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India money transfer: Xoom step-by-step guide
Evidence tier: A1 Evidence type: Auto-discovered official publication Source: Wise Blog Official publication date: 2026-07-15 Captured: 2026-07-17T13:20:07.066Z
India is one of the largest currency markets in the world. So lots of people are looking to send USD to friends and family with Indian bank accounts or who need cash in INR.
While you’re looking for services to do transfers to India, you’ve probably thought about Xoom, a PayPal company that promises fast deposits to most major Indian banks. They also facilitate cash pickups and UPI transfers.
Xoom is fast and easy to use, especially if you have a PayPal account–but you’ll always pay a fee that’s buried in the exchange rate.
<table><thead><tr><th><a href="https://wise.com/us/">Wise</a> can help you get a better deal on currency conversion. You can convert over 40 currencies at the standard <a href="https://wise.com/us/mid-market-rate">mid-market exchange rate</a>, and we'll show you the fees upfront so you know exactly how much you're paying.</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody></table>How to send money to India using Xoom
You can use Xoom to send money to India. Here are the steps to get it done:
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Register for Xoom. Make an account with basic information or verify your identity with documentation to access higher transfer volumes.¹ You can login through PayPal and even use your payment methods on your account, including your balance, to send money with Xoom.²
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Choose a payment method for sending money. You can add a US bank account, a credit or debit card, or choose any of your existing PayPal payment methods.² Keep in mind that sending money with a credit card will likely incur a cash advance fee from your card issuer.
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Choose where the money’s going. Here are your options for sending money to friends or family in India with Xoom:
- Cash pickup to a variety of locations in India.
- Direct deposits to accounts with HDFC, SBI, ICICI, and most other major Indian banks. Transfers under 5 lakh INR (about 5,000 USD) will usually arrive in minutes; larger transfers can take an hour or two.
- UPI accounts. All you need is your recipient’s simple UPI handle similar to an email address.
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Complete your transfer and confirm receipt with your friend or family member. Transfers should happen within minutes for cash pickup, about 15 minutes for UPI, and under two hours for larger bank transfers (more than 5 lakh INR).²
Transfer limits to India
Your Xoom limit to India will depend on whether you’re verified at one of Xoom’s upper tiers to unlock larger transaction limits.
It also makes a difference which payment method you’re using. For example, cash pickups to India have a strict Xoom limit.
Here are the tiers for Xoom transfers and what you have to do to get verified at each.
Xoom Transfer Limit Tiers¹
<table><tbody><tr><td>Tier</td><td>Limits</td><td>How to get verified</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td><ul><li>2,999 USD per day (every 24 hours)</li><li>6,000 USD per month (every 30 days)</li><li>9,999 USD every 6 months (180 days)</li></ul></td><td>Provide basic profile information</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td><ul><li>10,000 USD per day (every 24 hours)</li><li>20,000 USD per month (every 30 days)</li><li>30,000 USD every 6 months (180 days)</li></ul></td><td>Answer a survey on the website and provide a government ID card or Social Security Number</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td><ul><li>50,000 USD per day (every 24 hours)</li><li>60,000 USD per month (every 30 days)</li><li>100,000 USD every 6 months (180 days)</li></ul></td><td>Answer questions on the website or by email and provide either a passport, driver’s license, or green card along with proof of direct deposit (bank statement or pay stub)</td></tr></tbody></table>The currency limits in this table apply to their commensurate value in INR.
These are the additional Xoom limits to India by payment method:³
- 50,000 USD per transaction for bank deposits
- 200,000 INR on UPI transfers
- 50,000 INR for cash pickup
To send more than these amounts in one transaction, you’ll have to change your payment method. Bank deposits accommodate the highest volumes.
Fees and payment methods
Xoom India fees are dependent on the payment method you’re choosing as well as the amount.³ Compared to competitors, Xoom’s transaction fees are high–and there’s another fee hidden in the exchange rate.
Using your PayPal balance or making a larger bank transfer will earn you the lowest fees. It costs 0 USD to transfer money to India using Xoom if you pay with your PayPal balance.³
But as an example, using Xoom to send 200 USD to India with a bank account, debit card or credit card will cost high transaction fees north of 3.99 USD and even 10 USD for credit card transfers.³ And that’s in addition to the cash advance fee you’re sure to pay to your credit card company.
These fees will lower as you transfer larger amounts with bank accounts or debit cards and higher as your transfer value gets higher if you use a credit card.
The hidden cost: Xoom USD to INR exchange rate
In addition to high transaction fees that depend on the amount you’re exchanging and the payment method, there’s a hidden cost you’re paying when you send money to India with Xoom.
Another transfer fee is buried in the exchange rate that Xoom offers to transfer your money. The “real” exchange rate is known as the mid-market rate—an average of where, for example, USD and INR are trading that day. This is the rate you see, for example, when you search on Google.
Xoom offers you an exchange rate that’s higher than the mid-market rate, adding its own markup or “currency spread” to make money. This markup can depend on a variety of factors and you’ll only be able to know what it is if you compare it by hand to the mid-market conversion.
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](https://wise.com/register?redirectUrl=%2Fonboarding%3Fintent%3DUNIFIED_ONBOARDING#/email)
Pros and cons of using Xoom for INR
<table><tbody><tr><td>Pros</td><td>Cons</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Easy integration with PayPal.</strong> And if you carry a PayPal balance, you can access low transaction fees.</td><td><strong>High fees.</strong> You pay for speed and convenience with Xoom. Its upfront transaction fees can be high.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Fast service.</strong> Xoom transfers are same-day and usually in minutes.</td><td><strong>Exchange rate markup.</strong> You also pay an unknown percentage of your transaction that’s buried in the exchange rate.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Flexible payment options. </strong>You can send USD to most Indian banks, use UPI, or order cash for pickup.</td><td><strong>No mobile wallet integrations. </strong>If you use Google Pay or Apple Pay for transfers elsewhere, you can’t with Xoom. It’s PayPal only for mobile wallets.</td></tr></tbody></table>If you’re a PayPal user, you can start sending money on Xoom just by logging in with PayPal. The service is also fast and accessible in India. But you’ll pay higher-than-usual fees on small transactions that don’t use your PayPal balance. And there’s another fee buried in the currency exchange rate.
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