To send money to India with MAJORITY, open the app or WhatsApp, pick India, choose bank transfer, mobile wallet, or cash pickup, then confirm in rupees.
Quick answer
The full process is short: open an account with a government-issued ID (no SSN required), open the app or start a transfer through WhatsApp, choose India as the destination, pick how your recipient should receive the money (a bank deposit using their IFSC and account number, a mobile wallet send, or a cash pickup at a partner location), enter the USD amount, review the live USD-to-INR rate and the Indian rupee total the recipient will receive, then confirm. Bank transfers to India typically arrive in 30 minutes to 5 business days; cash pickup is usually available the same day; mobile wallet deposits are usually available within minutes to hours.
What you need to know
- You do not need an SSN to open an account. A valid government-issued photo ID is enough, such as an Indian passport, a US passport, or a US driver's license.
- Transfers can be started from the app or from WhatsApp. Both channels send to the same India delivery methods.
- India supports three main delivery methods: bank transfer to an Indian bank account, mobile wallet deposit, and cash pickup at a partner location.
- An Indian bank transfer uses the recipient's 11-character IFSC code together with their Indian bank account number; the IFSC identifies the specific branch, and the account number identifies the account at that branch.
- The exchange rate and the exact Indian rupee (INR) amount the recipient will receive appear in the app before you confirm the transfer.
- The membership is $5.99 per month and includes transfers to India at $0 per transfer, regardless of delivery method.
Step 1: Open an account with a government-issued ID
You can open an account without an SSN. A valid government-issued photo ID is the core requirement. Common examples for Indian applicants in the US include:
| ID type | Issued by |
|---|---|
| Indian passport | Government of India |
| US passport | United States federal government |
| US driver's license | A US state government |
| Other accepted government-issued photo ID | The country or US state of issue |
Download the app from the App Store or Google Play, scan your ID, enter your address and phone number, and wait for approval. Once your account is opened, you can send money to India from the same app.
Step 2: Open the app or start a transfer through WhatsApp
There are two ways to start an India transfer. Both end at the same delivery options and the same exchange rate.
- In the app. Open the app and tap Send money. The transfer flow walks you through choosing the destination country, the delivery method, and the recipient.
- Through WhatsApp. WhatsApp is supported as a sending channel for members. The conversational flow asks for the same details (destination, delivery method, recipient, amount) and uses the same India delivery methods.
If a recipient already has your transfer details saved, repeat sends are a few taps.
Step 3: Pick India and choose a delivery method
Select India as the destination country. You then choose how your recipient will receive the money. The three main options for India are bank transfer, mobile wallet, and cash pickup. Each one needs slightly different information from your recipient.
| Delivery method | What your recipient gives you | Typical speed |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Full legal name on the account, 11-character IFSC code, account number | 30 minutes to 5 business days, depending on the receiving bank |
| Mobile wallet | Full legal name and the mobile wallet account details (UPI-linked wallets are common in India) | Minutes to hours |
| Cash pickup | Full legal name as it appears on a government-issued ID and the partner network they will use | Same day at participating locations |
Bank transfer is usually the right choice if your recipient holds an Indian bank account, mobile wallet is convenient if your recipient already uses a UPI-linked wallet, and cash pickup works if your recipient does not have a bank account and lives near a partner location.
Step 4: Collect the right recipient details
The detail set you need depends on the delivery method.
Bank transfer to an Indian bank account
The required details are the recipient's full legal name as it appears on the account, the 11-character IFSC code of their branch, and the full account number. The IFSC is an alphanumeric code assigned by the Reserve Bank of India that identifies a specific bank branch on the country's electronic settlement delivery methods. The first 4 characters are letters (the bank code), the 5th is always 0, and the last 6 are the branch identifier. Your recipient can find their IFSC printed on their checkbook or passbook, in their bank's mobile app, or by searching the Reserve Bank of India's public IFSC lookup. The account number can vary in length by bank (typically 9 to 18 digits); enter it exactly as your recipient gives it to you, with no spaces and no trimmed leading zeros.
Mobile wallet deposit
A mobile wallet send needs the recipient's full legal name and the mobile wallet account details. UPI-linked wallets are common in India; the funds arrive in the recipient's wallet balance in rupees.
Cash pickup at a partner location
A cash pickup needs the recipient's full legal name as it appears on a government-issued ID and the partner network they will use to collect the funds. The recipient picks up the money in rupees by presenting their ID and the pickup reference shown in the app.
Step 5: Enter the amount, review the rate, and send
The final stretch happens on one screen.
- Enter the USD amount you want to send.
- Check the exchange rate. The app shows the live USD-to-INR rate at the moment you are sending, along with the exact rupee total the recipient will receive.
