid the scams that target families sending money to India.

The quick answer

What it actually costs: a worked example

This is the part most people miss. The fee is only half the price. The other half is the exchange-rate markup: the gap between the real mid-market rate (the one you see on Google or Reuters) and the rate the provider gives you.

Worked example: sending £1,000 to an Indian bank account (quotes checked 5 November 2026)

The mid-market rate at the time was about ₹127.07 per £1, so £1,000 was “worth” roughly ₹1,27,070.

The bank line is illustrative: banks don’t publish their margins, and many quote “no fee” while building the cost into the rate. To check your own bank, ask for the rupee amount the recipient will receive and compare it with the mid-market rate. Our transfer cost calculator does the maths for you.

Two other things we noticed in the quotes:

• Small amounts: Remitly charged a £1.99 fee on £100 and £250 transfers in our checks, but nothing on £500 or £1,000. Wise’s fee is a small fixed amount plus about 0.46% when paid by bank transfer, so it was £1.70 on £250.
• Paying by card costs more: Wise’s fee on £1,000 rose from £5.14 to £8.29 when paid by debit card, and much more with a credit card. Credit cards may also treat the payment as a cash advance. Pay by bank transfer where you can.

Our pick: Get a quote from both Remitly and Wise and send with whichever delivers more rupees today. Remitly often wins on mid-sized family transfers; Wise is very transparent and strong for larger sums and NRE deposits.

The main providers compared

Wise

Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges a visible fee, which it shows before you pay. It pays out to Indian bank accounts (including NRE and NRO accounts) and to UPI IDs. Per its India page, UPI payments of up to ₹2,00,000 and IMPS payments up to ₹5,00,000 can arrive instantly, and individuals can send up to ₹10 crore per transfer (checked November 2026). Wise asks you to choose a payment purpose from a list, and warns that a wrong choice can cause delays. It does not allow transfers for investment or charitable donations to India. See our Wise vs Revolut comparison if you are choosing an everyday account.

Remitly

Remitly offers bank deposit, UPI and cash pickup, with partner banks including SBI, HDFC, Axis and Bank of Baroda. In our checks it charged no fee on £500 and above and its standard rate was only about 0.2% below mid-market. New customers get a promotional rate on the first £1,000 when paying by “Easy bank transfer” (checked November 2026; one per customer, limited time). Remitly says it refunds its fee if a transfer arrives late against its promised delivery time.

WorldRemit

WorldRemit covers bank deposit and cash pickup to India. It offers a first-transfer enhanced rate on selected routes. It is worth a quote, especially if your family already uses one of its pickup partners.

Western Union

Western Union has a huge agent network and is the familiar option for cash pickup. Its fees and margins vary by amount, how you pay and how the money is collected, and its exchange rate is often less generous than the apps above. It is useful when the recipient needs cash, less so for routine bank transfers. Read more in our guide to Post Office and Western Union transfers.

Revolut

Revolut can send to Indian bank accounts. Standard-plan customers get fee-free currency exchange up to £1,000 a month, then pay a 1% fair-usage fee, and weekend exchanges carry an extra markup (checked November 2026). A transfer fee may also apply, which the app shows before you confirm. Fine for occasional small amounts on a weekday; check the quote against Wise and Remitly before larger ones.

Xe

Xe supports rupee transfers and is a reasonable option for larger amounts, including property-related payments. It builds its margin into the rate, so compare the final rupee figure.

Your UK bank

HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and others can send rupees via SWIFT. It is convenient and may suit very large or unusual payments, but the margin is usually the biggest cost. There may also be charges from intermediary banks. See HSBC and Barclays for bank-specific steps.

Choosing a delivery method

Bank deposit (IMPS/NEFT). The default. You need the recipient’s full name, account number and 11-character IFSC code. Most app transfers land via IMPS within minutes.

UPI. The simplest option if your family already uses Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm or BHIM. You just need their UPI ID (like name@bank). It goes straight into the bank account linked to that ID. Double-check the ID: a typo can send money to a stranger.

Cash pickup. Useful for relatives without a bank account, but it is the most limited route. Under the RBI’s Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS), which covers agent-based remittance services such as Western Union and other cash-pickup networks, individual remittances are capped at USD 2,500 each, a beneficiary can receive up to 30 a year, and only up to ₹50,000 can be paid out in cash per transaction (anything above goes to a bank account or prepaid card). Recipients need valid photo ID. Check the RBI Master Direction for the current limits.

NRE, NRO and other recipient-side rules

If you are an NRI sending your own money home, the account type matters:

• NRE (Non-Resident External) account. For money earned abroad. Funds and interest are freely repatriable back to the UK, and NRE interest is exempt from Indian income tax.
• NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) account. For income arising in India, such as rent, dividends or a pension. Interest is taxable in India (tax is usually deducted at source), and repatriation is capped at USD 1 million per financial year under RBI rules.
• UK tax. If you are UK tax resident, interest you earn in India (including on an NRE account) is generally taxable in the UK and should go on your Self Assessment return. Indian tax exemption does not make it UK tax-free. Check with a tax adviser if the amounts are significant.

Other points worth knowing:

• FIRC. Indian banks can issue a Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate, which you may need for property purchases or to prove the money came from abroad. Ask your recipient’s bank.
• Purpose codes. Indian banks classify inward remittances by purpose (“family maintenance”, “savings to own account” and so on). Pick the accurate one; a mismatch can trigger questions.
• LRS doesn’t apply to you. The Liberalised Remittance Scheme limits how much Indian residents can send out of India. It doesn’t restrict money coming in.
• Gifts and UK inheritance tax. Regular gifts to family from your surplus income, and up to £3,000 a year under the annual exemption, are normally outside inheritance tax. Large one-off gifts can count towards your estate if you die within seven years. See GOV.UK’s guidance on gifts.

How to send money to India from the UK: step by step

1. Get the recipient’s details. Full name as it appears on the bank account, account number and IFSC code, or their UPI ID. For your own NRE account, have your account details to hand.
2. Compare two quotes. Enter the same amount in Remitly and Wise. Look at the rupees received, not the fee.
3. Verify your identity. First-time users upload a passport or driving licence and sometimes proof of address. Do this before the day you need the money to arrive.
4. Choose the delivery method and purpose. Bank deposit, UPI or cash pickup, plus the correct purpose of payment.
5. Pay by bank transfer. Usually cheapest. Use the exact reference the provider gives you.
6. Track it and share the reference. Wise emails a UTR number that the recipient’s bank can trace. Remitly and others give a tracking reference too.

Safety and scam warnings

• Check the firm is authorised. Use the FCA’s Firm Checker before using any provider you haven’t heard of. Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit, Western Union and Revolut are all regulated in the UK.
• Avoid hawala and “better rate” WhatsApp dealers. Unregulated informal transfers have no protection if the money disappears, and may break the law in both countries.
• Beware the “relative in trouble” message. Scammers impersonate family members on WhatsApp (“new number, my phone broke”) and ask for urgent payments. Call the person on a number you already know.
• Never move money for someone else. “Earn commission by receiving and forwarding payments” offers are money-mule recruitment, which the FCA warns is a serious criminal offence.
• Payments are hard to reverse. Once the rupees are paid out, you usually can’t recall them. Check names and UPI IDs twice.

If you think you have been scammed, call your bank or provider straight away, then contact Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040.

Bottom line

For most UK-to-India transfers, compare Remitly and Wise on the day and pay by bank transfer. Use UPI if your family has it, an NRE account for your own savings, and cash pickup only when you have to. Avoid your bank’s built-in rate unless convenience is worth a few per cent to you. For the wider picture, see our cheapest way to send money abroad guide.