Sending Money Home from Rome: How to Pay Less and Get More

In a Nutshell

If you want to send money to family outside the EU, a standard SWIFT bank transfer costs way too much for small amounts — typically €20–100 per transaction. There are specialist remittance operators that are far cheaper and faster, both online and in person across Rome. Picking the right one can mean your family receives 10–30% more.

At a Glance

Wise fee (online)	0.5–2% + €0.30–2 fixed
Ria / MoneyGram / WU fee	2–10% of amount + exchange-rate spread
Poste Italiane money order	€12–30 fixed + exchange rate
Online transfer speed (Wise)	Minutes to 2 days
Cash pickup speed	A few minutes
Where in Rome	Esquilino, Tor Pignattara, Termini (WU/MG/Ria) — app (Wise, Revolut)
Documents needed	ID + Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID); anti-money-laundering declaration for amounts over €1,000

The Three Costs of a Remittance — Don't Just Look at the Fee

When you compare operators, you need to look at three separate charges, not just the one printed in big letters:

1. Fixed or percentage commission — the visible fee: e.g. "€3 to send €100" or "3.5% of the amount."

2. Exchange-rate spread — the most important hidden cost. When you pay in euros and your family receives Indian rupees, Bangladeshi taka, Philippine pesos or Moroccan dirhams, the operator applies a worse rate than the real market rate. Example: the real EUR/INR rate is 90.00, but Western Union gives you 88.00 — you lose 2 rupees per euro, which is an extra 2.2% gone. You can check the real rate at xe.com or google.com/finance.

3. Fees charged to the recipient — some operators deduct an amount on arrival. Always ask whether your recipient gets the full amount.

Here's a comparison for sending €100 to India (received in rupees):

Operator	Fixed fee	Exchange rate offered	INR received
Wise	€1.20	89.80	8,882 INR
WU online	€0	87.50	8,750 INR
WU branch	€3	86.80	8,421 INR
MoneyGram branch	€2.99	86.50	8,391 INR
SWIFT bank transfer	€20	88.50	7,080 INR

Wise wins for small amounts because it uses the real interbank exchange rate plus a low commission.

The Main Operators Compared

Wise (app and web only, wise.com) uses the real interbank rate and charges a small commission. It's the most transparent operator for total cost. It covers 80+ countries and 50+ currencies, with transfers completing in minutes to India, Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, and many more. The catch: the recipient needs a bank account — Wise doesn't do cash pickup. It is registered with the Banca d'Italia (Italy's central bank and financial regulator).

Ria Money Transfer (riamoneytransfer.com/it) charges 2–5%, generally cheaper than Western Union and MoneyGram. It's particularly strong for Latin America, the Philippines, and Asia. In Rome it has physical locations in the Esquilino neighbourhood, Tor Pignattara, and many tobacco shops (tabaccherie).

MoneyGram (moneygram.com/it) costs 3–8% plus an exchange-rate spread. It has a dense network of physical points in Rome, including tobacco shops and CAF (free tax-and-benefits assistance offices) in Esquilino, Tor Pignattara, and Pigneto. The recipient can collect cash within minutes.

Western Union (westernunion.com/it) has the largest network in the world (200+ countries). It has over 200 locations in Rome and offers three sending methods: cash pickup (cash collected at an agency), direct bank transfer, and mobile money (e.g. M-Pesa in Kenya). Sending online costs far less than at a branch (1–3% vs 3–10% + spread). It's particularly useful when your recipient is in a country with limited banking infrastructure.

Revolut (revolut.com) is free up to €1,000/month on the free plan, then 0.5%. Note: on weekends it adds a 1% exchange-rate spread. Instant transfers between Revolut users are always free.

Poste Italiane Eurogiro international money order (poste.it/eurogiro) is paid in cash at the post-office counter and collected at a foreign post office. It costs €12–30 fixed plus the exchange rate and takes 5–10 days. It only makes sense when your destination country is poorly served by other operators (e.g. some areas of the Philippines, China, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia).

