Guide
How US-to-India money transfers work
Sending money from the United States to India, explained from first principles — who moves the money, the steps it goes through, how long it takes, and what it really costs.
noindex until the body is written. Replace the TODO notes with real content, remove the noindex meta tag, and uncomment its entry in sitemap.xml.
What a remittance actually is
TODO: Define a remittance in one line; frame the US→India corridor (one of the largest in the world) and who typically sends — students, H-1B workers, families supporting parents.
The players involved
TODO: Walk through each party in the chain and what they do:
- You — the sender, funding from a US bank account or card.
- The service — the app/website that quotes the rate and orchestrates the transfer (this is EthicSend's role).
- The licensed money transmitter — the regulated partner that actually moves the funds across the border.
- Banks on both ends — your US bank and the recipient's Indian bank (NRE/NRO or resident account).
Step by step
TODO: Number the flow: (1) get a quote — rate + fee shown upfront; (2) pay in from the US (ACH bank debit or card); (3) currency conversion USD→INR; (4) payout into the Indian bank account (IMPS/NEFT/UPI rails); (5) recipient is notified.
How long it takes
TODO: Explain typical ranges and what drives them (funding method, cut-off times, weekends/holidays, first-transfer verification).
What it really costs
TODO: Two cost components — the visible transfer fee and the hidden exchange-rate margin. See our guide on exchange rate margins for how the second one works.
Where the money lands in India
TODO: Note that the receiving account type matters. See NRE vs NRO accounts explained.
What you'll need to send
TODO: Point to the documents, limits and tax basics guide.
How EthicSend approaches it
TODO (keep honest / pre-launch): The real mid-market rate, one clear fee, no hidden markup — with the regulated transfer handled by a licensed partner. EthicSend is pre-launch and does not yet move money.