How to Send Money From the US to Nepal: What Your Family Really Receives (2026)
Short answer: compare what your family receives in rupees, not the fee.
- Rate first: the exchange rate decides most of the cost. On $500, 1 rupee of rate is worth 500 rupees to your family.
- Benchmark: the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) page showed NPR 150.49 buying and NPR 151.09 selling per dollar on 14 November 2026.
- Payout: bank deposit, eSewa or Khalti wallet, and cash pickup are each offered by some providers, not all.
You send dollars. Your family counts rupees. The number that matters is how many rupees land in the account, wallet or counter in Nepal. This post shows how to compare the main ways to send, and why the exchange rate matters more than the fee.
This post is information only. It is not financial advice. Prices and rates change every day, so every figure below says when we read it.
The benchmark: the official NRB rate
Nepal Rastra Bank is Nepal's central bank. It publishes a daily rate for the US dollar. When we read the NRB forex page on 2026-11-14, it showed NPR 150.49 buying and NPR 151.09 selling for 1 dollar. The page also says that rates quoted by individual banks may differ.
The same day, Wise's dollar to rupee page showed NPR 150.79 for 1 dollar, which Wise calls the mid-market rate (read 2026-11-14). That number sits exactly halfway between the NRB buying and selling rates. Use it as the "fair" rate when you compare.
You can see today's official rate and run your own numbers on our rates page and calculator.
Why the rate matters more than the fee
A fee is easy to see. It is a dollar amount on the screen. A weak exchange rate is harder to see. The provider gives you a rate a little below the fair one and keeps the difference. The provider does not call that difference a fee.
The reason it matters: the fee is charged once, as a fixed number of dollars. The rate gap is charged on every dollar you send. The bigger the transfer, the bigger the gap.
Worked example: sending $500
The two providers below are made up for the example. The numbers are not quotes from any company. The fair rate is Wise's NPR 150.79 from the NRB section above (read 2026-11-14).
| Provider A | Provider B | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $0 | $4 |
| Rate | 148.79 (2 below fair) | 150.79 (fair) |
| Dollars converted | $500 | $496 |
| Rupees your family receives | 74,395 | 74,792 |
Provider A says "no fee" and looks cheaper. Provider B charges a fee and still delivers about 397 more rupees. The "free" transfer cost more.
The rule to remember: every 1 rupee of rate on a $500 transfer is 500 rupees. A $4 fee only wins if the rates are close.
The main ways to send, side by side
We opened each provider's public Nepal page on 2026-11-14. Several pages do not show a rate or a fee until you enter an amount, and some need an account. Where a number was not shown, the table says so. We did not fill gaps with guesses.
| Provider | Rate on 2026-11-14 | Fee | Speed | How it arrives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly | Not shown without entering an amount | Not shown. Page says "no hidden fees" | Page gives no time, only that many transfers arrive quickly | Bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet |
| Wise | NPR 150.79, the mid-market rate | Shown before you send. The public page does not tie its fee examples to an amount, so we give no figure | Wise says 77% of all its transfers arrive in under 20 seconds and 95% in under a day | Bank account only. Not to businesses |
| Western Union | Not shown | $0 on a first online transfer for new customers. Other fees not listed | Page gives no time | Cash pickup, bank account, wallets including eSewa and Khalti |
| Xoom | Not shown. Exact amount shown before you send | Not listed. Shown before you send | Cash pickup and wallets: typically minutes. Bank deposit: typically within 1 business day | Cash pickup (Prabhu, Ria), wallets including eSewa, bank deposit, phone reload |
| IME | Not shown. Separate rate page | Not shown. Separate service charge page | Not shown | Cash pickup at IME agents, bank deposit, Khalti by IME wallet |
MoneyGram and Prabhu also send to Nepal. Their own pages would not load when we tried on 2026-11-14, so they are not in the table. We did not open a US bank wire page. A wire from a US bank usually sends dollars and lets the receiving bank in Nepal do the conversion. Ask your bank for its wire fee and ask the Nepal bank what rate it will use. We have no sourced number for either.
What each row tells you
- Wise is the only one that showed a rate without an account. It shows the fair rate and charges a visible fee. Its limits, from the same Wise Nepal page, are 1 million NPR per transfer and 2 million NPR per day (read 2026-11-14). Wise needs the recipient's full name, bank, branch and an account number of 9 to 20 digits.
- Remitly says new customers get a promotional rate on the first $1,000 sent, per its Nepal page (read 2026-11-14). Check what the rate is after the promotion ends.
