How to send money to El Salvador with MAJORITY
To send money to El Salvador with MAJORITY, open the app, pick El Salvador, choose bank transfer or cash pickup, and confirm.
Quick answer
Open the app, go to Services > Money transfers, and select El Salvador as the destination country. Pick your delivery method (bank transfer to a Salvadoran bank or cash pickup), enter your recipient's details, confirm the destination fee and 1-to-1 USD-to-USD rate on the review screen, and send. Because El Salvador uses the US dollar as legal tender, the money arrives in dollars with no currency conversion, and most transfers are instant.
What you need to know
- You can open an account without a Social Security Number, using a government-issued photo ID such as a Salvadoran passport, DUI, or US driver's license.
- El Salvador uses the US dollar as legal tender, so a transfer from the US is dollar-to-dollar with no exchange-rate margin.
- Two delivery methods are supported to El Salvador: bank transfer to a Salvadoran bank and cash pickup at participating partner locations. Mobile wallet delivery is not currently available for El Salvador.
- You can start your transfer from the app or by messaging the MAJORITY WhatsApp number.
- The destination fee for El Salvador is $3.00 per transfer, and the membership is $6.99 per month.
- Most El Salvador transfers are instant. The fee and the estimated delivery time are shown in the app before you confirm.
Step 1: open an account
You can open an account in the app in a few minutes. You do not need a Social Security Number to apply.
To register, you need:
- A valid government-issued photo ID. For Salvadoran members, this can be a Salvadoran passport, Documento Único de Identidad (DUI), or Salvadoran driver's license. A US passport, US driver's license, or other federal or state ID also works.
- Your phone number and email address, for verification.
- A US residential address. This is the address used to send your Visa® Debit Card.
The signup steps inside the app are:
- Download the app for iPhone or Android.
- Enter your personal information and verify your phone number and email.
- Confirm your identity by scanning your ID and taking a selfie.
- Enter your US residential address to complete verification.
Verification usually takes only a few minutes once your ID scan is clear. Once your account is active, you can send money to El Salvador from inside the app.
Step 2: pick how you want to send (app or WhatsApp)
You can start an El Salvador transfer from inside the app or by messaging the MAJORITY WhatsApp number. Both channels route to the same delivery methods (bank transfer and cash pickup), so the choice is about which is more convenient for you on the day.
If you are already in the app for another reason, starting the transfer in the app keeps everything in one place. If WhatsApp is where you usually message your recipient in El Salvador, starting the transfer from WhatsApp can be a faster path. The fee and the estimated delivery time are shown before you confirm, regardless of which channel you start in.
The channel does not change what you pay. With a MAJORITY membership you send with a $0 MAJORITY transfer fee, and sending on WhatsApp without a membership is $1.99 per transfer. El Salvador carries a $3.00 destination fee per transfer on top of that, on every delivery method and in both channels.
Step 3: choose your El Salvador delivery method
Two delivery methods are available to a recipient in El Salvador. The right one depends on whether your recipient has a Salvadoran bank account or prefers to pick up cash in person.
| Delivery method | What your recipient needs | Typical speed |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer to a Salvadoran bank | A USD account at Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Banco Cuscatlán, Banco de América Central, Banco Hipotecario de El Salvador, Banco de Fomento Agropecuario, Banco Atlántida El Salvador, or Banco Azul de El Salvador | Most transfers instant; some banks can take up to a few business days |
| Cash pickup | A government-issued ID at a participating partner location, including Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Fedecrédito, or Fedecaces branches | Same day at participating locations |
Confirm with your recipient which method works best for them before you start the transfer. If they have a Salvadoran bank account, bank transfer drops the money straight into the account they already use. If they live closer to a Fedecrédito or Fedecaces branch than to a bank, cash pickup can be faster on the recipient side.
Step 4: enter the recipient and the amount
Once you have picked the delivery method, the app asks for the information needed to route the transfer.
For a bank transfer, you enter:
- The receiving Salvadoran bank from the list above.
- Your recipient's account number at that bank.
- Your recipient's full legal name as it appears on the account and on their DUI.
For cash pickup, you enter:
- Your recipient's full legal name exactly as it appears on the ID they will use at the pickup location.
- The general partner network (Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Fedecrédito, or Fedecaces). Your recipient can pick up at any participating branch on that network.
Then enter the USD amount you want to send. The app calculates the destination fee and shows the estimated delivery time on the next screen.
Step 5: review and send
On the review screen, the app shows the amount you are sending, the per-transfer fee, the 1-to-1 USD-to-USD rate, the amount your recipient will receive, the delivery method, and the estimated delivery time. Confirm each line matches what you intended, then tap to send.
Once you confirm, the app processes the transfer. Most El Salvador transfers are instant. The app shows the status on your end, and your recipient receives the funds through whichever delivery method you chose.
How the El Salvador destination works
El Salvador adopted the US dollar as legal tender in 2001 and uses it alongside Bitcoin under the 2021 framework. That makes this destination from the US dollar-to-dollar, with no conversion step and no exchange-rate margin.