- Check the estimated delivery time the app shows for the specific method, bank, and time of day.
- Review the recipient details on the summary screen one last time. A name mismatch, an invalid IFSC, or the wrong pickup network is the most common cause of a held or returned transfer.
- Authenticate with your PIN or biometrics and confirm the transfer.
- Track the transfer on the activity screen. A notification arrives when the funds are released and another when they reach the recipient.
If the summary does not look right, tap back and fix the detail. A returned transfer because of an incorrect IFSC or name can take several business days to resolve.
How Indian payment delivery methods affect timing
After the cross-border step lands, the funds settle inside India on Indian domestic delivery methods. Knowing which option handles your transfer helps explain why timing varies by recipient.
- IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) is a 24/7 instant interbank transfer system operated by NPCI. Many India transfers credit the recipient's bank account via IMPS, which is part of why bank deposits often land in minutes rather than days.
- NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) is a near-continuous batch settlement system run under the Reserve Bank of India. NEFT transfers usually settle within a few hours, though timing depends on which batch the transfer falls into.
- UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is the consumer-facing instant-payment layer most Indian wallets and many bank apps use. A recipient with a UPI-linked account can usually receive funds in seconds once the underlying bank account or wallet is credited.
Your provider abstracts most of this from you. What matters for your transfer is that the IFSC and account number are correct; the receiving bank then chooses the appropriate option to credit the funds based on the amount and its own internal cutoffs.
What it costs to send money to India
There are two cost components: the membership and the exchange rate.
- The membership is $5.99 per month. It includes international transfers in supported countries, including India, at $0 per transfer, regardless of delivery method.
- The exchange rate is the one shown in the app at the moment you confirm the transfer. The rate and the resulting Indian rupee (INR) total appear before you tap send, so you can decide based on the actual number your recipient will receive.
The Indian receiving bank typically does not deduct a fee on local-currency (INR) deposits, though policies vary by institution. Cash pickup at partner locations is included in the same $0 per-transfer treatment.
What to do next
- Make sure you have a valid government-issued ID ready (an Indian passport, a US passport, a US driver's license, or another accepted government-issued photo ID) and open the app to sign up.
- Ask your recipient how they want to receive the money: an Indian bank account (gather the IFSC and the account number), a mobile wallet (gather the wallet details), or cash pickup (confirm which partner network they will use).
- Open the app or start the transfer through WhatsApp, pick India, choose the delivery method, and enter the recipient.
- Enter the USD amount, review the rate and rupee total, confirm, and track the transfer in the activity screen.
How MAJORITY can help
MAJORITY is a financial membership for migrants in the US that supports money transfers to more than 30 countries, including India. India transfers are available through bank deposit to an Indian bank account (using the recipient's IFSC and account number), mobile wallet deposit, and cash pickup at partner locations, with the live USD-to-INR exchange rate and estimated delivery time shown in the app before each transfer is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send money to India with MAJORITY?
Open the app or WhatsApp, choose India as the destination, pick bank transfer (with the recipient's IFSC code and account number), mobile wallet, or cash pickup, enter the USD amount, review the live exchange rate and the Indian rupee total, then confirm.
Can I send money to India from the US without an SSN?
Yes. Opening an account does not require an SSN. A valid government-issued photo ID is enough, such as an Indian passport, a US passport, or a US driver's license. Once the account is open, you can send to India through the same app.
Can I send money to India via WhatsApp?
Yes. Transfers to India can be started either inside the app or from WhatsApp. Both channels use the same exchange rate, the same delivery options (bank transfer, mobile wallet, or cash pickup), and the same India delivery methods.
What is an IFSC code and where does my recipient find theirs?
The IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) is an 11-character code assigned by the Reserve Bank of India that identifies a specific bank branch. Your recipient can find it printed on their checkbook or passbook, in their bank's mobile app, or by searching the Reserve Bank of India's public IFSC lookup.
What information do I need to send a bank transfer to India?
You need the recipient's full legal name as it appears on the account, the 11-character IFSC code of their branch, and the full account number. Confirming these in writing with your recipient is the easiest way to avoid a typo in the IFSC or account number.
How long does a money transfer to India take?
It depends on the delivery method. Bank transfers to an Indian bank account typically take 30 minutes to 5 business days, depending on the receiving bank and whether the funds are credited via IMPS, NEFT, or another domestic option. Cash pickup at a partner location is usually available the same day. Mobile wallet deposits are typically available within minutes to hours.
How much does it cost to send money to India?
The membership is $5.99 per month and includes India transfers at $0 per transfer, regardless of delivery method. The other cost is the exchange rate at the moment you confirm the transfer; the rate and the exact rupee total are shown in the app before you send.
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.