📌 Referral link: this article links to Wise. EB-3 Vietnam may earn a commission from Wise if you sign up through this link. Check fees and rates directly on Wise. This is not financial advice.
1. Sending money home costs you in two places
The transfer fee is the part you see. The part people miss is the exchange rate: many providers convert USD to VND below the market rate, and that gap is a cost too. The simplest comparison: for the same dollars sent, how many dong does your family actually receive?
2. Common ways to send
- International wire from a US bank (SWIFT): familiar, but usually has a sending fee, may lose extra intermediary bank fees, and the bank sets the rate.
- Money transfer services (Western Union, Remitly, Wise…): order on your phone; your family receives to a bank account or as cash depending on the service. Fees and rates differ.
- Carrying cash on a visit home: no transfer fee, but there is a risk of loss and you must follow currency declaration rules when entering and leaving.
3. Before you hit send – check 5 things
- How many VND the recipient actually gets (after all fees).
- Fees change with how you pay: bank transfer is usually cheaper than card; credit card is usually the most expensive.
- Recipient details: full name, bank name, account number – one typo can get the transfer returned.
- The limit per transfer and the delivery time.
- Keep the receipt/transaction ID.
4. How sending with Wise works
According to Wise's own page (viewed Oct 30, 2026):
- You open a Wise account while living in the US and pay in USD; your recipient in Vietnam does not need a Wise account – they receive VND in a Vietnamese bank account.
- Fees and the rate show in the quote calculator before you send; paying by bank transfer costs less than paying by card.
- Up to 490 million VND per transfer, minimum 10,000 VND (personal recipients).
- Usually arrives in about 1 working day after Wise receives and converts your money; Wise shows an estimate when you set up the transfer.
- In the US, Wise is a Money Service Business (MSB) registered with FinCEN, not an FDIC-insured bank.
See the USD → VND quote on Wise ↗
Referral link – EB-3 Vietnam may earn a commission from Wise if you sign up through this link. Compare with other services before you choose.
5. Stay safe
- Never let strangers “send it for you” or share your login with anyone.
- Be careful with calls or messages claiming to be a bank or transfer service asking you to move money urgently – open the official app yourself to check.
Sources (viewed Oct 30, 2026): Wise – Send money to Vietnam from the US · Wise – account availability in Vietnam · Wise – pricing.
📌 For reference only; fees and rates change over time. Not financial advice. Independent information & referral page.