The true cost of an international money transfer cannot be understood by looking at a single fee alone. In practice, the total cost is determined by the combination of transfer fees, exchange rate margins, intermediary bank charges, and the final amount received.
Another common source of unexpected cost is intermediary bank fees, which may be deducted during processing and reduce the final amount received.
One of the most significant hidden costs is the exchange rate margin, which often exceeds the visible transfer fee.
Traditional banks often rely on multiple intermediary institutions to settle cross-border transfers. During this process, intermediary or recipient banks may deduct additional fees without prior notice. While fintech-based transfer services reduce intermediaries and simplify pricing, exchange rate margins often remain the largest hidden cost factor.
When comparing international transfer services, three metrics matter most:
Costoria is designed around this true cost comparison framework. Our goal is to help users understand where money is lost during international transfers and to provide transparent comparisons across banks and fintech services.
A fee comparison and calculation tool (MVP) is currently under development to allow users to directly estimate and compare real transfer costs.
This site is currently under construction.