Azimo Review

What is Azimo?

Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Michael Kent, Azimo with the aim of using technology to ‘democratise overseas currency transfers’. It is faster, cheaper, secure and promises a saving of 90% over traditional money transfer providers. Using its website or mobile app, you can transfer funds to more than 200 countries in more than 80 currencies. You can do this in a number of ways:

1. Bank transfer: Send straight to the recipient’s bank account.
2. Mobile wallet: Send direct to a mobile wallet to be accessed through a mobile phone.
3. Cash pick up: Arrange for cash to be picked up by the recipient.

It is a popular low-cost way for migrants to send money home and some of its most popular destinations are China, Colombia, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, it also offers a business account giving businesses a fast and secure way to pay their global suppliers.

Azimo Money Transfer Currency Transfers

Azimo offers access to currency transfers through its website and its award-winning mobile app. The speed of transfers varies. Some may be instant or within an hour while others may take a day or two. The app will provide an estimated delivery time along with the ability to track the progress of your transfer.

It has an online support service catering to eight languages. However, this is only open during weekday business hours.

Setting up is easy. All you need is to enter your name as it appears on official ID, enter your email address and create a password. Once inside, you create a recipient and choose how you want to send the money, whether it’s for a cash pick up, to send to a bank account or to go to a mobile wallet. It’s quick, simple and takes just a few minutes.

As an online service they say they have fewer infrastructure requirements and pass those savings on. Their fees are lower and their conversion fees more competitive than conventional bank-based services. According to their marketing information, their service offers discounts of up to 90% compared to the traditional approach.

The speed, simplicity and affordability of their service makes them perfect for migrants looking to send money home. Everything happens quickly; there are no concerns about delays to your money and, with lower fees than traditional players, you keep more of it.

It also has a business offering, designed to make it cheaper and easier to pay overseas suppliers. In a world in which business is becoming increasingly global, faster, cheaper transactions make a great offering for small and medium sized businesses.

Azimo Money Transfer Exchange Rates, Charges & Fees

One of the big problems with traditional money transfers is that fee structures are often expensive and opaque. This is what opens the door for people such as Azimo who not only offer much lower fees but are more transparent about how they charge. Their website shows clear calculations showing the cost of the transfer and how much you’ll receive at the other end. Fees depend on each currency and start as low as £1. This compares favourably with fees from a bank or currency shop which can be up to £10.

The low fee offer is not in itself unique. They are going up against a number of new low-cost currency transfer providers such as PagoFX and Wise. Many of these might be cheaper for certain transfers. However, Azimo claims it retains a price advantage when sending beyond Europe.

As its website shows the total cost of sending £120 to Nigeria would be just £3.84. The closest competitor Transferwise (now Wise) would be £5.75.

When sending £100 to the EU the recipient would receive EUR€115.56. By comparison, the using the straight exchange rate quoted on Google you’d receive 116.63. The first two transfers are free after which you’ll pay a £1.99 fee. They currently have a special offer in which sending £100 to USA would cost $138.

Azimo Money Transfers

Azimo offers transfers in around 80 currencies to up to 200 countries covering Europe, Africa and Asia. This is a much more comprehensive service than others, such as Wise, which is more limited in terms of the countries they send to and the type of transfers on offer. Meanwhile, they charge significantly lower fees than the most established name in this space, Western Union.

You can, however, only send money from Europe and the UK. Outside of these territories you can receive money but not send it. For the moment it is mainly focused on people living or working in the EU sending money home.

You can transfer in a number of different ways including bank transfers, sending to a mobile wallet or the traditional option of cash pick up. The first two transfers are free and after that fees can be as low as £1, although this depends on where you are sending money too.

Compared to other currencies it offers the benefit of a low price, and a wide range of destination currencies making it the platform of choice for migrants working in the UK and Europe.

Azimo Money Transfer Customer Support Contact Details

Azimo offers plenty of customer support on its website through FAQs, guides and blogs. You can quickly search what you’re looking for to get a list of suggested articles. Support comes in a number of categories including transfers, account problems, business, countries and referrals. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can send a question. Their support services operate in eight languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Italian. It is, though, an online only service so you can’t speak to them by phone. This makes it relatively limited and slow compared to some of its competitors.

Azimo Money Transfer Multi-Currency Account

Azimo offers one of the simplest, most affordable multi-currency accounts on the market. You can access it by registering quickly online or downloading a mobile app. It offers transfers in almost 80 currencies in nearly 200 different countries. Transfer times can be anything from instant to a day or two, depending on the country. Fees are low with the first two being free of charge. It also claims to offer some of the best exchange rates on the market making this the fastest and most affordable way to send money overseas.

In terms of speed and service it is one of the market leaders. It also offers a wider range of services than some of its others. For example, Wise only offers transfer to bank accounts while Azimo offers traditional cash collection. This makes it a better option if you’re looking to send money back home to someone who does not have a bank account. However, you can currently only send money from Europe or the UK and there may be cheaper options on some currency transfers.

Azimo Money Transfer Card

Azimo allows you to use your credit or debit card to make transfers direct to a bank, cash collection service or a mobile wallet. There are no fees for using a card. The minimum transfer amount is £10 rising to a maximum of £12,000 while Swift transfers have a top limit of £250,000. Fees vary depending on where you are sending money to but can be as low as £1. It offers good exchange rates but can be beaten on price for some transfers by competitors such as Wise which offers mid-market rates.

