I sent money to someone in a foreign country, but the amount received was less than what I sent. What can I do?

In an international money transfer, the amount received may be less than what was sent because certain fees or taxes may be deducted by a third-party company that processes the transfer, separate from your provider.

If you used a remittance transfer provider, they must tell you about certain fees charged by the provider or third-party. In most cases, remittance transfer providers must provide you with the exact amount of those fees, but there are certain cases when federal law allows them to provide you with estimates.

The recipient’s bank may also deduct additional fees and foreign taxes. If these deductions apply to your transfer, the remittance transfer provider must let you know upfront, but federal law doesn’t require them to provide you with the amount of these deductions. If you’re unsure about whether you have sent enough money to cover the fees, contact the person or business receiving the money. They can tell you whether they have priced in the additional fees and taxes for you.

If you believe a mistake was made, or if you have questions, contact the money transfer service right away. You have the right to submit an oral or written notice of error to your remittance transfer provider that it must investigated. If you sent a money transfer through a remittance transfer provider, federal law gives you the right to have errors investigated. The provider also must tell you the results of the investigation. For certain types of errors, such as if the money doesn’t arrive by the date it’s supposed to arrive, you may be able to get a refund or have the transfer sent again.

If you’re not satisfied with the company’s response, submit a complaint to the CFPB.

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