How to Use a Digital Wallet for International Payments

Credit cards and debit cards have been commonplace since the 1960s, with the extra convenience and security making them the go-to option over lugging around too much cash. However, the next evolution in payment solutions is already well underway as digital wallets become increasingly accepted by consumers and businesses.

Instead of searching through your wallet for the right card when paying for goods and services, a digital wallet means you can simply tap your smartphone on the terminal and get on with your day. Featuring electronic versions of your usual banking cards, hassle-free digital wallets are also great for shopping online, as you can effortlessly make payments with a few clicks.

Exploring digital wallets for the first time might seem daunting, but these easy-to-use products are sure to make your life easier. Rather than keeping track of physical cards all the time, just using your digitally stored information to make international payments delivers a fast and seamless experience that soon becomes second nature.

What Is a Digital Wallet?

Just as the name suggests, a digital wallet is a safe virtual app for keeping your debit card and credit card information. You can access your everyday cards on smartphones and wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers. When you need to pay, just tap your device wherever contactless payments are accepted. 

Digital wallets have been around for a few years now, with the most popular apps — like Apple Pay and Google Pay — featuring even more services. Today, you can use your digital wallet to store public transport cards, making paying for train or bus tickets more convenient. You can also store virtual loyalty cards and even concert tickets, so you’ll never lose them again.

While you shouldn’t let your guard down, digital wallets also offer outstanding security for your banking information.You must use biometric authentication, such as fingerprint scanning and facial recognition, to make payments, and some experts consider this approach more secure than using a standard banking card PIN.

Advantages of Digital Wallets for International Transfers

Looking for a fast, secure, and convenient way to send money overseas? Not only do digital wallets have all the benefits of traditional payment solutions, but they also include many more. Below, we explore some of the major advantages of using digital wallets for international payments.

Benefit From Convenience

Now that much of our daily life revolves around our smartphones, having a way to use them for secure international payments makes perfect sense. Rather than needing to keep track of physical cards that are so easy to lose, storing your banking information in the digital realm means you can always access it when needed.

Whether you’re shopping in the store, online, or transferring funds overseas, you don’t need to hunt through your wallet to make a payment. Instead, all your details are where you need them, turning tedious transactions into an effortless experience. If you love to keep things simple, creating a digital wallet is a great way to streamline how you pay.

Increase Security

Security should always remain a top priority when it involves private banking information. Fortunately, digital wallets offer the same, if not greater, security than traditional banking solutions. Although each digital wallet handles security in its own way, most scan biometric information before enabling payment.

This way, if your smartphone with your digital wallet gets lost or stolen, your information should remain protected. Like credit cards, digital wallets use tokenization to encrypt banking information. If a merchant you’ve used gets hacked, your information should remain secure. Less time spent carrying bank cards also means there’s less chance they fall into the wrong hands.

Reduce Costs

International transaction fees and foreign currency conversion costs are some of the biggest issues when sending money around the globe. Digital wallets that handle multiple currencies make it possible to reduce your costs and ensure both senders and receivers get more value for their money.

Don’t underestimate the cost of sending money abroad. International fees are just the beginning, with annual credit card fees, markups on foreign exchange rates, and merchant fees making a potentially small payment much more expensive. With the cost of using Ria as low as $2.89, the savings can be significant.

Make Faster Payments

Digital wallets are a handy way to speed up your purchases. When it’s time to pay for groceries, rummaging through your wallet to find the right card while others are waiting in the queue is a painful experience. Instead, you can grab your smartphone, tap and the payment will go through almost instantly. 

It’s similarly fast to shop online, with your virtually stored banking information meaning you can complete the checkout process in just a few seconds. If you’re visiting a Ria location to send money abroad or purchase items in-store, you can quickly scan the QR code on your app to make payment without delay.

Track Real-Time Information

Digital wallets are a great way to stay on top of your spending. With credit cards and debit cards stored on your device, you’ll also have a history of contactless transactions you’ve made using your device, adding another layer of convenience.

How to Use Ria eWallet to Send International Transfers

Ready to explore Ria eWallet? Currently available to Malaysian users — and soon to expand to other regions — the app makes sending international transfers to virtually every corner of the globe a breeze. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to everything you need to know.

