Comparison Tool

Bank vs Wise vs PayPal: Who Gets More of Your Money

Sending $1,000, a bank at a 3% fee and weak rate may deliver about 873 foreign units, Wise at 0.5% fee with a better rate about 915, and PayPal at 4% with a weaker rate about 845. The best channel can put roughly $40-70 more in the recipient's hands than the worst on a single $1,000 transfer, and the gap grows with the amount. Always judge a channel by the foreign amount delivered, not the advertised fee alone, because rate markup hides inside the exchange.

Results

Visualization

UnitFig provides illustrative currency and finance estimates only. Exchange rates and transfer fees change constantly and are shown here as user-entered assumptions, not live quotes. This is not financial advice. Verify all rates with your provider before transacting.

How It Works

Each channel takes its fee as a percentage of what you send, then converts the remainder at its quoted rate. The recipient gets Send x (1 - fee) x rate, where rate is foreign units per dollar. Two levers matter: the fee percentage and the exchange rate. A channel can advertise a tiny fee yet quote a poor rate, quietly shrinking the delivery. Comparing the final delivered amount exposes the true cost. The chart ranks the three channels by delivered foreign units so the winner is obvious at a glance.

What Should You Do?

Pick the channel by delivered amount, not by marketing. Wise-style services usually win on rate for mid-size transfers, while bank wire may suit very large amounts if the flat fee is low. Watch PayPal, whose fee plus weak rate often delivers the least. For recurring transfers, lock in the best channel and consider holding a multi-currency balance to skip conversion entirely. Re-enter current numbers before each send, since rates and promotions change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does PayPal often deliver the least?

PayPal combines a relatively high percentage fee with a rate that includes a markup, so both levers work against the recipient on the same transfer.

Are these rates realistic?

They are illustrative defaults. Replace them with the live quotes your providers show for your exact amount and corridor.

What about flat fees?

Flat fees hurt small transfers more. This tool models percentage fees; add any flat fee to the send side for accuracy.

Does speed matter?

Yes for urgency, but a slower cheap channel can deliver more. Choose based on whether the recipient needs funds now.

Can I compare more than three?

Use the same formula for any channel: Send x (1 - fee) x rate, then rank by the result.

Is rate markup really that important?

A 1% rate gap on $5,000 is $50 lost versus a visible 0.5% fee. The hidden markup often costs more than the fee.