Daily tools · Tool

Send money home: compare quotes

The rate board and the fee don't tell you the whole story. Type the quotes you got, and see what your family really receives from each, how much is hidden in the rate, and which one is best.

AED

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The quotes you got

Give each one a name you'll recognise, like "Exchange house A" or "Bank app B". Type the rate they offer for 1 AED and their fixed fee.

Fees in AED are…

Runs on your phone. Nothing you type is uploaded or saved. The only thing the page downloads is today's public exchange rates.

How to read a quote

Ask one question

"Exactly how much will arrive, after everything?" Compare that number, for the same amount, at the same time of day. Rates move during the day.

The rate hides a fee

The mid-market rate is the midpoint between buying and selling prices. Providers give you a lower rate and keep the difference: the hidden margin. On 1,000 AED, a 1% margin is 10 AED you never see on the receipt.

"Zero fee" isn't free

A quote with no fee can still cost more if its rate is worse. That's why this tool adds the fee and the margin together into one total cost.

Check the other end

Some receiving banks or cash pick-up points take their own charge. Ask whether the amount quoted is what your family will actually get.

Use licensed providers only

Send money only through banks and exchange houses licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE. If a name is new to you, check it in the Central Bank's register of licensed institutions. Keep the receipt and transfer number.

Try the guessing game

Want to test your instinct first? What does sending AED 1,000 home really cost? lets you guess before you see the answer. For any currency pair, see our currency converter.

Sources: World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide (remittanceprices.worldbank.org): the total cost of sending money is the sender's fee plus the exchange rate margin, the percentage difference between the market reference rate and the rate actually applied. United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target 10.c: by 2030, reduce the transaction costs of migrant remittances to less than 3% and eliminate corridors costing more than 5%. Central Bank of the UAE, register of licensed banks and other financial institutions (centralbank.ae). Live mid-market rates: the free public feed at open.er-api.com (Rates By Exchange Rate API), updated about once a day; if it can't be reached, a built-in table of the Central Bank of the UAE's published rates for 3 August 2026; the US dollar is pegged at 3.6725 AED. Mid-market rates are for comparison only: no provider sells at exactly that rate. This is not financial advice.