14 DAY TRIAL // There are many ways to send money abroad, but most of them require a visit to a bank or a company that offers money transfer services. Starting this week, a new method to transfer money online using a popular mobile application is available to Android and iOS users.
TransferWise has just announced they have managed, with help from Facebook, to integrate its bot with Messenger. The new TransferWise bot for Facebook Messenger allows users to set up transfers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
The new bot will guide you through the entire process, and if you get stuck, it can provide you with helpful tips. Users can also set up alerts to stay updated on the daily exchange rate.
Apparently, there's no limit to how many alerts for rates you can set up, so you can ask the bot to set up your transfer when you think the rate matches your wishes.
“Our mission at TransferWise is to bring faster, cheaper, and more convenient international money transfers to everyone in the world. Building the TransferWise bot for Messenger is a great step in that direction.
It’s also a powerful example of how our API can be used to seamlessly integrate TransferWise into almost any messaging, bank, or business payment system,” explains Scott Miller, TransferWise Head of Global Partnerships.
Tech-savvy users might want to know that the TransferWise bot was built using the TransferWise API, which allows for payments across more than 600 currency routes globally.
Keep in mind, though, that the TransferWise bot won't charge you any fees like banks usually do, as the service uses the current exchange rate and charges an upfront fee that's based on 1 percent of the money that someone wants to transfer.
Before sending money to a destination, you will have to become a TransferWise customer, though, but that won't cost you anything.