4 Remittance Centres in the Philippines for OFW Families to Encash Money

Earning money overseas is pretty much useless if one cannot send that money back home to their families in the form of remittances or through international money transfers. In short, remittance matters a lot in the life of OFWs and their families.

However, not all families of OFWs have bank accounts they can work with. In such cases, OFWs and their families send and receive money through remittance centres. These institutions not only serve as a channel of funds from abroad and to the Philippines, and vice versa. They also offer relevant financial services such as pawning, bills payment, quick cash loan, and foreign exchange to the customers they cater to, particularly OFWs and their families. Therefore, remittance centres are very important because they offer a variety of useful services to OFWs and their beneficiaries without much of the hassle with paperwork and transaction fees imposed by banks.

Image credit: Pictures of Money (Flickr)

4 Remittance Centres in the PHL Where OFW Families Can Encash Money

Here are some of the most reliable remittance centres in the Philippines where OFWs and their families can encash their money:

1.      Western Union Overseas Money Transfer

You might have seen a couple of Western Union branches in your area or in other places you’ve been to. That’s because Western Union is one, if not the biggest remittance/payment centre in the Philippines with a whopping 8,400 branches all over the country. Besides its huge market presence, Western Union is also the world’s largest remittance provider with 500,000 agent locations in over 200 countries all over the world. If anything, that says quite a lot about how plenty and diversified our OFWs are all around the world.

 

With features such as the “Track a Transfer” helping OFWs and their families check the status of their remittance online, plus the numerous agent locations which can help you process your transactions, Western Union does have everything you need for your remittance activities. Also, you can send money through the PayMaya mobile wallet app where every remittance you make earns you reward points which you can redeem for discounted fees and remittance rates.

Local/Domestic Rates: Php 5 to 595

Overseas/ International Rates: Php 500 to 1,100.

2.      Cebuana Lhuiller Pera Padala

One of the more popular remittance centres in the Philippines is Cebuana Lhuiller. Armed with 2,300 branches and over 4,000 Pera Padala agents in the country and over 80 international remittance partners, Cebuana has earned its spot among the biggest remittance centres in the country and abroad.

With Cebuana, you can expect instant remittances as they process all transactions in real-time, and reward you with points corresponding to the amount you send. The points you earn can be exchanged for discounted fees on remittance rates, exclusive privileges, and special rewards. But the best part of it is that you can make an appointment and fill out forms online before heading to a Cebuana branch to avoid queuing in long lines and save time.

Local/Domestic Remittance Rates: Php 1 to 1,200

Overseas/ International Remittance Rates: Php 500 to 1,200.

3.      Palawan Express Pera Padala

Just like the first two remittance centres, Palawan Express also has around 2,000 branches and Prea Padala agent locations all over the country with rates ranging between Php 2 and Php 345. Palawan Express also employs a Loyalty Rewards Program where you can avail five per cent and 2 per cent discounts for rewards points gained on every remittance. They also offer rebates whenever you claim money.

Whenever you send remittances back home, your family will receive a text notification informing them that the transaction has been made and the money is ready for collection. Upon receipt of the amount, the sender will also be notified through a text message.

4.      MoneyGram

Considered as Western Union’s biggest competitor, MoneyGram ranks second in terms of scope and reach, as it has around 350,000 agent locations in over 200 countries all over the world.

The remittance rates are also similar to Western Union, where the rate depends on the amount to be sent. The maximum transaction you can make is $2,999, and you may also check the status of your remittance online.

Once the transaction has been made and completed, your recipients can simply collect the amount from any remittance centres partnered with MoneyGram. The process is very convenient as money sent can be collected within a couple of minutes upon processing from any MoneyGram partner remittance centre. Also, you can send money through any of the 7,000 ATM units nationwide through your LBC card.

In choosing the most suitable remittance method for you and your family, you should always consider your convenience and security. You should also factor in reliability and remittance rates to pick your best choice.