Two practical effects follow from that:
- The amount your recipient receives equals the amount you sent, minus the per-transfer fee shown in the app. There is no spread baked into a conversion rate.
- The transfer does not have to wait on a currency-conversion step to clear. That is part of why most El Salvador transfers are instant.
Whether you send to a bank account or for cash pickup, the dollars you send arrive as dollars on the receiving side.
How long an El Salvador transfer takes
Most El Salvador transfers are instant, and the app shows the estimated delivery time on the review screen before you confirm. As general industry context, international bank transfers can take from 30 minutes to 5 business days depending on this destination and the receiving institution, and cash pickup is usually available the same day. The El Salvador destination sits toward the fast end of that range because it is USD-to-USD with no currency conversion to route.
If the credit does not appear when expected, the first place to check is the receiving bank's statement and any holds it may have placed on incoming international transfers. The transfer status is visible in the app on your end.
What to do next
- Download the app and open an account using a valid government-issued ID (no Social Security Number required).
- Confirm with your recipient in El Salvador which delivery method works best: bank transfer at a specific Salvadoran bank, or cash pickup at a Fedecrédito, Fedecaces, Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, or Davivienda El Salvador branch.
- Gather the receiving details (bank and account number, or recipient name and partner network for cash pickup).
- Open the app (or start from WhatsApp), go to Services > Money transfers, select El Salvador, and choose your delivery method.
- Enter the USD amount, review the fee and 1-to-1 USD-to-USD rate on the confirmation screen, and send.
How MAJORITY can help
MAJORITY is a financial membership for migrants in the US, and El Salvador is one of the more than 30 destinations supported. You can send to Salvadoran bank accounts at Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Banco Cuscatlán, Banco de América Central, Banco Hipotecario de El Salvador, Banco de Fomento Agropecuario, Banco Atlántida El Salvador, and Banco Azul de El Salvador, or send for cash pickup at Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Fedecrédito, and Fedecaces. Mobile wallet delivery is not currently available for El Salvador. The destination fee for El Salvador is $3.00 per transfer on every delivery method, and the fee and estimated delivery time both appear in the app before you confirm.
To learn more or get started:
Frequently asked questions
How do I send money to El Salvador with MAJORITY?
Open the app, go to Services > Money transfers, select El Salvador, choose your delivery method (bank transfer or cash pickup), enter your recipient's details and the USD amount, review the destination fee and 1-to-1 USD-to-USD rate, and confirm. The app shows the estimated delivery time before you confirm. You can also start a transfer from the WhatsApp channel if that is more convenient.
Do I need a Social Security Number to send money to El Salvador?
No. You can open an account without a Social Security Number using a valid government-issued photo ID, including a Salvadoran passport, Documento Único de Identidad (DUI), or Salvadoran driver's license. Once your account is verified, you can send money to El Salvador from inside the app.
What delivery methods are supported to El Salvador?
Two: bank transfer to a Salvadoran bank (Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Banco Cuscatlán, Banco de América Central, Banco Hipotecario de El Salvador, Banco de Fomento Agropecuario, Banco Atlántida El Salvador, or Banco Azul de El Salvador), and cash pickup at participating partner locations including Banco Agrícola, Banco Promerica, Davivienda El Salvador, Fedecrédito, and Fedecaces. Mobile wallet delivery is not currently available for El Salvador.
What currency does the transfer arrive in?
US dollars. El Salvador adopted the US dollar as legal tender in 2001 and uses it alongside Bitcoin under the 2021 framework, so dollars you send from the US arrive as dollars in El Salvador, with no local-currency conversion and no exchange-rate margin.
Can I send money to El Salvador via WhatsApp?
Yes. You can start a transfer to El Salvador from the app or by messaging the WhatsApp channel. Both route to the same delivery methods (bank transfer and cash pickup) and show the destination fee and estimated delivery time before you confirm. With a MAJORITY membership you pay a $0 MAJORITY transfer fee; without one, sending on WhatsApp is $1.99 per transfer.
How long does a money transfer to El Salvador take?
Most El Salvador transfers are instant, and the app shows the estimated delivery time on the review screen before you confirm. Across providers in general, bank transfers can take from 30 minutes to 5 business days, and cash pickup is usually available the same day.
How much does it cost to send money to El Salvador?
The destination fee for El Salvador is $3.00 per transfer, shown in the app before you confirm. The membership is $6.99 per month. Because El Salvador is a US-dollar economy, the rate displayed for this destination is 1-to-1 USD-to-USD, so the amount your recipient receives equals the amount you sent minus the per-transfer fee.
Disclosures
The MAJORITY app facilitates banking services through Axiom Bank, N.A. ("Axiom"), Member FDIC. The funds deposited in the account held at Axiom, Member FDIC, are FDIC-insured on a pass-through basis up to $250,000 per depositor in the event Axiom fails and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Non-deposit products or services such as money transfers and telecom services are not FDIC-insured.
MAJORITY Visa® Debit Card is issued by Axiom Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.