Cash App Works in 2 Countries (International Options in ’23)

Written By Adrian Volenik

Cash App is so popular in the US that many people around the world are wondering if Cash App is available internationally in their countries. Here’s the truth:

Cash App isn’t available internationally outside the United States and the United Kingdom. It isn’t even available in neighboring Canada, and there are no plans for Cash App to expand on an international level. 

And, although Square’s Cash App isn’t yet available worldwide, there’s no need to despair. There’s plenty of more than capable alternatives that bring much more to the table than Cash App does. 

We found the best international Cash App alternatives, but let’s first answer a few more questions about why Cash App isn’t available worldwide. 

Why isn’t Cash App available internationally? 

Believe it or not, many companies from the US never expand globally. Sure, we’ve all heard about McDonald’s, Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, and other famous companies that are available around the world. But for some, there isn’t enough incentive for this big step. 

To be frank, I’m surprised Cash App even expanded to the UK. There are no clear figures that show how many people in Britain use it, but I doubt that it’s many. Their app is nowhere near the top of financial apps downloaded each month.  

The app did get a spike in downloads when Square (the parent company) decided to include UK users into their $100k #CashAppFriday giveaway. 

ALSO READ: The 10 Most Common Cash App Scams

Who can open a Cash App account? 

Because Cash App is only available in the US and UK, only residents of these two countries that are over 18 years old can open a Cash App account. These new users will also need a mobile phone number that’s based in the US or the UK. 

Even if you manage to register while abroad, the app will check your location regularly and probably disable your account. 

Will Cash App expand outside of the US and UK? 

Given the weak UK expansion for the app, it’s doubtful that they’ll ever expand internationally, except probably to Canada. But even Canada might prove to be a tough cookie as there are already plenty of competitors that are more than capable. They’re arguably offering a much better service than Cash App’s simple service. 

Canada already has instant and free money transfers, no matter what app, bank, or institution you’re using. These e-transfers defeat Cash App’s main objective – sending money. 

Cash App is also not a bank; it doesn’t have a banking license in the US or the UK. It relies on partner banks to offer financial services such as accounts, cards, and transfers. That might prove difficult to do elsewhere, like Europe, and especially in Asia.    

Read more in our Is Cash App available in Canada?

International Cash App alternatives

Now that we’ve established that Cash App isn’t available internationally let’s explore what other Cash App alternatives we have. 

KOHO (Canada) 

koho bank
  • Get paid early
  • Credit building 
  • Free e-transfers
  • Free ATM withdrawals
  • Free account
  • Premium and Joint accounts
  • Cashback
  • Metal card
  • Budgeting feature

KOHO is a true neobank that caters mainly to the younger demographic. It was founded in 2014 and didn’t have a banking license, but that doesn’t matter much anyway as it provides financial services in partnership with the Peoples Trust. 

It’s an exciting digital bank that is on the rise in Canada. They offer their customers a reloadable Visa card and a limited edition metal card that looks and feels premium. 

It has free, paid accounts ($9/m) and joint accounts, each with their own set of features and benefits. What they all have in common are especially good budgeting and analytics tools, cashback rewards that range from 0.5% to 2%, a round-up feature that saves you money on autopilot, and free Visa and virtual cards.  

What account you choose will mainly depend on how much you typically spend per month. If you spend a lot, the KOHO Premium fee ($9/m) can work out well when considering a 2 percent cashback offer on items such as food and drink, groceries, and transport.

Monese (EEA, UK) 

monese
  • No proof of address needed
  • Very easy to sign up
  • Multi-currency account
  • Free ATM withdrawals
  • Budgeting and analytics
  • Deposit money at Post Offices
  • Good for traveling

Monese is a great choice if you’re from EEA (EU + a few other countries) or the UK. Especially if you don’t have a permanent address or your name on any utility bills as you aren’t required to supply proof of that as it’s typical with other, even digital banks. 

Monese was one of the first challenger banks in the UK when it got started in 2015. It now has more than two million customers in total. When you open an account with Monese, you can also open additional accounts in two other currencies at no cost. The currencies include GBP, RON, and EUR. 

Because it’s a truly international bank account geared towards immigrants and travelers, customer support is available in multiple languages, and the app itself supports 14 different languages. Plus, you can send money to 30+ countries. 

Monese also supports small UK businesses with their business account that also doesn’t require any additional documents apart from the most basic ones. Business accounts have generous allowances, free ATM withdrawals around the world, and one-tap pay.

N26 (EEA) 

n26 bank
  • Free and paid accounts
  • Personal and business accounts
  • Get paid early
  • No minimum balance
  • Instant N26 transfers
  • Cashback rewards
  • Exclusive partner discounts

N26 is a challenger bank from Germany that has been on the market for more than eight years already. Their accounts are available across the EEA, the US, and Switzerland. With more than seven million customers, it’s one of the biggest digital banks in the world.

They offer four different personal and business accounts, one of which you can get for free. Although it drew out of the UK, it’s still going strong in Europe and is even expanding into other territories like the USA.

The company started without a banking license, but as of 2016, the bank holds a banking license in Europe, allowing customers to get a conventional bank account and a MasterCard or Maestro card in some countries.

All of their accounts offer free payments worldwide in any currency, but the Metal account (€16.90/m) also offers up to 8 free withdrawals in the Eurozone and unlimited free ATM withdrawals worldwide.

On top of that, you also get a cool metal card, medical travel insurance, pandemic travel coverage, flight insurance, luggage coverage, and more. 