It’s a great option for anyone working in the UK or EU who would like to send money back to family at home. Its business account is also a good, low cost, way for businesses to send money overseas or to pay international suppliers.

Azimo Money Transfer App

Azimo’s award winning app allows you to transfer money quickly and simply from wherever you are. You can download it onto your mobile device from the Google or Apple stores. The service is online only so there is no telephone dealing service. It scores highly on App store reviews with an average 4.7 stars, for its speed and low transfer fees. However, where people do make complaints, it tends to be on the basis of poor customer service.

You can also transfer currency on your desktop through their site. All you need to do is register an account and you’ll be able to log in quickly, choose a currency and make a transfer as quickly as you would through the mobile app.

The service is fast and affordable with transfers taking place instantly or in an hour. They also offer more types of transfers such as cash pick up while others are restricted to bank transfers. It is a service designed specifically around the needs of migrant workers looking to reduce the costs of sending cash back home. It aims to put a stop to the problem of migrant workers having to absorb high fees and put up with slow transfer times whenever they try to move money back home.

Azimo Money Transfers Online

Azimo is a dedicated online transfer service which means the only options are the app or through the website. Either way, the process is quick and simple. When you make a transfer, you’ll be given a transfer ID. Both you and your recipients can receive email updates tracking the progress of your transfer. It is every bit as quick and simple as app and offers one of the faster and more affordable services on the market. It has an offer of the first two transfers free of charge after which fees can be as low as £1 depending on where you are sending your money.

Azimo Money Transfer Business Account

Azimo offers a special account for business which allows you quickly and easily pay your suppliers. You can pay invoices in more than 180 countries around the world and more than 60 currencies. It can be a fast and affordable way to manage overseas expenses and pay any contractors or overseas staff. To sign up, you can register, provide information about your business and verify it if needed.

The service is billed as being up to 90% cheaper than comparable services from banks and provides complete transparency about how much your recipient will receive. It is faster and more affordable than comparable approaches such as Paypal or direct transfers. However, there are other online currency transfer services such as Wise which offers comparable speed and pricing.

Azimo Money Transfer Euro Exchange Rate

Azimo currently offers an exchange rate with the Euro of 1.16, so if you send £100, you’ll receive €116.56. However, after the second two transfers you’ll have to pay a fee of £1.99. This is up to 90% less expected than you might get through your bank and is similar to that you’ll receive from other low-cost online currency platforms.

Wise offers the mid-market rate which means you’ll receive a rate of £1 to €1.169. This means you’ll receive €116.96, making it slightly better value. However, Azimo allows you to transfer to more currencies and choose from a wider range of transfer types.

Azimo Money Transfer US Dollar Exchange Rate

Azimo allows you to send money to the US with a delivery time of 24 hours. It offers a fixed fee of £11.99 although this will be waived for the first two transfers. At the time of writing, it offers an exchange rate of £1 to $1.37, which means you’d receive $137.30 without the fee being imposed. Wise offers a slightly better exchange rate meaning your recipient will get $137.90. With Western Union, meanwhile, the recipient would get $133.57

Azimo Money Transfer Security & Regulation

Azimo is regulated by the FCA in the UK according to the electronic money regulations and offers institution grade security including 256-bit SSL encryption with a 2048 signature.

In accordance with FCA requirements all client funds are held in a segregated account separate from their own finances. This means your money is safe even if the company runs into financial problems. Azimo also offer a 100% money back guarantee which means you get your money back if your payments are cancelled or refused for any reason.

Azimo Money Transfer Pros

• Ease of use: It’s a simple, easy to use platform. Sending money from one country to another will not take hours. All you have to do is sign up, download the app and you’re ready to go.
• Wide coverage: It has wide coverage with almost 200 countries and 80 currencies. This makes it an ideal option for anyone looking to send money back home.
• Transparent fees: It is open and transparent about what it charges and how much you’ll receive. Compared to traditional bank currency exchange it is much cheaper and competes well against the likes of Wise and other low-cost currency exchange platforms.
• Multi-language support: The support options on the website covers eight different languages.

Azimo Money Transfer Cons

• Online only: You can only send money online or through the app. There is no telephone transfer option.
• Poor support: Customer support is extremely limited. There is no phone support. You have to rely on what you can find on the website. Although you can type in a question it takes time for them to come back to you. The support team only operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm UK time.
• Lack of coverage: Although you can send money to most countries, you can only send from the UK or EU.
• Delayed refunds: If a payment is declined it can take a day or so getting your money back.
• Credit card fee: Additional credit card fees can add up to £2.99 for a transaction.

Azimo Money Transfer Alternatives

Azimo mainly positions itself against traditional bank services, stating they can save up to 90%. This is true. Compared to traditional approaches their exchange rates are attracted and fees much lower. However, they are also up against a host of similar online currency transfer services, such as Wise, Pago FX and TorFX. These operate on a similar model and some will be more affordable for certain types of transactions.

What Azimo has going for it is its breadth of service and coverage. It offers a variety of ways to send money including cash collection, bank transfer or to a mobile wallet. It has been designed specifically with migrant workers who want to send money home in mind, many of which may have relatives without access to a bank account.

For larger transfers you may be better off with a currency broker.