Kabayan Remit Review Verdict
Kabayan Remit is a UK money transfer app and website built around one job: sending pounds to the Philippines. It is run by Kabayan Capital Ltd, an FCA-authorised payments firm focused on the Filipino community.
The appeal is a low flat fee, a free first transfer, and a payout network that covers almost any recipient. You can pay into a bank, send to a GCash wallet, or have cash collected at thousands of branches across the country.
The catch is that it does one corridor only. If you send anywhere other than the Philippines, or you need a business account, this is not the service for you, and a broader provider will fit better.
Best for
- Anyone in the UK sending money to family in the Philippines
- People who want GCash, cash pickup or doorstep delivery
- Senders who value a low flat fee and 24/7 Filipino-language support
Look elsewhere if
- You send to countries other than the Philippines
- You are a business making commercial payments
- You want to pay by credit card
How Much Does Kabayan Remit Cost?
A low flat fee, and the first one is free
The pricing is simple, which is welcome on a corridor where rivals often bury the cost. We found a flat fee starting at £2.99, and a paid bank transfer of up to £5,000 carries that same £2.99.
New customers get their first transfer with no fee at all. Cash and wallet payouts can occasionally start a little higher, so check the fee on screen before you confirm.
A modest rate margin
The fee is only half the cost. The other half is the exchange rate, and here Kabayan Remit takes a margin above the mid-market rate rather than charging the raw interbank price.
We found that margin at roughly 0.6% on the day we checked, which is competitive for a specialist remittance app. The rate shows in the calculator before you sign up, so you can price a transfer first.
Worked Example: Sending £1,000 to the Philippines
This uses the live mid-market rate near 80.91 on 29 June 2026 and Kabayan Remit's typical margin. Rates move daily, so treat it as a snapshot and check the live figure before you send.
| Provider | Rate | Fee | Recipient gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabayan Remit | ~80.43 | £2.99 | ~80,430 PHP |
| Remitly | ~80.40 | £1.99 | ~80,400 PHP |
| Wise | ~80.91 (mid) | ~£4.50 | ~80,560 PHP |
Read it like this. All three land within a few hundred pesos of each other, so on a single £1,000 send the headline difference is small, and the right pick often comes down to how your recipient wants the money.
Wise edges the table on pure rate because it uses the mid-market price, while Kabayan Remit matches Remitly and adds payout options the others lack. The lesson is to compare on the day, then weigh the rate against the payout method you actually need.
Costs to watch
- Cash and wallet payouts may carry a slightly higher fee
- The rate margin matters more than the fee on larger sends
- Paying by manual bank transfer avoids any card limits
Where and How Can You Send Money?
The Philippines, done thoroughly
This is a single-corridor service, and that focus is its strength. We found payout options most rivals cannot match across bank deposit, cash pickup, e-wallets, bill payments and even home delivery of cash.
Bank deposits reach the major networks, including BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Landbank and PNB. Cash can be collected at more than 11,000 outlets such as Cebuana Lhuillier, M Lhuillier and Palawan Express, and wallets cover GCash, Maya and others.
If the Philippines is your route, it is worth seeing how the wider market prices it first. Compare the field on the UK to Philippines money transfer route before you commit.
Speed and access
| Method | Speed |
|---|---|
| E-wallet such as GCash | Instant to about an hour |
| Cash pickup | Usually within an hour |
| Bank deposit | Usually within an hour |
Kabayan Remit accepts transfers around the clock, and most payouts land quickly. Bank deposits can still wait on Philippine banking hours, weekends and local holidays, so a wallet or cash payout is the faster route outside business hours.
You can send from the website or the iOS and Android apps. Funding works by debit card, bank transfer, open banking, Apple Pay or Google Pay, though credit cards and business cards are not accepted.
Who Is Kabayan Remit Best For?
Families sending money home to the Philippines
This is the core case. If you support relatives in the Philippines, the low fee, free first transfer and wide payout network make regular sends cheap and convenient, whatever bank or wallet your family uses.
You also get support in Filipino if you need it.
People who need flexible payout
A natural fit. If your recipient relies on cash pickup in a provincial town, or wants money straight into a GCash wallet, Kabayan Remit covers both where many app-only rivals do not.
That reach is its main advantage over a mid-market app.
Businesses or multi-country senders
Not the right tool. The service is consumer-only and Philippines-only, so a company paying suppliers, or anyone sending to several countries, needs a broader provider.
If that describes you, look at a business or multi-corridor specialist instead.
When another provider fits better
- You send to destinations beyond the Philippines
- You need a business or commercial account
- You want to pay by credit card
Kabayan Remit Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- Low flat fee from £2.99, with the first transfer free
- Bank, cash pickup, GCash and doorstep payout all covered
- Most transfers arrive within about an hour
- Strong Trustpilot score and 24/7 Filipino-language support
- Live rate shown before you sign up
✕Cons
- The Philippines is the only destination
- No business or commercial accounts
- Credit cards and business cards are not accepted
- A small rate margin sits above true mid-market apps
- A minority of reviews report compliance checks holding up transfers
Is Kabayan Remit Safe?
Who runs it
We checked the FCA Register. Kabayan Remit is the trading name of Kabayan Capital Ltd, an Authorised Payment Institution under firm reference number 710792, regulated by the FCA under the Payment Services Regulations.