Choosing the Right Operator

Small monthly amounts (€50–500) to a country with banking: use Wise or Revolut. You save 20–50% compared with physical locations.

Recipients without a bank account: use Ria (cheapest among physical options) or Western Union (widest network). The recipient picks up cash at an agency using the MTCN code you send them.

Smaller or less-covered countries: Western Union has the broadest reach.

Regular monthly transfers: both Wise and Revolut let you set up automatic recurring transfers.

Large amounts (over €5,000): a SWIFT bank transfer is safer and better documented. Above €15,000 you'll need to provide documentation of the funds' origin.

Emergencies: Western Union or MoneyGram cash pickup. The money is available within minutes at any agency in the destination country.

To compare costs in real time before you send, use monito.com or the World Bank's official database at remittanceprices.worldbank.org.

Where to Go in Rome

Western Union, MoneyGram, and Ria physical locations are concentrated mainly in these neighbourhoods:

• Esquilino (Via Carlo Alberto, Via Principe Eugenio, Via Lamarmora, Via Conte Verde): dozens of offices within 5 minutes of Termini station
• Tor Pignattara / Pigneto (Via Casilina, Via di Centocelle)
• Termini station (main hall and Via Marsala)
• Tor Bella Monaca / Tor Vergata (for residents of the eastern zone)
• Tiburtina (around the station)
• Centocelle / Cinecittà (Largo Brindisi, Via dei Castani)

To find the nearest location: WU – Find an agent, MoneyGram – Find an agent, Ria – Find a location.

For free guidance on financial services for migrants: Centro Astalli (Via degli Astalli 14a), Casa dei Diritti Sociali (Via dei Sabelli 5).

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using unregistered operators. People who offer "informal transfers" (hawala, "a friend of a friend") with low fees are often scams — the money never arrives, and it's also a criminal offence. Only use operators registered on the Banca d'Italia official register, where you can verify any intermediary.

2. Looking only at the stated commission. If the commission is zero, the profit is hidden in the exchange-rate spread (which can be 3–5%). Always calculate the total cost by checking how many euros actually reach your recipient.

3. Sharing your MTCN code with strangers. The Western Union MTCN code (10 digits) lets anyone who knows it collect the money. Only share it with the actual recipient via a secure channel.

Special Cases

Transfers over €1,000: enhanced ID verification is mandatory (ID document + Codice Fiscale). Over €5,000: anti-money-laundering declaration required. Over €15,000: documentation of the funds' source.

Sent to the wrong recipient? Contact the operator immediately. If the cash pickup hasn't happened yet, you can block the transaction. Online operators (Wise, WU app) have a refund procedure, but it is not guaranteed once the money has been paid out.

Your recipient got less than expected? Ask for the receipt showing the exchange rate applied. If there's an operator error, you have 60 days to request a refund. Some differences are caused by taxes applied in the destination country — that's normal and outside the Italian operator's control.

Regular payments to family: Wise and Revolut both let you schedule an automatic monthly transfer — set it up once and it runs itself.

Recipient without official ID (refugees): in some countries, Western Union Wallet accepts registration with a SIM card. Mobile money (M-Pesa in Kenya, EcoCash in Zimbabwe) works with a phone number and no formal bank account.

You're a foreigner sending money regularly: this is completely legal and normal (remittances). The UIF (Italy's Financial Intelligence Unit, part of the Banca d'Italia) monitors these flows, but for family support there are no tax or reporting obligations in Italy, as long as the money comes from already-taxed income.

Official Sources

• Banca d'Italia — Register of authorised intermediaries
• Banca d'Italia — Intermediary supervision
• World Bank — Remittance Prices Worldwide
• Poste Italiane — Eurogiro money order
• Western Union Italy
• MoneyGram Italy
• Ria Money Transfer Italy

Legal references: D.Lgs 27/01/2010 n. 11 (PSD), Direttiva UE 2015/2366 (PSD2), D.Lgs 21/11/2007 n. 231 (anti-money laundering), Regolamento UE 2015/847, TUB D.Lgs 385/1993 art. 114-quinquies, Provvedimento Banca d'Italia 13/07/2010.