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Taptap Send down: Other remittance apps you can use

UAE expats have more digital options than ever to send money home quickly

Last updated: October 23, 2025 | 14:35

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

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Indian rupee was under extreme pressure leading up to the start of the US sanctions against Indian exports.

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Dubai: Popular remittance app Taptap Send has temporarily paused money transfers from the UAE while it upgrades its system, the company confirmed in a statement to Gulf News. The service disruption has prompted users to seek alternate options to send funds home.

For the estimated four million-strong Indian expatriate community in the UAE, sending money home is part of daily life. The growing number of digital remittance platforms has made this process faster, more transparent, and increasingly cost-effective.

According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India received a record $129 billion in remittances in 2024, with the UAE and other GCC countries contributing a substantial share. The UAE alone accounted for about 19% of total inflows during the 2023–24 period, underscoring its role as one of the largest sources of overseas income for Indian households.

Here’s a look at some of the most reliable remittance apps and services available in the UAE for transfers to India.

Also Read: Indian bank limits monthly remittance for some expats: Who’s affected, who’s not?

Also Read: Indian rupee depreciation boosts remittance activity by 15%: Al Ansari Exchange

Also Read: Remit now? New money exchange rates for India rupee, Pakistan rupee, Philippine peso

Here is a roundup of prominent apps and services available in the UAE for transfers to India:

Major platforms

Wise (formerly TransferWise) – Known for its transparent fee structure and real-exchange-rate pricing. The app supports many currencies, sends delivery estimates and updates users via notifications.
Xoom by PayPal – Offers multiple delivery methods, including bank deposit, mobile wallet and cash pickup. The integration with PayPal boosts convenience and security.
Vance – Focused on the UAE-India corridor, it offers competitive exchange rates and 24/7 support. Interface and service model appeal strongly to Indian-origin workers.
Remitly – Popular for its “express” and “economy” options, multilingual support and tracking features.
Western Union – A long-established global money-transfer player. Its app supports bank transfers, credit/debit card payments and cash pickups throughout India.
e& money - The digital financial arm of e& (formerly Etisalat), e& money is a Central Bank-licensed super app that enables local and international transfers, mobile recharges, bill payments, and QR payments. It connects directly to users’ UAE mobile numbers and bank accounts for easy fund transfers worldwide.
Al Ansari Exchange – Send Money - One of the UAE’s oldest and most trusted remittance brands with more than 260 branches across the country. Its app complements its branch network by offering instant bank transfers and cash pickups in multiple countries, including India, the Philippines, and Pakistan.
Aspora (Vance) - Vance focuses on low-cost, instant transfers to India with live exchange rates, a transparent fee model, and a clean, user-friendly interface. It also provides 24/7 customer support.
Xe Currency & Money Transfers - Best known for its live currency-rate tracker, Xe also offers secure international transfers through its mobile app. It provides transparent exchange rates, transfer tracking, and support for over 130 currencies across 190 countries.
Payit – Shop, Send & Receive - A fully digital wallet by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) that supports local and international payments. Users can send money instantly to India, shop online, and receive payments with zero maintenance fees.
Hubpay - Hubpay enables quick remittances to India, Pakistan, and the Philippines with competitive exchange rates and no hidden fees.
Botim - Originally a popular UAE video-calling app, Botim now offers integrated fintech services, including domestic and international money transfers in partnership with financial institutions.
Careem Pay - A payment arm of Careem that enables peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, and international remittances within its broader ride-hailing and delivery ecosystem.
Lulu Money - A subsidiary of Lulu Financial Holdings, Lulu Money operates across the GCC with a wide network of exchange houses.
AlfaPay by Al Fardan Exchange - Developed by Al Fardan Exchange, AlfaPay lets you transfer money worldwide, pay local bills, and manage prepaid travel and WPS cards.

Things to watch

When choosing a remittance app, it’s essential to look beyond the headline fee. A low service charge may be offset by a less favourable exchange rate, so always compare the total cost, including the margin. It also helps to check the preferred payout method for the recipient in India, whether that’s a direct bank deposit, mobile wallet, or cash pickup, as each option can affect both speed and cost.

Before transferring, users should confirm eligibility requirements since some platforms operate only for UAE residents or require verified local bank accounts and identity checks. Large transfers may also be subject to reporting rules or tax implications in both the UAE and India, so it’s worth being aware of those limits. Finally, remitters should stay alert to changes in the local banking environment, as several UAE banks are currently revising their fee structures and policies for international transfers.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, covering aviation, financial markets and commodities. A business and financial journalist with a strong interest in multimedia storytelling, she regularly takes complex financial and economic subjects beyond the written word, producing explainer videos that make them easier for a wider audience to understand. Nivetha has interviewed senior policymakers, business leaders and global financial figures both on and off camera. Her past guests include UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud and the founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund and Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu. She has also hosted and moderated panels, conferences and awards shows, bringing her newsroom experience to live conversations on business, finance and the economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha is drawn to stories that affect people directly and to reporting that gives a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard. She was among the first journalists to speak to Petrofac employees in the UAE about unpaid salaries, broke the news of the planned demolition of Dubai’s well-known “Toyota Building”, and helped set the record straight on widely circulated claims that a giant replica of the Moon was coming to Dubai. More recently, her exclusive interview with EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar revealed how the UAE-based defence group deployed its systems along the country’s shore border and established a geofence around the UAE within 48 hours of the February 28 escalation. Prior to joining Gulf News, Nivetha worked at ITP Media, where she helped launch Finance Middle East, a new publication covering the region’s financial sector. Her role spanned reporting and editing, video production, interviews and events. Across print, digital, and video, she focuses on finding the people behind business stories and explaining why those stories matter to the audience reading or watching them.

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