The BEST way to send money to Morocco online in 2023

As someone who lives in Morocco but banks and manages finances overseas, it can be super tricky to navigate international finances and exchange rates. I (Kate) often have to send my husband my part of our shared finances, which means I often transfer money internationally and send money to Morocco. Because I work remote and we have to pay all of our bills locally, we end up transferring money to Morocco more than the average person, so I feel confident in our recommendation for the best way to send money to Morocco.

I’ve tried pretty much every money transfer app, and I have found my absolute favorite and the only money transfer app that I would recommend for sending money to Morocco, and that is Remitly Morocco. I’m going to talk about why Remitly is the best, why I use it exclusively to send thousands of dollars, and why I would never suggest any other app to send money to Morocco.

Full disclosure: this post has referral links. If you use the link for Remitly, I’ll get $20 and you’ll get $20 (I won’t know who you are, we’ll each just get a credit). This is at no cost to you, and in fact, you’ll get an extra $20, which is pretty cool. I’ve had a few people use my link before and it’s basically just free money for both of us, and I’ll never turn down free money.

What is the best way to send money to Morocco online?

Remitly is my favorite way to send money to Morocco. It’s the app I use every single month (at least once a month) to help handle our personal finances. Here are a few reasons I suggest it:

1. Remitly has a great app

I feel like the app for the program is super intuitive. I hate really complicated apps, and the interface for Remitly is intiutitve and not cluttered. For me, Remitly is the best app to send money to Morocco simply because it’s so clear and easy.

2. It’s easy to send and pick up

One thing I like about Remitly compared to other money transfer applications is the fact that it is simple and straightforward to send money to multiple countries, without the fear of them not actually getting the money. I don’t know why, but things like Western Union just feels so complicated to me. You literally just said the city, their phone number, their name, and a baking institution for them to pick it up, and it’s available to them within hours, typically.

I’ve sent money to my husband who pays all the bills, but I’ve also used it to pay for goods and services or for charities within Morocco for things like independent artists and artisans, and it’s always super simple and straightforward. They also work in small, remote villages. Pretty much anywhere with a bank, you’ll find that Remitly works perfectly.

3. The exchange rates are consistently better than others that I have seen

Every time I try to shop around and compare Remitly to things like Western Union or MoneyGram, Remitly’s exchange rate is higher and the fees are lower. I don’t know if that’s specific to Morocco or if it’s just a fluke and not always the case. However, whenever I’ve done comparison shopping, the exchange rate is always better with Remitly.

4. Contact info is saved

Having to constantly putting the same information over and over again is such a frustrating part of transferring money. Remitly saves your contact’s information for easy repeat transfers, which is a huge time saver.

Track rates before you send money to Morocco

No matter how much you plan to spend, make sure to do your research. Exchange rates can fluctuate, so I try to track the exchange rate before I send any money. I actually have an automatic alert sent to my email that tells me when the exchange rate for Morocco has gone over a certain amount, so I know to send it when we will get the most Moroccan dirhams for our dollars.

I get automatic emails through Wise (referral link). They send me an email whenever the Moroccan Dirham goes over my specified amount. This is especially useful if you plan to transfer frequently, as sending it when the Dirham is higher means you’ll get more money and it can really add up over time. We’ve saved hundreds of USD by this point just by tracking the exchange rates and being wise with when and how much we transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions about how to send money to Morocco

Does PayPal work in Morocco?

Yes, it does! However, we don’t really use it. The fees aren’t great for transferring to/from Moroccan banks. I still use PayPal a lot through my American accounts, but haven’t bothered in Morocco.

Can I send money to Morocco through MoneyGram?

Yes! MoneyGram does do transfers in Africa, including Morocco. They regularly have promotions and discounts, as well as a refer-a-friend bonus. If you use this link, we’ll both get a free transfer (worth about $4 each).

How to get the best rate to transfer money to Morocco from USA?

You can certainly shop around. It’s not hard to go to each of the different major money transfer sites and see their rates, they’re listed typically right on the website. For example:

What’s the cheapest way to send money to Morocco from USA?

Always do your research. I typically just go with Remitly because every time I’ve checked, they’ve had the best rates and fees. But certainly check around and see what would work best for you.

What about WorldRemit? How Safe Is WorldRemit?

I will personally never, ever, ever use WorldRemit. I recently tried to send money to an orphanage in Malawi. I used WorldRemit, and (without clearly informing me), instead of sending money for the orphanage owner to pick up, they sent $100 in cell phone data! What the heck! The website is so unclear and confusing, and they never gave me an option to send money or data, so it automatically send data.

When I tried to contact the customer service, they were so remarkably unhelpful that I spent over two hours trying to talk with them before I just did a chargeback with my credit card company. I honestly think WorldRemit is at best a shady company with awful customer service, and at worst an outright scam.

Conclusion for how to send money to Morocco online

As with all things, use common sense. Do your research, be wise, take the extra time to weigh your options including exchange rates and fees, and it, most of all, make sure you know who you’re sending money to. The thing about money transfers is that once you initiate the transfer, that money now belongs to the recipient. So if you don’t know who you’re dealing with, you may find yourself out of luck once the money hits their hands.

Make sure that you’re not falling prey to a common scam or possibly sending money to somebody with bad intentions. Be careful of online Moroccan romance scams, and never send money to someone you’ve never met!

Lastly, keep in mind that Morocco’s dirham is a closed currency. This means that the money that you get in Morocco only works in Morocco, and it’s much easier to bring money into the country than it is to take it out. In fact, there are pretty strict restrictions about how much money you can take out of the country per year, and the process to do so can be quite frustrating. So definitely be careful before you invest a lot of money into Morocco.

What are your thoughts? Have any questions? What’s your preferred way to send money to Morocco online? Share below! 👇