Five questions to ask before sending money home
A short checklist that stops small mistakes turning into lost money.
3 minute read · Last updated 5 October 2026
The five questions
One: how much will my family actually receive, in ngultrum, after every fee? Two: what is the total cost to me — fee plus any difference from the mid-market rate? Three: how long will it take?
Four: how will they collect it — bank, cash pickup or mobile wallet, and do they have the ID the provider will ask for? Five: what is my receipt or reference number, and how will I know when it lands?
Why each one matters
The first two questions together are the real price of the transfer. The third decides whether the money is useful now. The fourth is where transfers are most often delayed — a name that does not exactly match the bank account can hold money up for days.
The fifth protects you. If something goes wrong you will be asked for the reference, the date and the amount. Keep them until your family confirms the money has arrived.
Write it down once
Keep your answers in a note on your phone. Next time, you compare against your own record rather than starting from nothing, and you can see straight away when a "deal" is not one.
Our printable "remittance questions" sheet has the five questions with space for the answers — print it, or send it to a friend who is sending home for the first time.
The one thing to take away
Know the amount received, the total cost, the speed, the payout route and the paper trail.
Always check the official source. Rates, fees and rules change.