SAN FRANCISCO—A Visa survey has found digital payments are the most popular way to send money outside the country, with 23% of those surveyed having done so and 65% saying they planned to do so this year’s holiday season.
Release of the survey data did not include a clarification around in which countries the survey was performed.
Visa said that these findings align with a general digital trend worldwide, adding that digital payments have opened new avenues for U.S. consumers to more easily support their international family members.
Visa also noted that globally, in total, there are around 800-million people who receive money from loved ones to pay for things as basic as food, utilities or education, Pymnts.com reported.
Ruben Salazar, global head of Visa Direct, said he has personally faced the complexity of sending money internationally, and added that while it was a much more difficult process to go through in decades past, it can be made easier still.
“As cross border money transfers become increasingly digital, we built Visa Direct, which connects five billion cards and bank accounts in 200 geographies and 160 currencies, to help drastically simplify and accelerate the process of sending funds back home and ultimately improve the lives of migrant workers across the globe,” Salazar said in a statement.