Is Venmo available in Europe? Alternatives for 2026

By reading this article, we can say one thing about you: you have heard about Venmo and how it has changed the way we transfer money, right? The bad news is that Venmo is not available anywhere in Europe. To open a Venmo account, you must meet certain eligibility criteria.

The main criteria are that users must be over 18 years old and physically located in the United States to complete transactions on the app. So even as a US citizen, Venmo is not a viable option if you want to send money to family abroad or complete other international transactions.

To date, Venmo has not publicly announced any plans to expand beyond the US. We will keep this article updated if that changes.

Want to know the most suitable Venmo alternatives in Europe? We have got you covered.

What is Venmo, and why has it become so famous in the US?

For our American friends, Venmo has become one of the most popular peer-to-peer payment apps. It allows users to send and receive money quickly, easily, and efficiently, at little to no cost for either the sender or receiver (like Cash App, one of its main US competitors). Venmo is owned by PayPal and offers a range of services for both consumers and businesses.

Let us take a quick look at Venmo’s core services, and then we can identify the closest European equivalents for each.

1. Free peer-to-peer transfers: there are no signup fees, and it costs nothing to send or receive money using your Venmo balance, a linked bank account, or a linked debit card. However, Venmo charges a 3% fee for sending money using a linked credit card. More info here;
2. Bank transfers: you can move money between your Venmo account and your bank account. Standard transfers take 1 to 3 business days and are free. Instant transfers carry a 1.75% fee (minimum $0.25, maximum $25);
3. Direct deposit: Venmo allows direct deposits into your Venmo account, giving you access to funds up to 48 hours earlier than some traditional banks;
4. Venmo Debit Card and Credit Card: Venmo offers a Mastercard debit card that lets you spend your Venmo balance wherever Mastercard is accepted, plus a Venmo Credit Card (issued by Synchrony Bank) with category-based cashback rewards.

Is Venmo available in Europe? What are its expansion plans?

Venmo is only available for domestic transfers within the US, so it does not work internationally. The same applies for those of us based in Europe (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and elsewhere). Venmo is not an option in Europe, nor are there any announcements regarding when (or if) Venmo will launch outside the US. So it is worth looking at strong European alternatives instead.

Fortunately, several innovative European companies now offer what Venmo has built in the US, and in many cases with additional cross-border capabilities, including low-cost international transfers that traditional banks struggle to match.

Below, we cover six alternatives that can be used to send money for free (or nearly free) across borders. Through their mobile and web platforms, these providers can easily beat traditional bank rates when transferring money worldwide:

1. Monese: a digital bank that operates across Europe and the UK.
2. Wise: formerly TransferWise, Wise is a simple and efficient way to transfer money abroad in 40+ currencies at low cost. It offers a debit Mastercard and is trusted by more than 16 million customers. Wise is also publicly listed following its May 2026 NASDAQ dual listing (ticker: WSE);
3. Revolut: a banking app offering transparency and flexibility versus traditional banks. Users can spend money abroad with the Revolut Visa Card using real exchange rates;
4. WorldRemit: an online money transfer service that allows people worldwide to send money to friends and family abroad;
5. Remitly: an online international money transfer company known for being fast, secure, and cost-effective, available via both web and mobile app;
6. XE: not only a currency converter but also an online money transfer business that has served more than 250 million users.

Best Venmo alternatives in Europe

Monese is a British digital bank that offers current account and money transfer services. It has a modern mobile app, a debit card, and low fees compared to traditional banks. Monese operates across Europe and the UK and offers a free account for anyone wanting to use its more basic service. Monese offers the following plans:

• Simple: no monthly fee; free and instant account in GBP, EUR, and RON; well suited to everyday spending, travel, and international transfers;
• Classic: €/£5.95 per month; Simple plan features plus lower fees and higher allowances;
• Premium: €/£14.95 per month; Classic features plus the lowest fees, highest allowances, and VIP customer support.

To give a practical example of how these fees differ: in the Simple plan, transfers in other currencies carry a 2% charge, whereas in the Premium plan there is no such fee. That is why we describe the fees as “up to” in the at-a-glance summary.

With a Monese account, users can receive their salaries, make deposits, withdraw cash from ATMs, and make card payments. Monese allows you to open accounts in three currencies: EUR, GBP, and RON. Client funds are safeguarded under the EU Electronic Money Directive 2009/110/EC and the UK Electronic Money Regulations 2011.

Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, is a peer-to-peer money transfer service built to save users from the hidden fees charged by traditional banks, with a strong focus on international transfers. It was founded in 2011 by two Estonians, Taavet Hinrikus (Skype’s first employee) and Kristo Käärmann, who felt they were being overcharged when moving money across borders.

Wise has seen remarkable growth since then, now serving over 16 million customers. It is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: WISE) and completed a NASDAQ dual listing in May 2026 (ticker: WSE). Wise allows you to transfer money internationally at low cost (for example, sending €1,000 to $1,000 costs roughly €5.14 – see image below) and gives you access to a multi-currency account in 40+ currencies where you can hold, convert, receive, send, and spend money via a debit Mastercard. ATM withdrawals are free for the first 2 withdrawals up to €/£200 per month; a 1.75% fee applies above that threshold.

The software is highly intuitive on both mobile and desktop, so you will get comfortable with the main features quickly. Wise offers different types of remittance depending on your needs (speed, transaction type, and location – typically Fast, Easy, and Green).

