The U.S. and China are two of the world’s biggest economies and trade enormously with each other, meaning American businesses have to pay Chinese suppliers regularly. Likewise, 5.4 million Chinese indigenes reside in the U.S. and often need to remit money to friends and families living in China. This article will show you the best way to facilitate money transfers from the U.S. to China.
How Can I Send Money from the U.S. to China?
There are various ways to send cash from the U.S. to China, including bank transfer, online transfers, check, and automated teller machine (ATM). Let’s dive deeper into these ways.
Use Bank Transfer
This is the most common method of moving funds internationally. You’ll visit your bank branch and initiate a wire transfer from your account to another domiciled in China. Most banks are connected to the SWIFT network, which stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications. As the name implies, it’s a messaging system that banks use to deliver instructions to each other.
You can use the SWIFT network to send money from your U.S. bank to another in China. The transaction can take 1 to 5 days to settle because it may pass through several intermediary banks before getting to the final recipient. There’s no limit on how much U.S. residents can remit to a Chinese beneficiary. However, banks are required to disclose foreign currency transfers of $10,000 or more to the government.
Online Money Transfer Service Providers
There are several online platforms that let you remit money from the U.S. to another user located in China, e.g., Silverbird. Such platforms are more convenient to use because you don’t need to visit your bank branch to initiate the transfer. You can do that from your home, office, or any suitable location.
The slight drawback here is that signing up on an online provider is like creating a bank account all over again; you’ll need to provide documentation, which can take time to approve. However, once approved, you’re free to deposit money on the platform and send it to a Chinese beneficiary. You can expect the transaction to settle in less than 24 hours, compared to up to 5 days for a wire transfer.
Send Money via PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular digital banking platforms. You can send funds from a U.S. PayPal account to another in China. You can also send directly to a Chinese bank account from PayPal. The fee is $2.99 plus 2.9% of the money you’re sending.
Write a Check to a Chinese Bank Account
Check is one of the oldest methods of sending money, and it still applies to this situation. You can write a check from your U.S. bank to a Chinese bank account and send it to the Chinese account’s teller. The Chinese bank will help you clear the check and charge a fee. However, the transaction can take between 30 and 60 days to settle, which is very long compared to other ways that we’ve mentioned.
Withdraw From an ATM
You can withdraw money in Chinese Yuan even though you have a dollar-based account. You can use your debit card to do this, but watch out for the exchange rate because it’s usually higher than what you will get for wire and online transfers. Expect a withdrawal fee of around 20 to 30 Chinese yuan, and there’s a daily limit of about 3,500 yuan.
Use an International Credit Card
Foreign credit cards are an ideal solution for when you’re traveling to China from the U.S. You can use the card to pay for stuff just as you do in the U.S. There’s normally a fee for each foreign transaction, but banks these days offer special cards that come with no fees and low-interest rates.
Conclusion
Sending money to China is a pressing need for millions of Chinese indigenes residing in America. Many U.S. corporations also have Chinese suppliers and need to pay them regularly. We’ve shown you the best ways to remit funds from the U.S. to China.
Online transfer is the most convenient method, and the key is to pick a platform with reasonable exchange rates and fees like Silverbird.