- Western Union lists a maximum of $5,000 per transfer to family and friends in Nepal on its Nepal page (read 2026-11-14). The same page says it makes money from currency exchange, so the rate is where to look.
- Xoom is the clearest on speed. Its Nepal page gives minutes for cash pickup and wallets and about 1 business day for banks (read 2026-11-14).
- IME is a Nepal-based company. Its US sending page lists Ria, MoneyGram, Remitly and Panda Remit as partners, so an IME payout can come from a different sending app.
How the money arrives in Nepal
- Bank deposit: good for rent, loan payments and savings. Needs the account number and branch. Slower than a wallet with some providers.
- eSewa or Khalti wallet: good for bills and daily spending. Western Union lists both. Xoom lists eSewa. IME lists a Khalti by IME wallet, and says receiving through Khalti has zero extra fee to the recipient.
- Cash pickup: good when the receiver has no bank account. The receiver goes to an agent with ID. Western Union lists over 12,000 agent locations in Nepal, a count its page says was valid as of 30 June 2021, so treat the number as old.
Rules on both sides
US side. A 1% US tax on some money transfers began on 1 January 2026. Remitly's tax guide says it applies to transfers paid with cash or cash-like items such as money orders and cashier's checks, and that Remitly transfers are not subject to it. Xoom's Nepal page says the same for Xoom (both read 2026-11-14). If you hand cash to an agent, ask whether the tax applies.
Nepal side. We looked for a current Nepal government incentive for sending money through banks and could not confirm one. The only item we found was a 2022 proposal reported by B360 (dated 8 April 2022, read 2026-11-14) for an extra 2% interest for depositors who remit to a Nepali bank account. That is a proposal from 2022. We could not confirm it became a rule, so do not count on it.
A simple way to compare
- Open our rates page and note the official NRB rate for the day.
- Open two or three apps. Enter the same amount, for example $500.
- Write down the rupees your family receives in each app, after the fee. Ignore the headline fee.
- Pick how the money should arrive: bank, wallet or cash.
Looking for a Nepali money transfer business near you? See our Nepali money transfer businesses directory. Planning a trip home? Read flights from the US to Nepal and the Nepal eSIM and SIM card guide.
Sources
All pages read on 2026-11-14.
- Official rate: Nepal Rastra Bank forex page.
- Wise rate: Wise USD to NPR page. Wise fees, speed, limits and payout: Wise send money to Nepal.
- Remitly: Remitly Nepal page; tax: Remitly tax guide.
- Western Union: Western Union Nepal page.
- Xoom: Xoom Nepal page.
- IME: IME home page and IME send money from the USA page.
- Nepal incentive proposal: B360 Nepal, 8 April 2022.
FAQ
Is the fee or the exchange rate more important when sending money to Nepal?
Usually the exchange rate. A fee is a fixed number of dollars. A weak rate takes a slice of every dollar you send, and the provider does not label that slice as a fee. On $500, a rate that is 2 rupees lower than the fair rate costs your family 1,000 rupees, which is more than a $4 fee.
What is the official exchange rate for dollars to rupees?
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) publishes it. When we read the NRB forex page on 14 November 2026, it showed NPR 150.49 buying and NPR 151.09 selling for 1 US dollar. Check today's number on our /rates/ page, because the rate moves every day.
Can I send money to eSewa or Khalti from the US?
Yes, with some providers. Xoom says it pays to mobile wallets including eSewa, and Western Union lists eSewa and Khalti. IME lists a Khalti by IME wallet. Wise sends to bank accounts only, and Remitly lists mobile wallet as a delivery method.
Is there a limit on how much I can send?
Limits depend on the provider and on your account. Western Union's Nepal page lists a maximum of $5,000 per transfer to family and friends. Wise lists up to 1 million NPR per transfer. Remitly says its limits vary and does not list an amount.
Does the new US remittance tax apply to my transfer?
The 1% US tax that started on 1 January 2026 applies to transfers paid with cash or cash-like items such as money orders and cashier's checks. Xoom and Remitly both say it does not apply to their transfers, which are paid from a bank account, card or wallet. Rules can change, so check with your provider.
Why can't I see Remitly's or Western Union's rate before I sign up?
Their public Nepal pages showed empty calculators when we looked on 14 November 2026. Both say the rate and fee appear after you enter an amount in the app or website. Enter the same amount in each app and compare what your family receives.
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