Cash App is a popular American financial app that some call a digital bank. We know that Americans can use it, but what about others? Can people in Australia download Cash App and use it as well? Is Cash App available in Australia?
Cash app isn’t available to people of Australia. Only individuals in the United States and the United Kingdom can use it. There are many alternatives available though.
Keep on reading to find out why Cash App isn’t available in Australia and other countries, as well as whether there are any plans for international expansion.
Why Isn’t Cash App Available Outside of The US and UK?
Although extremely popular in the US, Cash App isn’t very popular in the UK. The UK has a more or less consolidated traditional and digital banking market with many established players.
This could very well be the reason why Cash App didn’t expand to other countries and territories such as the European Union or Australia. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be an expansion in the future.
However, there are no indications whatsoever that they are even remotely thinking about this.
The company might regret this decision very soon as the number of people without a digital banking account in the US keeps shrinking at a rapid pace as a result of fierce competition from both traditional banks and neobanks.
There’s also Zelle, a seamless and fast money transfer that is backed by major traditional banks and that is already incorporated in numerous banking apps.
ALSO READ: The 10 Most Common Cash App Scams
Who Can Open a Cash App Account?
We learned that only people in the US and UK can use Cash App. Only the residents of these two countries that are older than 18 years can open a Cash App account. They also need a mobile phone number that’s based in the US or the UK.
If you by any chance manage to register for a Cash App account while abroad (for instance, when traveling), the app will check your location regularly and likely incapacitate your account.
Will Cash App Ever Expand to Australia?
There are no indications or hints from the company that they will expand Cash App to Australia.
Even Canada, which would be a natural first step for expansion, would be a tough nut to crack because the country already has instant and free money transfers, no matter what app, bank, or institution you’re using.
These instant and free e-transfers overthrow Cash App’s main purpose- sending money.
And because Cash App isn’t a bank, it has to rely on partner banks to offer financial services such as checking and savings accounts, cards, and even money transfers. Some countries require financial companies like Cash App to have a banking license.
Australia also has very restrictive banking laws which is why there are almost no outside digital banks in the country. While that might change in the future, it’s not so likely.
The Best Cash App Alternative in Australia
Know that we know that Cash App isn’t available in Australia, what’s the alternative? You’ll be happy to know there are many, but we chose one digital bank as the best Cash App alternative – Up.
Up is one of the more recent digital banks in Australia. It was launched at the end of 2018 and since then, they managed to acquire more than 500,000 customers. That’s one explosive growth.
One of the reasons behind the growth is the ease of opening an account. You can be up and running in a matter of minutes, just like with Cash App.
There are also some handy features that Cash App is glaringly missing. For instance, you can stash money in so-called Savers. I look at them as sub-accounts that you can use to save up for holidays, a new car, new clothes, life savings, or anything else you want to label.
You can easily choose to round up your purchases to further magnify your savings attempts.
Also, unlike Cash App, Up works flawlessly abroad, outside of Australia. Whether you pay for something in-person or online, Up doesn’t markup the exchange rate, giving you a fair conversion rate.
It’s solely because they’ve teamed up with Wise which handles these exchange rates at no additional cost. Wise is also another excellent alternative to Cash App, especially if you’re traveling often or sending money abroad to different currencies.
Related Questions
Is Cash App available in Europe?
Cash App isn’t available in Europe, EEA, or EU countries. However, there are other, dare I say better financial apps available. The two that come to mind first are Revolut and Wise. Then there are dedicated money-transferring services such as Paysend, TransferGo, WorldRemit, Remitly, and others.
Is Cash App available in Mexico?
Because Cash App isn’t available internationally, it also isn’t open in Mexico. It might work if you already have a Cash App account and you’ve traveled to Mexico. Otherwise, it won’t work as it’s only available to the residents of the US and UK.
Is Cash App available in the UK?
Cash App is available in the UK. It’s the only country outside of the US where the Cash App is also available. There are however many other financial apps in the UK that are far better than Cash App.
There’s the Starling digital bank that has free accounts. But also Monese, Monzo, Wise, Curve, Wirex, and of course, Revolut.
Is Cash App available in Japan?
Unfortunately, Cash App is unavailable worldwide, and for that reason, it’s unavailable in Japan as well. However, there are other money transfer apps and digital banks that are available.
Is Cash App available in Hong Kong?
Cash App isn’t available in Hong Kong for now. There are many other apps that you can employ to send and receive money, including Wise, Revolut, ZA Bank, and others.
Is Cash App available in Brazil?
Although Cash App isn’t available in Brazil yet, the largest digital bank in the world, Nubank, is. There are also other financial apps available such as Agibank, Banco Pan, Banco Inter, and others.
Is Cash App available in Argentina?
There’s no Cash App in Argentina, however, you can utilize Uala, Reba, Revolut, and Brubank, for instance. See the whole list on our website.
Is Cash App available in Nigeria?
Cash App isn’t open for business in Nigeria yet and probably never will be. There are some other local options available. Such as Kuda, Mint, Sparkle, etc.
Is Cash App available in India?
Cash App isn’t available in India. It’s only available in the United States and the United Kingdom. There are plenty of other options available in India. The best ones you can find in our overview of the Indian digital banking market. Axis Bank, Digibank, and 811 are some of them.
Is Cash App available in Canada?
You’d think that Canada, a US neighbor, would have Cash App available, but you’d be wrong. There’s no Cash App in Canada as of yet. There are plenty of other Cash App alternatives, such as Koho, EQ Bank, and Tangerine.
Conclusion
Although Cash App isn’t available down under, there are many other digital banks in Australia that you can use and that are arguably far better anyway.
