Azimo Review

Currencies
40+
Speed
0-2 Days

Company Information

Azimo is a respected money transfer & remittance company, founded in 2012 with the mission of making money transfers cheap and fast for all its customers, and to this day trusted by millions of people around the world.
The company’s mission is clear: to enable rapid, cost-effective, and secure international money transfers. This disruptive company has put UK High Street banks on notice with its customer-centric approach to expediting global payments. Azimo believes in transparency, accountability, and efficiency of operations. The user-friendly interface has been designed for quick-click functionality, to facilitate democratized financial services and affordable transactions.

This UK-based company has its headquarters in London. It lets you transfer funds in more than 60 different currencies, to more than 200 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. It has partnered with multiple leading entities in the Americas, Africa & Middle East, Asia & Pacific, Europe & CEE. These include Bank of America, RBS, BDO, Santander and scores of others. It is fully licensed and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is also fully authorized to offer remittance services and international money transfers, courtesy of HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, UK).

Over the years, Azimo has received various awards, which include:

  • The Guardian Awards, 2013 – Awarded the Best Money Saving App
  • PayExpo Awards, 2013 – Received the Best Startup Award
  • Kalahari Awards, 2016 – Honored with the Best Low-Cost Remittance Service Award
Established 2012
Transfer speed 1-2 days
Transfer Charges
Low transparent upfront fees, close to the mid-market exchange rate.
Currencies 60+
Regulation FCA, HMRC
Onboarding simplicity
Simple
Required documents ID, Proof of address (eKYC)
Key features Mobile Money
Airtime top-up
Home Delivery
Mobile apps (Android & IOS)
Multilingual website
Fee-free 1st transfer.
Transfer methods Bank deposit, Credit and Debit Cards
TrustPilot rating
Customer service
Outstanding

How Azimo Works?

It’s easy to use Azimo for international money transfers. Thanks to an extensive partnership network of money transfer companies, banks, and financial institutions, it is possible to instantly send money to 60+ countries around the world. You can send a transfer online or using the Azimo mobile app, while you can pay for your transaction through a bank transfer, credit card or debit card. The whole process takes 3 quick and easy steps:

  1. Provide the recipient’s details and the amount of the remittance
  2. Make the payment using Maestro, Bank Transfer, Visa, or MasterCard
  3. The transfer will be processed via cash pickup or the recipient’s bank account

Remittances will be delivered within minutes or days, depending on the receiver’s bank.

The sender will know when the transfer has been completed once an email has been received. This will provide confirmation about the money reaching the recipient’s bank account, or the cash pickup point. You will also see the status of the transfer changing in the transfer history of your account.

Ways of Receiving Money 

With Azimo, there are several available options to receive funds.

  • Direct transfer to your bank account
  • Cash Pickup at 300 000 local agent locations
  • Mobile airtime top-ups allowing you to purchase minutes on your recipient’s mobile
  • Mobile wallet transfers

Why Use Azimo

Azimo is fully licensed and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) to process international remittances. This company makes it easy to transfer funds abroad by simply completing 3 steps. From inception to receipt of funds, it can take mere minutes or a few days. Azimo is also one of the low-cost leaders for international money transfers.

Azimo has simplified the process of remittance services with a user-friendly platform and full mobile functionality. Security is another element that Azimo works hard on. It is compliant with KYC policies and features 24/7 monitoring of client accounts for any unusual activity. The first transfer is fee-free, and customer support is always on hand to assist.

You can benefit by using Azimo for your next overseas money transfer in different circumstances.
If you:

  • live in Europe and want to pay for your overseas money transfer in a European currency,
  • work in Europe and want to transfer funds to your home country
  • want to buy real estate in a foreign country
  • plan to study, or are studying, in a foreign country

Azimo definitely deserves your attention. The fact that access to the Azimo website is presented in different European languages also helps.

How Much Does it Cost to Use Azimo?

The fees that Azimo charges are noticeably lower than those most banks charge to process overseas fund transfers. The impressive savings (compared to the money transfer services offered by banks) made possible by being an online-only company, thus not paying the stores’ maintenance costs and avoiding the expensive cash processing.

Transfer fees are dependent on several factors. These include the originating country (where you’re sending the money from), and the receiving country (which country funds are being transferred to). It also matters which delivery method you choose. Azimo’s international remittances allow you to save as much as 90% compared to traditional financial institutions and banks.

  • The Forex exchange rates and associated fees are significantly lower than big banks, often ranging between 0.1% – 2.25% compared to banks which range between 5% – 10%.
  • The fee is also low at just £1.99 on average, compared to the banks with an average fee of £10.

While the difference might not seem like a lot when you compare foreign exchange rates, it makes a difference in the total amount the recipient stands to collect. For example, if you need to send a £50,000 bank account transfer from the UK to Australia, the recipient will end up with around AUD $3,200 more with Azimo, over an average high-street bank.

The first transfer With Azimo is fee free.

Transfer Speed

  • Most transfers completed in less than 24 hours
  • Instant cash delivery to over 50 countries

Naturally, it depends on the delivery method that is selected. Azimo management must verify IDs and related security information on all transactions. This is part of the KYC process. While these take time, Azimo expedites money transfers. Be advised that transactions processed on a Friday afternoon will only be processed on the next business day. The company does not process transactions on bank holidays.