Register Your Account

1. Download the Ria Money Transfer app from the App Store or Google Play, depending on your device.

2. Login to your account from the Ria app and tap on “eWallet”.

3. Tap on “Activate your eWallet” and create your 6-digit wallet PIN.

4. Your Ria eWallet is ready for use!

Add Funds

1. Find your nearest store using our Store Locator tool.

2. Request to make a cash deposit and confirm the amount.

3. Hand over cash to the merchant.

4. Once the money is deposited, your eWallet balance will instantly update.

You can also use JomPAY to deposit money into your account via online banking or an ATM. Use the biller code 723528 and your mobile number as the reference.

Transfer funds

1. Choose Ria eWallet as your payment method.

2. Select the contact you want to send money to or enter their phone number.

3. Enter the amount you’re sending and the reason for the money transfer.

4. Enter your six-digit PIN.

5. Click Send to confirm the money transfer.

Why Use Ria eWallet for International Money Transfers

Take your international money transfers digital with Ria eWallet. Fast and secure, it makes transferring funds to loved ones overseas simple. Thanks to our easy-to-understand costs, global reach, top-notch security, and user-friendly apps, you’ll never struggle to get your money abroad again. These are just some of the best reasons to choose Ria Money Transfer for your digital wallet needs.

Straightforward Fees

If you don’t send money overseas often, you might be surprised to learn about the additional costs involved. Worst of all, these fees are often hidden from consumers, meaning you’ll get a nasty shock when it comes time to pay. Ria offers a great alternative because we keep our fees low and transparent. 

Whether you’re using your Ria eWallet, a credit card, or a debit card to fund your transfer, our costs always remain clear. Meanwhile, our easy-to-use currency converter calculator makes it hassle-free to see the exchange rate we offer between your home country and the destination. Ria is now trusted for international transfers by over 100 million customers.

Rapid and Worldwide

Our world is now all about convenience, and your digital wallet shouldn’t be any different. Whether you deposit cash into your Ria eWallet or use Ria to deposit into another mobile wallet, the balance in your account will instantly update, ensuring you get your money where it’s needed fast. Similarly, you can instantly pay for items without fees using the app at Ria QR-enabled stores.

Knowing you have a simple way to send funds to loved ones around the globe is also a huge weight off your mind. Ria Money Transfer makes it possible to send money to over 190 countries and territories. Plus, we have 500,000 pickup locations worldwide, ensuring your friends and family can easily access funds.

Transfer from Anywhere

Just as you don’t need to carry your credit cards everywhere when you have a smartphone and a digital wallet, you shouldn’t have to wait in line to start an international transfer. Ria eWallet is easily accessible on the go via our Android and iOS apps, ensuring you can start a transfer when required.

The Ria app has all the same bells and whistles as when you start a transfer in-store or online, with detailed information about exchange rates, applicable fees, and transaction information. With just a few clicks through the app, you can have your money on its way to friends, family, and businesses based overseas.

Strong Security

Using a digital wallet like Ria eWallet won’t compromise your banking security. Such apps must follow strict local and international regulations regarding their security protocols, plus most smartphones now include fingerprint sensors, facial recognition, and PINs to prevent unauthorized access.

Ria takes things a step further as we never store data such as credit card information on our servers. Plus, we conduct thorough identification verification processes when cash is requested in person. Supported by our dedicated security team, we work tirelessly to protect our customers from fraudulent activity.

Make International Payments With Ria Today

Ria Money Transfer makes it easy for customers to send money overseas, with Ria eWallet offering a fast, secure, and convenient service that maximizes how you control your money. With our network featuring over 190 countries and territories, sending money to loved ones abroad is effortless.

Alongside Ria eWallet, our everyday services also give customers outstanding delivery options, ranging from bank deposits to cash pickups at over 500,000 locations around the globe. Supported by our crystal-clear fees and top-notch security, trust Ria Money Transfer for your international transfer needs.

Digital Wallet FAQ

Which digital wallet is best for international transactions?

The best digital wallet for international transfers depends on your specific needs. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay making sending money abroad fast and secure. Ria eWallet is another compelling option (currently for customers in Malaysia), featuring low fees, rapid transfer speeds, and robust security for transfers to more than 190 countries and territories.

Are digital wallets safe?

While you should always be mindful of every financial service, the leading digital wallets are renowned for their extensive security methods. Protected by technology like tokenization, fingerprint scanners, facial recognition, PINs, and two-factor authentication, your private banking information is safe on your smartphone.

Can you use a digital wallet anywhere?

Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are available wherever contactless payments are accepted. With Ria eWallet, we offer a network of QR-enabled stores where you can scan the code on your smartphone to pay for items with no fees attached.