{"id":502,"date":"2018-03-27T11:00:54","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/?p=502"},"modified":"2022-02-08T15:32:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T15:32:21","slug":"why-migrants-send-airtime-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Why An Increasing Amount Of Migrants Prefer To Send Airtime Online Instead of Money"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_46 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"ez-toc-toggle-icon-1\"><label for=\"item-69e9168c38b44\" aria-label=\"Table of Content\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69e9168c38b44\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-visibility-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#Why_migrants_send_airtime_online_instead_of_money\" title=\"Why migrants send airtime online instead of money\">Why migrants send airtime online instead of money<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#Its_instant\" title=\"It\u2019s instant\">It\u2019s instant<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#No_bank_fees\" title=\"No bank fees\">No bank fees<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#No_need_to_receive_it\" title=\"No need to receive it\">No need to receive it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#Use_it_to_connect\" title=\"Use it to connect\">Use it to connect<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2017\/06\/migrants-send-home-51-per-cent-more-money-than-a-decade-ago-lifting-millions-out-of-poverty-says-new-report\/\">UN<\/a>, the amount of money migrants send to their families in back home in developing countries has risen by 51 per cent over the past decade. Remittance also comprises up to a third of GDP in some countries. With remittance on the rise, migrants are increasingly looking for new ways to support their families back home. A key new trend is sending airtime online to top up mobile phones of family members rather than simply sending money or bank transfers. But what are the reasons for this phenomenon?<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_migrants_send_airtime_online_instead_of_money\"><\/span>Why migrants send airtime online instead of money<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_instant\"><\/span>It\u2019s instant<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Say you\u2019re sending funds from Germany to the Philippines, even with today\u2019s banking&nbsp;technology, it can take a few days for the money to appear in accounts abroad. Not to mention sending cash in the post which takes even longer and might not even arrive. That means family members have to wait to use the funds, and might need to keep checking their account to see whether the money has arrived. With a service like Reloadly that allows you to send airtime online instead, in 3 steps you can top up a family member\u2019s phone instantly, so they can make use of the funds right away.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_bank_fees\"><\/span>No bank fees<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-507\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/no-bank-fees-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly.jpg\" alt=\"no bank fees - why migrants send airtime online - reloadly\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/no-bank-fees-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/no-bank-fees-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With most banks, international transfers come with a hefty fee. In addition to exchange rates, you might need to pay a fee to make the transfer, meaning you risk losing lots of the money you\u2019d send to family members to the bank in the process. In fact, the <a href=\"https:\/\/remittanceprices.worldbank.org\/sites\/default\/files\/rpw_report_march_2017.pdf\">World Bank<\/a> estimates that transaction fees average 7.45% globally. When sending airtime to families abroad, there\u2019s no need to involve a bank or pay extensive banking fees to send money home. Of course the funds will need to be exchanged into local currency, but otherwise family members aren\u2019t hit with high banking fees when they receive airtime sent from abroad.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_need_to_receive_it\"><\/span>No need to receive it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With bank transfers like TransferWise, the recipient often needs to go online and accept the payment or input their details to receive the money. This requires them to have a solid internet connection. That means it isn\u2019t particularly helpful in an emergency or if you want to send funds to countries following a natural disaster or in an area where internet connections may be low quality. When sending airtime online instead of money, the only thing the recipient needs is a working phone number in order to receive airtime from family and friends abroad, making it a much more attractive option.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_it_to_connect\"><\/span>Use it to connect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-509\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/you-can-use-airtime-to-connect-with-others-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly.jpg\" alt=\"you can use airtime to connect with others - why migrants send airtime online - reloadly\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/you-can-use-airtime-to-connect-with-others-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/you-can-use-airtime-to-connect-with-others-why-migrants-send-airtime-online-reloadly-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When sending money to friends or family members in another country in the form of a bank transfer, sometimes migrants can\u2019t be sure what relatives will be spending it on. If you\u2019ve worked hard for those dollars, you might want to make sure they\u2019ll be used in order to stay in touch. When sending airtime, rather than money, the funds can be used to catch up with relatives, share news and stories and stay connected. It\u2019s a gift in which everyone wins: relatives back home receive airtime but migrants also receive a call from their loved ones as a result &#8211; a pretty special gift itself when living away from home.<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>With remittance, or the act of sending money home to developing countries, growing year on year, migrants are increasingly seeking new ways of making the most of their income, better supporting their loved ones back home, and staying connected at the same time. Sending money comes with costly bank fees, potential delays and tiresome processes for family members to receive the funds.<\/p>\n<p>Increasing numbers of migrants are therefore preferring to send airtime online and directly to loved ones\u2019 phones using services like Reloadly, which are easier to use, instant, and don\u2019t come with heavy fees. It\u2019s a trend that\u2019s keeping people connected worldwide. Simply download the Reloadly app, input a phone number and send airtime in minutes. It\u2019s never been so easy to keep in touch with loved ones back home!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/reloadly-mobile-topup\/id1341658233?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-449 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/apple.png\" alt=\"App Store - reloadly app - send airtime \" width=\"158\" height=\"54\"><\/a>&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.reloadly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-448 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.reloadly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/google_play.png\" alt=\"google play store - reloadly app - send airtime \" width=\"158\" height=\"54\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the UN, the amount of money migrants send to their families in back home in developing countries has risen by 51 per cent over the past decade. Remittance also comprises up to a third of GDP in some countries. With remittance on the rise, migrants are increasingly looking for new ways to support<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[210],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Trend Of Migrants Opting To Send Airtime Online Instead Of Money<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Migrants continue to look for new ways to support their families. These days, migrants are choosing to send airtime online rather than making bank transfers back home. But what\u2019s the reason for this trend?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reloadly.com\/blog\/why-migrants-send-airtime-online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Trend Of Migrants Opting To Send Airtime Online Instead Of Money\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Migrants are increasingly sending airtime to loved ones at home, rather than money or bank transfers. 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