Is Azimo Safe and Reliable?

Safety is a top priority with this remittance services company. You can rest assured that the integrity of your personal information (banking, ID, and transactions) is always protected. All transactions are fully verified by Visa and MasterCard. Plus, KYC (Know Your Customer) protocol ensures that security checks are mandatory. This company is also FCA licensed and regulated. The Financial Conduct Authority oversees all businesses operating in the UK. As such, licensees are required to comply with strict regulatory constraints.

The company is also licensed by HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) and certified by German TUV for data protection. The money transfer apps available through this remittance services provider are guaranteed secure.

  • Azimo does not store any sensitive information on the app, meaning that nobody can steal your username/password.
  • Azimo maintains segregated bank accounts to hold client money.
  • Azimo is also protected with firewalls and secure socket layer (SSL) technology with high levels of encryption to keep the transmission of data secure.

The company has an “Excellent” rating of 5/5 stars by over 23,500 reviewers on Trustpilot.

Azimo Apps

Azimo customers can use their smartphones and tablets to transfer funds abroad. The money transfer apps are available at the Google Play Store and the App Store. The Azimo Money Transfer app has a 4,5 /5 rating from 12,000+ reviewers at the Google Play Store and a 5/5 rating at the App Store.

In 2016, Azimo launched an updated version of its mobile app that incorporated biometric security and built-in chat capability. Its online calculators give you an easy means to find out how much your transfer will cost, and the company informs you of processing times in advance. You can check the status of your transfer at any time by using a simple online tool.

  • Emails and push notifications for tracking
  • Greater biometric security
  • Real-time currency alerts

Azimo For Business

From late 2018, Azimo offers its international money transfer services not only to individuals, but also to small and medium business owners. Although the core of Azimo Business Money Transfers is the same as Azimo’s existing consumer service, there is specific to it.

To start with, there are additional regulatory requirements around anti-money laundering, so to open a business account users will have to go through KYC and KYB checks.
As a payoff, business customers get access to sending on average sent six times more than a private individual.

Other custom features for a business account are:

  • Recurring payments to existing recipients in just a few clicks
  • No fees on the first five Azimo Business transfers
  • Up to 75%cheaper than banks and high street providers
  • Even better rates for transfers of more than £1,000
  • The special rate is guaranteed within 24 hours
  • Transfer up to 250,000 GBP in a single transaction, with no monthly limits

Whether paying vendors, employees, or contractors from abroad, receiving payments from international clients, setting up recurring transactions for regular transfers — Azimo Business account is there to support your needs.

Which Countries Can I Send Money From With Azimo?

Azimo onboards customers from over 25 countries around the world, including:

  • Asia: Hong Kong
  • Europe: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

With Azimo you can send money online to 200+ countries.

Registration and onboarding

As a financially regulated company, WorldRemit is required by law to verify its customers. This is part of the KYC (Know Your Customer) process. Part of this process is identity verification. Typically this involves collecting a copy of government-issued ID from the sender. Most of the time the customers’ verification is done automatically and fully online in the “eKYC” manner so you won’t need to send any paperwork. You can upload your ID securely at any time into your account or alternatively email the WorldRemit Customer Service team.
The type of verification they will need can be different depending on the amount that you are sending, and which country you are sending from. This is because each country you can send from will have different laws that WorldRemit need to abide by.
Usually, users are only required to provide the name, address, and date of birth. However, in some circumstances, WorldRemit may also require further information in order to comply with regulatory obligations.
One way to sign up online is by providing your email address, or you can register using your Google or Facebook account as well.

Azimo Customer Support

Customer support can be reached by clicking on the contact us button. This will redirect you to the support center. You can simply enter your search query and find answers to your questions. For example, the Guide to Azimo, my transfers, my account, business, referrals & promotions, and countries are provided. Customer support is available between the hours of 9 AM and 6 PM UK time Monday through Friday. You can also reach this international remittance company in other languages including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, German, and French. To get in touch, simply click the contact us button, enter your name, last name, date of birth, country, postcode, and mobile number. Once your profile is complete, you will be directed to enter your question/query. Support is available through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other networks.

Bottom Line

Azimo offers cost-effective, reliable, and secure remittances to dozens of countries around the world. In its seven years of operations, it has managed to garner significant attention, and now rates among the top money transfer companies in Europe. This specialist fund transfer company gives you the ability to save money through competitive exchange rates and low fees. You can pay for your transfer in different ways, and you also can select from multiple receiving methods. There are 300,000+ pickup locations, across all continents. This FCA-regulated company has grown from strength to strength and features prominently in the media, and among people transferring funds abroad. It is fully compatible with iOS and Android devices, as well as PC and Mac. It’s easy to get started with personal or business remittances.

Pros

  • FCA regulated
  • Friend referral bonus
  • Competitive rates and low fees
  • Service to dozens of countries around the world
  • User-friendly interface and customer-centric focus
  • The company donates 10% of its annual profits to charitable organizations

Cons

  • Limited coverage
  • Customer service options are limited
  • Doesn’t work for US residents