Remittances in APAC surge as digital apps take the lead, study shows

By Puja Sharma

Visa, a digital payments firm, announced results from its annual Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report based on responses from 44,000 senders and receivers across 20 countries and territories. The report tracks remittance trends around the world, including the Asia Pacific, a key region in the $905 billion global remittance landscape.

“Remittances have long driven growth across Asia Pacific, uplifting many economies in the region,” said Chavi Jafa, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “The clear shift to app-based remittances reflects the region’s demographics, 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.”

With one billion people relying every year on remittance services and platforms, Visa continues to innovate and build solutions to enable payments businesses to enhance operational efficiency in money movement and broaden financial access for their customers.

“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 beneficiaries of remittances, driving local growth in local economies,” said Rhidoi Krishnakumar, Vice President, Head of Visa Direct, Asia Pacific, Visa. “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.”

Key findings in this year’s survey show digital applications as the most popular method for sending and receiving remittances, and ease of use, safety, privacy, and security as the top four user experience benefits driving such preference.

Key Findings for Asia Pacific

Digital apps remain the most popular and fastest option

• Mobile apps are now the top choice for sending and receiving remittances in Asia Pacific, with usage highest in India, the Philippines, and Singapore — reaching around three-quarters of all users in these markets.
• Japan is also catching up, with app usage up 10% from last year.
• More than half of respondents in the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and India say digital payments are the fastest way to access funds.
• Most users across the region report no problems with digital transfers, with satisfaction especially high in Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Mainland China, which saw strong improvements since 2024.

Why people send and receive remittances

• Many transfers are made to contribute to bank accounts or investments, especially in Mainland China, Singapore, and Japan.
• Humanitarian needs are another key driver, particularly in Mainland China, India, Singapore, and Australia.
• India, the Philippines, and Australia lead in sending money for unexpected expenses.
• Regular support payments are most common in the Philippines, Mainland China, and India.

Security and convenience outweigh cost concerns

• Digital apps are widely seen as the most secure way to send or receive money, with strong confidence levels in India, Australia, and Singapore.
• Ease of use also ranks highly, especially in Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, and Australia.
• However, high fees are still the top complaint for both digital and physical remittances, led by users in the Philippines, India, and Singapore.
• Physical remittances face additional challenges such as inconvenience and long travel distances, particularly in India and Mainland China.
• Security perceptions for physical remittances remain very low across the region.