Google Pay, or Gpay locally, in India is a wallet, payment gateway and UPI-based payment system through Google.
For all its ease of use, can you use it internationally? Find out with this short guide to Gpay for international payments.
| ⚠️Currently in India, you can only use Gpay to receive international transfers from the US |
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But as an Indian, you can also use Google Pay in a number of countries to pay online or through the Gpay app like:
- Australia
- Canada
- Europe
- Israel
- Japan
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Vietnam
- Singapore..and more
Of course, make sure your credit or debit card, or bank account, can operate internationally.
Can I send money from India to the USA using Google Pay?
No, you can’t send money from India to the US using Google Pay. You can use Google Pay domestically to send to family and friends in India.
If you are looking to send money from India abroad, Wise can be a good option.
| 💸 International transfers are fast, simple, and cheap with the Wise Web/Android/ iOS app |
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Try Wise for free 🚀
Wise lets Indian residents make deposits to local bank accounts overseas, from their Indian account. Wise is free to sign up online, and you will always receive the real mid-market exchange rate on every transfer.
How to send money internationally through Google Pay
You can send money to India from the US using the GPay app as long as you have an Android phone or iOS app v.130 and up. Here is how you can do it.
Send money from USA to India using Google Pay: Step-by-Step
The GPay app essentially lets users send money to India using Wise or Western Union. As a sender on the app, you will have a choice of which provider to use.
Here is a step by step guide on sending money to India using Gpay:
- Tap on your Google Pay/GPay app
- Find the contact you want to send money to in India
- Hit Pay
- You then have a choice of either Wise or Western Union for sending the money
- If this is the first time you are sending money to your contact, add their payment details
- Submit and complete the transaction
- Your transaction is complete when the appropriate status message appears
In case you don’t have one already, an account with either Wise or Western Union will need to be created.
If you need to make a new account, you can follow the steps on the screen. GPay will make that seamless for you. There is a chance you will be asked to verify your identity in this process.
For payment methods, GPay is the default for Wise. In Western Union, you can find Google Pay under the question “How would you like to pay”. If you do use Western Union, you will also receive a confirmation email in your inbox with the transaction number.
If you want to check the status of your transfer, you can open the app and click on the contact you sent the money to. You can press Check Status on the payment confirmation message.
If you choose Wise, the status will appear right there. For Western Union users, you will be sent to the Western Union site and be required to submit the transaction number from the confirmation email. .
Google Pay transfer limits
Google Pay has limits on how much you can send to family, friends and individuals within a 7 day rolling window. That window, and the limits, are reset after each rolling week is complete.
How much you can send also depends on if you have verified your identity or not through GPay. If you have completed the identity verification, you will have a larger limit.
Here are the limits for each rolling 7 day window. All amounts are shown in USD.
| Verified | Not Verified | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum limit to send to family and friends | $5,000 | $500 |
| Maximum withdrawal amount from GPay account | $5,000 | $700 |
| Add money to your GPay balance | $1,500 | Not possible |
| Maximum single purchase using GPay | $2,000 | Not possible |
You can only hold a maximum of $25,000 in GPay in total at one time.
Google Pay international transfer fees
Google Pay does not charge a fee for international transfers, but how much you pay depends on which provider you go with for your transfer. Wise and Western Union have different fees and exchange rates.
| Wise | Western Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | Yes | Depends |
| Exchange rate fee | No | Yes |
| Ways to pay | Credit, debit or bank account | Credit, debit or bank account |
| Time it takes | Up to 1 business day | 0-4 business days |
The exchange rate fee is what is to look out for. Banks use the mid-market exchange rate amongst themselves. It is also the rate you see on Google, and on Wise too. It is the pure exchange rate without a markup.
Western Union sets their exchange rate to be weaker than the mid-market exchange rate and is able to take a fee in the difference per dollar exchanged. That is why even when you see no transfer fee, you may still end up sending less than you expected.
Here is an example of how they compare when sending $1,000 to India:
| Wise | Western Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | 7.50 | 0 |
| Exchange rate for $1 | 74.99 | 73.98 |
| Time | 1 business day | 0-4 Business days |
| Total sent | ₹74,436 | ₹73,985 |
Simply by choosing Wise as the transfer provider, you can send almost ₹500 more than with Western Union. And Wise is typically faster too.
Sources used for this article:
All sources checked as of 23 October, 2021
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information. This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
