The true cost of international transfers (and how to avoid it)

The fee you see is rarely the fee you pay. Most providers advertise "zero fees" while quietly building their margin into the exchange rate. That spread is invisible — and it's where the real cost hides.

Always check the mid-market rate

Before you send, look up the mid-market rate — the real, mid-point exchange rate banks use between themselves. Any provider charging far above it is pocketing the difference.

“If a transfer is "free" but the rate looks off, you're paying in the spread.”— Tinubu Obaseki

Ego always shows the mid-market rate up front with a transparent, flat fee — so what you see is exactly what your recipient gets.