Singapore, 18 August 2025 – Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has unveiled the findings of its annual Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, drawing on responses from 44,000 senders and receivers across 20 countries and territories. The report highlights global remittance patterns, with Asia Pacific standing out as a central hub within the $905 billion remittance ecosystem.
The study reveals that digital applications are now the preferred channel for remittances, with user experience—specifically simplicity, security, privacy, and safety—emerging as the leading factors behind this shift.
Chavi Jafa, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa, stated, “Remittances have long driven growth across Asia Pacific, uplifting many economies in the region. The clear shift to app-based remittances reflects the region’s demographics and the growing prominence of digital payment modes, as well as user preferences for easy, safe and quick ways to send and receive money. This shift is an important one for banks, remitters and fintechs to note as it will shape how they engage and serve evolving consumer expectations.”
Key Findings for Asia Pacific
Digital Apps Lead and are Considered The Fastest Method
- Digital apps remain the top choice for sending and receiving remittances across Asia Pacific, with the highest usage recorded in India (74%/76%), the Philippines (74%/66%), and Singapore (70%/75%)
- Japan has also seen notable growth, with digital app usage climbing by 10% (58%/56%) compared with 2024.
- More than half of respondents in the Philippines (73%/73%), Australia (58%/55%), Singapore (67%/66%), and India (55%/53%) view digital payments as the quickest way to access funds.
- A majority of users across the region report smooth digital transfer experiences, particularly in Australia (48%/53%), Japan (37%/41%), Singapore (36%/37%), and Mainland China (38%/31%), which showed significant improvements since 2024 (+13%/+8%).
Motivations for Remittances Vary by Market
- Contributing to accounts and investments is a key reason for sending and receiving remittances in Mainland China (45%/36%), Singapore (38%/33%), and Japan (27%/23%).
- Humanitarian needs, both general and specific, were cited as major drivers in Mainland China (45%/33%), India (40%), Singapore (27%), and Australia (25%).
- Emergency-related remittances were most prominent in India (44%), the Philippines (41%), and Australia (31%).
- Regular remittance inflows remain essential for many, particularly in the Philippines (39%), Mainland China (34%), and India (30%).
Security and Convenience Outweigh Fee-related Concerns
- Digital apps are regarded as the most secure way to transfer funds, with strong confidence expressed in India (50%/53%), Australia (49%/45%), and Singapore (44%/42%).
- Ease of use was highlighted by respondents in Singapore (51%/51%), the Philippines (48%/54%), Japan (47%/42%), and Australia (42%/40%).
- Fees remain the primary drawback, with the Philippines (43%/30%), India (36%/33%), and Singapore (32%/32%) leading in citing digital remittance charges as a concern.
- Similarly, high transaction costs were reported as the leading pain point for physical remittances across the region, with the Philippines (45%/29%), India (41%/37%), Singapore (38%/30%), and Australia (29%/30%) topping the list.
- Inconvenience and long travel distances were also identified as barriers, particularly in India (36%) and Mainland China (27%). In Australia and Singapore, 29% of respondents each considered the physical process to be time-consuming and inconvenient, compounded by high fees.
- Confidence in the security of physical remittances remains low (3%-6%) across most Asia Pacific countries, with Mainland China slightly higher at 10%-12%.
Visa’s Continued Commitment
With one billion people worldwide depending annually on remittance services and platforms, Visa remains committed to innovating solutions that enhance efficiency in money movement and expand financial access.
Rhidoi Krishnakumar, Vice President, Head of Visa Direct, Asia Pacific, Visa, explained, “Remittances have long been a lifeline across Asia Pacific, and they will continue to play a vital role in uplifting communities and livelihoods. At the same time, many small businesses are also beneficiary of remittances driving local growth in local economies. At Visa, we recognise the enduring purpose of our role in delivering remittances on behalf of our clients and continue to innovate and build solutions to enable more efficient, reliable and secure ways to move money.”
Visa partners with international remitters including MOIN, WireBarley, Money Chain World Remittance and EzRemit, enabling more streamlined, digitised money transfers.
