Send money from the UK to Ghana
See today's GBP→GHS rate, compare every service on fees, speed and delivery, and see what your recipient keeps after cash-out fees and taxes — before you send.
Today's GBP→GHS exchange rate
This is the reference interbank rate — the starting point before each service's fee and margin.
Interbank rate updated 29 Jul 12:00 UTC (2h ago)
Calculate for your amount:
The UK–Ghana route is one of West Africa's most established, reflecting deep historical ties and a large Ghanaian community across London and the Midlands. A useful fact most senders' pages omit: Ghana's 1% e-levy was repealed in April 2025, so no state tax now applies to the MoMo transfer your recipient receives.
Sending from the UK: funding, speed & rules
From the UK, transfers are funded over Faster Payments — a bank push that usually settles in seconds — or by debit card. Open-banking "pay by bank" is increasingly the default in UK remittance apps, cutting card fees. Because Faster Payments is near-instant and free to the app, UK-funded sends are often both quick and cheap.
UK payment firms are authorised by the FCA as e-money or payment institutions and must safeguard customer funds. The UK–Africa route is one of the most established in the world; LemFi and Lemonade Finance were built around it. Ghana senders in London, Birmingham and Manchester typically move money several times a month.
Our verdict: the best way to send the UK to Ghana
Best for the lowest total cost to Ghana
LemFi and Sendwave: paying from your bank here is both free and instant, so the cheapest apps are also among the fastest. The apps that waive the up-front fee and keep the tightest rate margin net the most, especially as it lands on a telco mobile-money wallet, which is free to receive into.
Best for speed to an MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash or AT Money wallet
Sendwave, LemFi and Remitly's Express tier: every funded send clears in seconds, and it lands on a telco mobile-money wallet, which is free to receive into — so a send can complete end to end in minutes.
Best for large transfers and rate transparency
Wise: even a large transfer settles instantly, so the only variable left is the exchange-rate margin.
Best for cash pickup / a recipient without a wallet
WorldRemit and Western Union: agent cash pickup is still useful upcountry, where a wallet may not be set up, but their agent networks pay out cash if your recipient has no wallet.
Best for Ghana wallet support
WorldRemit and Remitly reach the widest set of Ghanaian wallets (MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money) and cash points; Sendwave and LemFi focus on instant wallet delivery.
In plain terms: Because paying from your bank here is both free and instant, the right pick from the UK to Ghana mostly comes down to your amount: LemFi and Sendwave for the lowest cost, Wise when the FX margin dominates on a large send, WorldRemit and Western Union if your family has no wallet. Either way, it lands on a telco mobile-money wallet, which is free to receive into, and the recipient only pays Ghana's GH₵20-capped cash-out fee, and only if they withdraw cash.
Comparing the services: fees, rates, speed & delivery
| Service | Fee model | Rate | Speed | Delivery | Best for | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | Transparent percentage fee, shown upfront | Mid-market (interbank) rate | Often within ~24h | Bank deposit; some mobile money | Transparency and larger sums | Go to Wise → |
| Remitly | Low or zero fee by speed tier | Competitive; promo rates for new users | Instant (Express) to a few days (Economy) | Bank, cash pickup, mobile money | Flexible delivery and cash pickup | Go to Remitly → |
| WorldRemit | Very low; often free to some destinations | Competitive margin over mid-market | Instant to about an hour | Bank, cash, mobile money, airtime | Multi-route reach and an established network | Go to WorldRemit → |
| Sendwave | Usually zero up-front fee | Earns on the rate margin (~1-3% over mid-market) | Instant to minutes | Mobile money focused | Ultra-fast mobile money delivery | Go to Sendwave → |
| LemFi | Typically $0 on core African routes | Small markup over mid-market | Instant to minutes | Bank and mobile money | Fast zero-fee app-to-app, African focus | Go to LemFi → |
| Taptap Send | Small flat or percentage fee by route | Solid rates | Minutes | Bank and mobile money | Low-cost app transfers | Go to Taptap Send → |
| Western Union | Higher and variable fee | Wider rate margin | Flexible, including instant cash | Huge agent network: cash, bank, mobile | Cash pickup reach | Go to Western Union → |
Some provider links are referral links, marked sponsored. They never change the figures or the order shown.
Which services reach Ghana's mobile wallets
In Ghana, mobile money means MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash or AT Money — the table shows what each service actually reaches: wallet, bank account or cash pickup.
| Service | Mobile money MTN MoMo / Telecel / AT | Bank | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Remitly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| WorldRemit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sendwave | ✓ | — | — |
| LemFi | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Taptap Send | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Western Union | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
What your recipient actually gets in Ghana
Cash-out / withdrawal cost
The recipient's real cost comes at cash-OUT: withdrawal is free under GH₵50, about 1% from GH₵50 to GH₵2,000, then capped at a flat GH₵20 above GH₵2,000. So a GH₵5,000 withdrawal costs the same GH₵20 as a GH₵2,001 one. If they keep the money on the wallet to pay merchants and bills, they pay nothing.
Receiving to a bank vs a wallet
In Ghana, your recipient most often receives into an MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash or AT Money wallet, or a bank account. Receiving into the wallet is free — nothing is taken on receipt.
The 1% government e-levy was repealed in April 2025: no state tax applies to MoMo transfers today. This is the part the sending services' pages do not explain, because it does not sell their product.
How to send: methods, limits & safety
Funding and delivering the send
From the UK, Faster Payments funding is free and settles in seconds, so most sends are quick AND cheap — open-banking "pay by bank" even removes card fees. The leg into Ghana follows immediately on mobile-first apps; bank deposit stays for larger sums.
Transfer limits & KYC
In the UK, signup needs photo ID and address, and apps are FCA-authorised with safeguarded customer funds. Caps rise with verification. For a first large send to Ghana, expect an extra verification step.
Other routes to Ghana
Frequently asked questions
How do I fund it and which app from the UK to Ghana?
How long does a transfer to Ghana take?
Is money received taxed in Ghana?
Bottom line
Bottom line: every funded send clears in seconds and it lands on a telco mobile-money wallet, which is free to receive into. Compare LemFi and Sendwave first on the final amount received, switch to Wise for large sums, and WorldRemit and Western Union if cash pickup is needed. With Faster Payments, funding from the UK is rarely the bottleneck.
We describe each service's published model (fees, rates, speed, delivery) from public information, without reproducing live quotes or marketing copy. Always check the final fee and rate in the app before sending.