Nubank (Brazil) 

nubank
.
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Easy to sign up
  • Only free accounts
  • Credit and metal cards
  • Personal and business users
  • Loans
  • Instant money transfers

Nubank is the biggest fintech company in Latin America. The digital bank has more than 40 million customers in Brazil and some in Colombia and Mexico, with plans to expand to Argentina.

They offer free personal and business accounts that have free and instant money transfers, debit, credit, and even a metal card, loans, life insurance, and more. 

By mainly focusing on unbanked and underbanked people by offering easy online account opening and cheap credit cards, the company helped people get a proper bank account that is free and gave them a chance to apply for better jobs as well. 

When they started in 2014, there was no real competition in Brazil, and all that people could get were extremely expensive credit cards.  

To open a Nubank account, you have to be a resident of Brazil, have a regular CPF status on the Receira Federal Brasileira, and be at least 18 years old. Similar rules apply in Mexico and Colombia.

Revolut (International) 

revolut
  • Personal & business accounts
  • Free and paid versions
  • Metal card
  • Stock and crypto trading
  • Above-average savings interest rates
  • Up to 5 Junior accounts
  • 15+ million users

Revolut has become a household name in the UK and across Europe. Now, the challenger bank has expanded to the US, Australia, Japan, and Singapore and is coming soon to Canada, Hong Kong, Brazil, New Zealand, and UAE.

They offer a wide range of financial products and services, including money transfers to 30+ countries, up to five junior accounts, crypto and stock investing, overseas medical insurance, device protection, and much more.

This international alternative to Cash App has a free account option for personal and business use and two to three additional membership plans (depending on your country) that offer higher limits and extra features and perks. 

Their now well-known Metal account allows you to open up to 5 kids accounts, has a 0.65% daily interest on savings, no fee currency exchange, and all kinds of travel and device insurance.

If Revolut still isn’t available in your country, you can join their waitlist and be notified when they do arrive. 

Ualá (Argentina) 

uala
  • No monthly maintenance fees
  • Easy to open
  • Free debit cards
  • Up to $500k loans
  • Free transfers 
  • Investments  

Ualá has been growing rapidly since it was founded in 2017. It now has more than two million customers and offers a fee-free account and even personal loans of up to $500,000. 

To open an Ualá account, you have to be older than 13 and be an Argentinian resident with a government-issued ID. The whole process is streamlined and done in a jiffy. You can then add funds to your new account by making a transfer from another bank account or deposit cash.

If a virtual card isn’t enough for you, you can order an international prepaid Mastercard.

Up (Australia) 

  • Low to no fees
  • Savings on autopilot
  • Budgeting and analytics
  • Multiple savings accounts
  • Bonus interests on savings

Up is arguably the best digital bank in Australia. The market has gone through consolidation in recent years, and some challenger banks even closed down. But Up is still going strong and attracting new users every day. 

It has plenty of features that are appealing to a wide audience and not just youngsters. For instance, there are no monthly fees, no international transaction fees, free international ATM withdrawals at most major ATMs, 0.70% interest rate, and free and unlimited withdrawals from the savings account.

Wise (International) 

wise
https://youtu.be/EmDgJKdQHCU
  • Multicurrency accounts
  • Personal, freelancer, & SMEs
  • Transfer cash to 70+ countries
  • Real exchange rate
  • Low fees
  • No hidden costs

Wise is a true international digital bank and well-known money transfer service. We recommend it to our readers every chance we get. 

Although it seems like Wise, formerly known as TransferWise has been around forever, the company only recently celebrated their 10th birthday and are now publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.

This money transfer fintech is available worldwide and offers very cheap cash transfers using the real exchange rate and not one that is bloated with margins and made-up fees. 

It also acts like a bank account where you can hold up to 54 currencies. When you open a Wise account, you can also get nine more accounts in different currencies to make sure you’re paid like a local without additional fees. 

Both travelers and expats love Wise because they can receive their salary or pension and spend in local currency while staying or living abroad. If you order their debit card for €7, you can use it in more than 200 countries and withdraw money from 2.3 million ATMs worldwide.

Read more in our full Wise review.

ZA Bank (Hong Kong) 

za bank
  • Savings account
  • Multicurrency
  • 1% interest rate
  • Loans
  • Time deposits
  • Personal and business accounts
  • FPS transfers 

Hong Kong’s first digital bank, ZA, is backed by well-known companies from mainland China. The HK neobank acquired more than 300k customers in a short period of time and makes it easy to deposit, borrow, or transfer money in multiple currencies.

You can hold money in three currencies – HKD, CNY, and USD. Some of its most appealing features are a high interest rate on savings, no monthly fees, no minimum deposits, cashback, customizable Visa cards, and many discounts with partner brands.

The bottom line

Cash App has very limited international capabilities as it’s only available to the residents of the United States and the UK. There are no signs that Cash App will soon expand to more countries, and it seems as the company is focused on achieving profit in their home base. 

We have listed many digital banks that should do the trick if you live outside the US or the UK or need to make transfers abroad.

Read our Cash App review or other Cash App related articles:

About the Author

Chief Editor at TopMobileBanks

Adrian is a fintech expert who has tested hundreds of financial apps, cards, and accounts. His love for testing digital banks, payment apps, and financial products, in general, is unmatched.

How many digital banking accounts can one man have?

Not enough, if you ask Adrian. As his wallet will soon explode if he doesn’t cut back on the number of cards.

On the plus side, they have enabled him to create awesome How-To Guides that you can read on our site.

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