In terms of safety, Wise is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as an Electronic Money Institution, with additional authorisations in the EU (Belgium’s National Bank of Belgium), the US, Australia, Singapore, and other jurisdictions. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at established banks (safeguarded rather than deposit-guaranteed), and Wise applies bank-level security standards to protect user data and transactions.

Revolut is a multi-function fintech with the ambition of replacing your traditional bank account. Founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko, Revolut now serves over 60 million customers globally and has grown into one of Europe’s largest neobanks.

Revolut lets you send money worldwide quickly and securely at the real (interbank) exchange rate, which can save users significantly compared with traditional banks (see the image below). You can also easily split bills with friends and family or request payments. There is a catch, though: on the free tier, you have €/£1,000 of free monthly currency exchange, with a 0.5% fee thereafter. For unlimited transfers and exchanges, paid plans start at €/£2.99 per month.

On the Standard (free) plan, you have a €200 monthly free ATM withdrawal limit. Paid tiers – Plus, Premium, Metal, and Ultra (from €/£2.99 to €/£45 per month) – offer higher ATM limits, priority 24/7 customer support, overseas medical and travel insurance, cashback, and other perks depending on the tier.

On the regulatory side, Revolut has held a full European banking licence since 2018 via Revolut Bank UAB (Bank of Lithuania), meaning EU deposits are protected under the Lithuanian Deposit Insurance Scheme up to €100,000. In the UK, Revolut Ltd was granted restricted PRA banking authorisation (with FCA supervision) in July 2024, and has been progressively mobilising toward full UK banking operations. During the mobilisation period, most UK customer funds remain safeguarded under Electronic Money Regulations rather than covered by the FSCS – a transition worth verifying directly with Revolut before making large deposits.

Founded in 2010, WorldRemit is a low-cost alternative to traditional ways of sending money abroad (through your current bank, for instance). Its service is available in over 50 countries, with the ability to send money in 90 currencies to 150+ countries worldwide.

For small Euro-to-Euro transfers, WorldRemit allows you to send money with zero fees. Its focus is remittance, and recipients typically receive money the following day. WorldRemit’s rates are very competitive for non-EUR transfers (nearly as attractive as Wise), though they may indirectly charge you through a less favourable exchange rate applied to the transfer.

As an example, look at the image below. A transfer of €1,000 to US dollars costs €3.99 plus an exchange rate of $1.1993 (at the time of this review, the EUR/USD mid-market rate was 1.2132), meaning the total cost was approximately €15.40 (€3.99 + €11.41*).

*=((€1,000*1.2132) – (€1,000*1.1993))/1.2132

WorldRemit is considered safe. It is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the National Bank of Belgium (NBB), with additional authorisations across other jurisdictions.

With Remitly, you can send money anywhere and at any time in a convenient way. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Seattle, Remitly is a web and mobile money transfer service that lets you send funds from 30+ countries to 170+ receive countries worldwide. Remitly is publicly listed on NASDAQ (ticker: RELY) following its 2021 IPO.

This service is particularly strong if you want to send money to countries outside Europe (Southeast Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Philippines are common corridors). Prices are very competitive on these routes, though intra-European transfers may not be an option in some cases. See the following image (transfer from the UK to France):

Remitly also offers a delivery-time promise: if your transfer is not delivered by the promised time, Remitly will refund the transfer fees.

On the downside, fees can be relatively expensive on some corridors, transfer options may be limited in certain locations, and there are daily and monthly caps on the amount you can send.

Remitly has an excellent reputation among users, with a Trustpilot rating of ~4.0/5 across 39,000+ reviews. Remitly is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) for EU services and by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for UK services, with additional authorisations across other jurisdictions.

XE is a money transfer and currency exchange service built on a low-cost business model compared with traditional ways of sending money. With the XE money transfer service, you can transfer funds between almost any two countries in the world.

XE typically charges no explicit fees, but the exchange rate applied includes a small margin – so effectively you pay through the rate rather than through an upfront fee. Compare the applied rate to the interbank mid-market rate before confirming the transfer.

The app can feel clunky at times, and the fact that certain advanced features sit behind a subscription plan may not suit every user. As always, it depends on which features matter most to you.

XE serves both consumers and businesses, provides live currency data, and is known for solid customer support and strong regulatory coverage – giving added assurance to its service. Our research reflects that: 4.1/5 on Trustpilot across 57,000+ reviews. XE is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) for its EU service, alongside additional authorisations across other jurisdictions.

Bottom line: which should I go for?

Sending and receiving money is much easier and cheaper today than in the past, but it is worth remembering that when sending money abroad, financial regulations can still get in the way. Payments may be held for “verification” by the receiving bank or jurisdiction for 24 to 48 hours – this is not the fault of the remittance service, but rather a fraud and anti-money-laundering safeguard that sits outside the service provider’s control.

With so many money transfer services available, it is not always easy to know which is best for a specific corridor. What complicates it further is that each service’s fees depend on:

• The amount of money you are sending (under €1,000, over €7,000, etc.);
• The type of transaction (bank account transfer, cash pickup, debit or credit card funding, etc.);
• The currency pair and destination country – some routes are dramatically cheaper on Wise, others on Remitly or WorldRemit;
• The speed of delivery – instant transfers typically cost more than standard 1-3 business day options.

Wherever you are, there is a strong option for transferring money quickly and cheaply – whether to a friend at the same restaurant table or to family halfway around the world. Many of the services outlined here as Venmo alternatives offer additional benefits that can help with budgeting and personal finance, while saving you fees that a traditional bank would typically charge.

Take your time and choose wisely.

If you need further guidance or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.