Compare money received, not just the advertised fee
A zero-fee transfer can deliver less if its exchange rate is worse. This calculator gives two quotes the same total budget: everything you pay. Compare offers for the same date, currency pair and delivery method. Bank deposits and cash pickup can have different prices.
How the budget is divided
The budget pays for both the principal and sending charges. A fee calculated on the principal cannot simply be subtracted as a percentage of the total budget.
Principal = (budget − fixed fee) / (1 + percentage / 100). Received = principal × exchange rate − receiving deduction. Effective rate = received / budget.
Enter 5 for a 5% fee. The rate must be destination units per source unit. If you already know the exact combined sending charges, enter them as the fixed fee and use 0% to avoid counting them twice. Include known receiving deductions only in the receiving currency.
Worked example: a 105 USD budget
These are illustrative numbers, not company quotes. Offer A charges a fixed 5 USD, 0%, and exchanges at 7.50 GTQ per USD: it sends 100 USD and delivers 750 GTQ. Offer B charges a fixed 0 USD, 5% of the principal, and exchanges at 7.60: it also sends 100 USD, charges 5 USD, and delivers 760 GTQ. For the same outlay, B delivers 10 GTQ more.
If B deducts another 15 GTQ from the recipient, its net delivery falls to 745 GTQ and A delivers 5 GTQ more. This is why all charges matter, even when one exchange rate looks better.
What to check in a quote
Check your total payment, the fee basis, the applicable exchange rate, receiving bank deductions and promised net receipt. Also check quote expiry, timing and delivery method. A larger receipt does not prove that a provider is faster or safer. Unknown charges and provider-specific rounding are outside this calculation.
For a reference conversion without comparing transfer fees, use the currency converter.
Frequently asked questions
Source and scope
The CFPB remittance guide identifies fees, exchange rates and expected delivery amounts as relevant information. Its legal protections concern its US context; this tool does not extend them to other countries.