Guide

Understanding exchange rate margins

The biggest cost of an international transfer is often the one you never see on the receipt: the margin baked into the exchange rate. Here's how it works and how to find the true price.

Draft outline. Scaffolded with SEO tags and a section skeleton. Ships noindex until written. Replace the TODO notes, remove the noindex meta tag, and uncomment its sitemap.xml entry.

The mid-market rate

TODO: Define the mid-market (interbank) rate — the "real" rate, the midpoint of buy and sell, the same number you see on Google or XE.

What a margin (or spread) is

TODO: Explain that a margin is the gap between the mid-market rate and the rate you're actually given. It's a fee — just an invisible one, expressed as a worse rate.

Two ways services charge you

TODO: Contrast the two models:

  • Transparent fee: mid-market rate + one clearly stated fee.
  • Hidden margin: "zero fee" marketing, but a worse rate that quietly costs more.

A worked example

TODO: Show the same $1,000 transfer at the mid-market rate vs. a rate marked up by, say, 2%. Put real numbers on how many rupees the recipient loses to the spread — this is the most persuasive part of the page.

How to compare the true cost

TODO: The one rule — compare the final rupees received for the same dollars sent, on the same day. Fees + margin together are the real price.

Where EthicSend stands

TODO (honest / pre-launch): The real mid-market rate with one clear, upfront fee — no margin hidden in the rate. EthicSend is pre-launch and does not yet move money.

Related guides

Join the EthicSend waitlist