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Before you hit "Confirm transfer," run this one checklistThe pre-send checklist: your last step before sending or signing up

Most botched transfers don't come from not knowing the process; they come from skipping one line you should have checked at the moment you acted: a recipient's name typed with one letter wrong, a domain with an extra hyphen, a "limited time" push that rushed you past a check. This page gathers the points scattered across RemitPath's other guides into one tick-box list to run before you press "Confirm." If you've already chosen a channel and are ready to send or sign up, three minutes covers it. If you haven't even settled on a method yet, go back to the four-way comparison first. A cross-border transfer is usually hard to undo once it leaves, so what these three minutes save you can be the whole amount.

How to use this checklist

The checklist comes in four groups: channel and amount received, official domain and security, recipient details and compliance, and when to stop right away. Go through them in order, and wherever one won't tick, fix that item before you act. There's a consolidated checklist at the end you can screenshot or print to check against on the spot.

1. Channel & amount received

Whether the money goes far is decided before you send. Check these to dodge the most common "zero-fee" trap:

  • You've compared "how much the recipient receives" across two or three providers, not just what the fee says. For how to compare, see how fees and the margin eat your money.
  • The channel matches how the recipient collects (if they can only take cash, don't pick a bank-deposit-only method).
  • On a large wire, you've confirmed who pays the intermediary fee, so the recipient isn't deducted again.
  • If you're weighing stablecoins, you've added up all three legs (buy, on-chain and cash-out), not just the "almost free on-chain" line.
  • You've noted the expected arrival time, so money you need urgently isn't caught by a weekend or holiday delay.

2. Official domain & account security

This group is the core of avoiding scams. Nine times out of ten, a scam lands on "clicking a fake link" or "handing over something you shouldn't":

  • You've confirmed the official domain yourself, character by character, in the address bar, not arriving at a login or sign-up page via a strange link, a forwarded message or a search ad.
  • Your account has two-factor authentication (2FA) on, and the password isn't reused from another site.
  • You haven't logged in on a public computer, an internet café, or someone else's phone; log out as soon as you're done.
  • You're clear on one thing: no legitimate platform will ask you for your password, OTP, private key or seed phrase, and whoever asks is a scammer.
  • You haven't installed remote-control software or shared your screen at a stranger's request. For more tactics, see money transfer scams & safety.

3. Recipient details & local compliance

The money reaches the right person, the recipient can use it, and both sides are acting lawfully: only then is the transfer truly a success.

  • The recipient's name, country, and account or collection method are checked character by character (a lot of losses come from a detail typed wrong).
  • The recipient has confirmed they can receive and use it; for stablecoins especially, they need a reliable, lawful cash-out route and the know-how to use it.
  • You've kept the transaction receipt or reference number, so you can query the platform with it if anything goes wrong.
  • Fees and rates are whatever the provider's page shows in real time; distrust any "fixed promotional rate" claim.
  • You and the recipient have each confirmed the law where you are allows sending and receiving this way; this site doesn't rule on compliance for any country.

4. When to stop right away

If, at the final check, any one of the signs below appears, stop and don't pay another cent:

"Pay first before you can receive or withdraw" = a scam. Anyone telling you to pay a release fee, a deposit or a tax before you can unlock your own money is running a scam; a legitimate cash-out never needs you to pay extra up front. Pay the first amount and they'll just invent a second. Stop the moment you hit it, and don't cling to the hope that "one more payment gets it back."
  • Someone claims to be the platform's support or security team, contacts you out of the blue, and pushes you to transfer or to share an OTP (a legitimate platform won't reach out to you like this).
  • They rush you ("act now, limited slots"), leaving no time to verify the official domain.
  • They promise gains with no downside, returns that can't fail, or recommend an "insider coin" that will surge.
  • They want you to send the money to a "private escrow account" first before funds are released.

The full checklist in one place

Here are the four groups pulled into one, so you can screenshot or print it and tick each item before you act:

  • Compared "amount the recipient receives" across two or three providers, not just the fee.
  • Channel matches how the recipient collects; on a large send, confirmed who pays the intermediary fee.
  • For stablecoins, added up all three legs (buy + on-chain + cash-out) and run a small test through first.
  • Confirmed the official domain myself in the address bar; didn't click a strange link.
  • Account has 2FA on; didn't log in on a shared or public device.
  • Never hand over my password, OTP, private key or seed phrase to anyone.
  • Recipient's name, country, and account or collection method checked character by character.
  • Kept the transaction receipt or reference number.
  • Fees and rates go by whatever the provider's page shows in real time.
  • Both sides confirmed the law where they are allows it.
  • Stop right away at any "pay first before you can receive or withdraw."

Common questions

Does this checklist apply to every way of sending money?
Yes. Whether you use a bank wire, a transfer app, Western Union or stablecoins, the core items all hold: compare the amount received, confirm the official domain, check the recipient details, be wary of "pay first." Stablecoins just add two more: "the three-leg total" and "can the recipient cash out."

I already sent it and only then realised I didn't check. What now?
First, keep the transaction receipt or reference number, and contact the platform's support through the official domain right away to query it or request help; if you suspect a scam, follow the steps in money transfer scams & safety to stop paying, keep evidence and report it to your local police.

Will you operate or receive the money for me?
No. We only provide guides and checklists. We never register, receive money or act for you, and never ask for any password or seed phrase.

Where to verify: each transfer service's and exchange's fees and rules go by its current official page; cross-border costs can be cross-checked against public data such as the World Bank's "Remittance Prices Worldwide." This article is education, not investment or legal advice.
Published 18 Jun 2026: gathers the points scattered across the guides into four groups (amount received, official domain, recipient details, when to stop) as one tick-box, screenshot-friendly pre-send checklist.


ZL

Zhou Lan

Worked in cross-border payments and remittance support, and collected years of avoided traps into one tick-box list.About the author →