For all that people hark about simpler times, the sheer inconvenience preceding modern banking would be unimaginable today. No fiat money meant that some purchases would be worth the buyer’s weight in money. Without centralized banking, currency’s value would change from nation to nation, even town to town based on a local bank’s reputation. At present, digital banking allows travelers to travel with light pockets without being thrifty. So let’s look over whether one of the best digital wallets today works across many borders. And let’s see ‘Can I Use My CashApp Card In El Salvador?’.
Can I Use My CashApp Card In El Salvador?
CashApp is a mobile payment service that originated in the US. It had also spread to the UK by the 3rd of April, 2018. However, transactions cannot cross borders and so transactions are not available outside of them. As such El Salvador does not possess such services.
Error: Card is incompatible with the country
CashApp introduced a card in May 2017 termed the Cash App Card. It is a debit card that allows users to pay for purchases at various retailers and withdraw cash from ATMs. It is also customizable to the user’s specifications. However, the card is not available to users in the UK. In the US, transfers can occur between two parties within the 50 states but not in territories like Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Due to this limited reach, the card would not be useful in El Salvador. Any user would be better off looking for alternatives.
For further details, please keep reading:
Other options
Paypal seems to be the overall best option for mobile payments. It allows users to make financial transactions between themselves, pay for goods and exchange currencies. They have also developed mobile apps for Android and iOS. Cryptocurrency can also be traded through PayPal. The website boasts availability in over 200 countries and 25 currencies across the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, Europe and North and South America. This includes El Salvador though cards are another manner.
The four categories of service they provide are:
- Send only (allows for sending money only, valid in 97 countries)
- PayPal Zero (it allows for the enrollment, entering and withdrawing of funds in foreign currency, but the user cannot hold the balance PayPal account, valid in 18 countries)
- SRW Send-Receive-Withdrawal (it allows for enrollment, input-output and keeping PayPal account balance in the currency and to transfer to the card when the user sees fit, valid in 41 countries)
- Local currency (SRW + local currency transactions, valid in 21 countries)
In El Salvador, you can send/receive payments.
WorldRemit is an international digital payment serv8ce that boasts services across 130 countries and 70 currencies. It also boasts services in English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch and German. Senders can be from 50 countries and received in 148 countries. The greatest market is in Africa, with plans of expansion to Asia and reinforcing businesses in the US. Money can be received in every country in Africa with the exceptions of Sudan, South Sudan, Eswatini, Eritrea, Libya and Algeria. WorldRemit does not possess cards but it does work in EL Salvador.
Wise is a financial service company. It offers its card termed as the Wise card. It allows online payments and ATM card withdrawals.
The list of countries where the WISE card is ineffective range from Afghanistan to North Korea and from Somalia to the Congo. Moreover, if the card was issued in the US, then it would also be ineffective in countries ranging from Belarus and Lebanon to Vietnam, Burma and Sri Lanka. Other countries for the latter category also include Pakistan, Nigeria etc. The entire list can be viewed at: wise.com.
Other options to Avoid: They Do Not Work in El Salvador
Xe is another financial service company that focuses on foreign exchange and financial services. However, it does not possess physical cards. While it functions in over 130 countries in 98 currencies, it does not include El Salvador.
Venmo has been a subsidiary of PayPal since 2012 and functions as a mobile payment service. Users require a valid email address and an American mobile number to use Venmo’s app. However, it does not work internationally.
Conclusion
While the CashApp card does not work in El Salvador, that does not mean that users are without options. PayPal, WorldRemit and Wise are just a few options available today. Some of them even provide cards.
Frequently asked questions:
- What Is the Pricing of Wise Debit cards?
It takes 9$ to order a card and 5$ for replacements. Spending money with the card is without fees. ATM withdrawals of over 2 per month and over 100$ per month are liable to fees of 1.50$ per withdrawal or a fee of 2% per withdrawal respectively.
- How can you use WorldRemit to transfer money to El Salvador?
There are three different means of transfer: Airtime Top-up, Bank Transfers and Cash Pickup.
- What exactly are PayPal accounts?
Individual accounts are recommended for individuals and non-businesses whereas business accounts are recommended for companies and groups. Users can have multiple accounts.