The firm is based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, has operated since 2012, and reports more than 6.6 million transfers to date. It also runs services in Canada and the United States.
How your money is protected
This is where a payments firm differs from a bank. Kabayan Remit is not a bank, so your money is not covered by the FSCS savings guarantee. Instead it is safeguarded, meaning customer funds are held in segregated accounts separate from the firm.
Safeguarding is the standard protection for an authorised payments firm. It is designed so your transfer money is ring-fenced if the company were to fail, rather than insured like a bank deposit.
Checks and security
Expect standard onboarding. We found Kabayan Remit verifies you with a selfie and government ID, and larger transfers can trigger proof-of-address or source-of-funds questions.
You can only send in your own name, third-party transfers are blocked, and the app offers biometric login. Those controls are routine, so keep your documents handy for a bigger send.
Using Kabayan Remit: App, Funding and Support
Getting started. Download the iOS or Android app, or use the website, then verify your identity with a selfie and ID. You add a recipient by their bank, wallet or cash-pickup details before sending.
Paying. Fund a transfer by debit card, bank transfer, open banking, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Credit cards, prepaid cards and business cards are not accepted, and a manual bank transfer keeps you clear of any card limits.
Support. Help runs 24 hours a day, every day, in English and Filipino. You can reach the team by in-app chat, phone, email, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, which suits urgent questions about a transfer in progress.
Kabayan Remit Customer Reviews and Reputation
We read the reviews rather than only the scores, and the picture is largely positive, with fast delivery and helpful support the recurring themes.
| Source | Score | Reviews | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.6/5 | 321 | July 2026 |
| Apple App Store | 4.8/5 | Thousands | Jun 2026 |
| Google Play | 4.0/5 | ~2,500 | Jun 2026 |
What people praise: quick payouts, an easy app, competitive rates, and round-the-clock support in Filipino that customers single out by name.
What goes wrong: the main complaints are compliance and security checks that hold up a transfer, plus occasional glitches redeeming loyalty points. The Trustpilot base is modest, so weigh each review on its merits.
How Does Kabayan Remit Compare?
On this corridor the real test is the pesos received, and you can see the wider field in our money transfer comparison.
Two natural rivals price differently. Our Remitly review covers a global app with a similar fee and strong Philippine payout, while our Wise review looks at the mid-market option that wins on raw rate but sends bank-to-bank only. Among the other Philippines specialists our BCRemit, iRemit, Metro Remittance UK and PNB Europe reviews cover the closest rivals.
Rates move daily, and we refresh the live figures, so run a live comparison of today's rates and fees before you send. Then check Kabayan Remit's quote against what those rivals deliver on the same £1,000.
Final Verdict: Is Kabayan Remit Worth It?
Kabayan Remit is one of the strongest ways to send money to the Philippines from the UK. The low flat fee, free first transfer and a payout network spanning banks, wallets and cash counters make it a practical choice for regular family support.
For its single corridor it earns a high score, helped by quick payouts and 24/7 support in Filipino that few rivals offer. The rate margin is modest, so the running cost stays low on typical sends.
What holds it back from a perfect score is its narrow focus and a small rate gap behind pure mid-market apps. For Philippines remittance it is a 4.5 out of 5, and only multi-country or business senders should look elsewhere. Compare your quote before each transfer.
Kabayan Remit FAQs
Yes. Kabayan Remit is the trading name of Kabayan Capital Ltd, an FCA Authorised Payment Institution under firm reference number 710792. Your money is safeguarded in segregated accounts, the standard protection for a payments firm rather than FSCS bank cover.
The fee starts at £2.99, and a paid bank transfer up to £5,000 carries that flat £2.99. Your first transfer is free. On top of the fee there is a small exchange-rate margin, which we found at roughly 0.6% on the day we checked.
It is usually fast. E-wallet, cash pickup and bank payouts often arrive within about an hour. Bank deposits can wait on Philippine banking hours and holidays, so a wallet or cash payout is quicker outside business hours.
A wide range. You can pay into major banks such as BDO, BPI and Metrobank, send to GCash and Maya wallets, arrange cash pickup at more than 11,000 outlets, pay bills, or have cash delivered to the door.
Yes. Kabayan Remit is the trading name of Kabayan Capital Ltd, an FCA Authorised Payment Institution under firm reference number 710792. Your money is safeguarded in segregated accounts, the standard protection for a payments firm rather than FSCS bank cover.
The fee starts at £2.99, and a paid bank transfer up to £5,000 carries that flat £2.99. Your first transfer is free. On top of the fee there is a small exchange-rate margin, which we found at roughly 0.6% on the day we checked.
It is usually fast. E-wallet, cash pickup and bank payouts often arrive within about an hour. Bank deposits can wait on Philippine banking hours and holidays, so a wallet or cash payout is quicker outside business hours.
A wide range. You can pay into major banks such as BDO, BPI and Metrobank, send to GCash and Maya wallets, arrange cash pickup at more than 11,000 outlets, pay bills, or have cash delivered to the door.
Verified 29 June 2026. Provider data cross-checked against the FCA Register, Trustpilot and the live GBP/PHP corridor benchmark. Rates and fees move daily; confirm the live figure before sending.
Currency Expert compares money transfer providers and may earn a commission when you use our links. It does not change how we rank providers or what we say below. Rates and fees move, so the figures here are dated and illustrative; confirm live costs before you send.