{"id":2215,"date":"2026-10-20T22:54:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T22:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharemoney.com\/blog\/?p=2215"},"modified":"2026-10-20T23:39:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T23:39:35","slug":"how-to-send-money-to-someone-without-a-bank-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharemoney.com\/blog\/es\/post\/how-to-send-money-to-someone-without-a-bank-account\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f3mo enviar dinero a alguien sin cuenta bancaria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How to send money to someone without a bank account comes down to two choices: how you pay, and how they collect. If the person lives in another country, they can usually pick up cash at a local store or bank branch, or receive it in a mobile wallet on their phone. Paying with a card instead of cash also keeps you clear of the new 1% tax on cash-funded transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide is about sending abroad. Plenty of people in the US have no bank account (the FDIC counted about 5.6 million unbanked US households in 2023<\/a>). Abroad, many families rely on cash pickup networks and mobile wallets instead of banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to send money to someone without a bank account in 5 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Ask how the person wants to collect: cash at a pickup point or a mobile wallet like GCash or JazzCash.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Choose how you will pay: debit card, credit card, or Apple Pay.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Enter the recipient’s full name exactly as it appears on their ID, plus their phone number.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Pick the pickup network or wallet, check the exchange rate and the fee, and send.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Share the transfer reference number with the recipient so they can collect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Money<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Two different problems: you don’t have an account, or they don’t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    People who look up how to send money to someone without a bank account usually mean one of two things, and the answers are different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The person receiving doesn’t have a bank account.<\/strong> This is the most common case in remittances. The recipient doesn’t need one. Cash pickup and mobile wallets were built for people outside the banking system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You, the sender, don’t have a bank account.<\/strong> You can still send. The question is how you pay. Without a bank account you probably don’t have a regular debit card, so your realistic options are a credit card, a reloadable prepaid card, a payroll card if your employer pays you on one, or cash at an agent location. Some prepaid and payroll cards don’t allow payments to money transfer services, so if yours is declined, check with the company that issued it. Use a card registered in your name and address, so the payment is less likely to be declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cash works, but since January 1, 2026 transfers funded with cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks carry a 1% federal excise tax. Card payments, including general-use prepaid cards, do not, according to the IRS proposed rules published in the Federal Register<\/a>. The rules are still proposed, not final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ways your recipient can get the money without a bank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Cash pickup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Cash pickup is the most familiar answer to how to send money to someone without a bank account. The recipient goes to a store, pawnshop, or bank branch and collects cash. They usually need a valid ID and the reference number of the transfer, and the name on the transfer has to match the ID. Pickup networks are often places people already visit every week. In Mexico that can be an OXXO, an Elektra, or a Walmart; you can see the full list of cash pickup locations in Mexico<\/a>, and our guide on sending money to OXXO from the US<\/a> walks through that case. In the Philippines it is often M Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier, or Palawan Express.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mobile wallet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The money lands in an app on the recipient’s phone, linked to their phone number. They can pay bills, shop, or cash out at an agent. In the Philippines, GCash and Maya are everywhere; in Pakistan, EasyPaisa and JazzCash play the same role. If your family uses one of those, see how to send money to GCash<\/a> or how to send money to JazzCash<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Young<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Money order by mail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    You can buy a money order in the US and mail it, but it is slow, the recipient still needs a place that will cash it, and a money order counts as a cash-type payment for the 1% tax. For most families it is the least practical choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Comparing your options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Method<\/th>Recipient needs a bank?<\/th>Usual speed<\/th>1% excise tax?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Debit card + cash pickup<\/td>No<\/td>Minutes, depending on the payer<\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
    Debit card + mobile wallet<\/td>No<\/td>Minutes<\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
    Credit card + cash pickup or wallet<\/td>No<\/td>Minutes<\/td>No, but credit cards can cost more<\/td><\/tr>
    Prepaid or payroll card + cash pickup or wallet<\/td>No<\/td>Minutes, if the card allows money transfers<\/td>No<\/td><\/tr>
    Cash at an agent + cash pickup<\/td>No<\/td>Often same day<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
    Money order by mail<\/td>No, but needs a place to cash it<\/td>Days or weeks<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    What the recipient should bring to collect cash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Requirements depend on the country and the pickup partner, so the recipient should check with the location before going. In general they will be asked for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n