Coronavirus Lockdown: The Ultimate Guide to Overseas Money Transfers

The Coronavirus lockdown and its socio-economic consequences has adversely influenced the entire world. At Small World, we completely understand the gravity of this pandemic and its impact on your everyday lives. Therefore, we are here to help you send and receive money despite the lockdown. During this difficult phase, you can make use of our online transfers to support your loved ones. We offer real-time exchange rates and low transaction fees to make this more affordable. For those who wish to register for our online services during the coronavirus lockdown, we also offer as free transaction. If you have been using our offline money transfer services or wish to sign up for our online money transfer services during the coronavirus lockdown, then we’ll guide you through that as well. So, here’s a complete guide to send and receive money during the coronavirus lockdown.

1.  How to sign up or register for online money transfers

If you are not an existing customer of Small World but wish to use our services due to the coronavirus lockdown, then you can sign up here. However, if you are an existing Small World customer but wish to transact online, then you can easily activate your online account by furnishing your Government ID document number and your Small World Client ID here. You must also have a private email ID and will have to confirm your date of birth to register or activate your online account. Please note that Small World does not charge you to register for its online services.

2.  Small World’s Robust Network

Small World has a broad network spread across over eighty countries, with agents present in over 250,000 locations. However, some of these locations have currently suspended in-person transactions due to the coronavirus lockdown. In such areas, we continue to operate through online transfers, a facility that our existing customers and new customers can activate for free.

We maintain high ethical standards and work with reputed channel partners to facilitate overseas money transfer. The various types of money transfers that we offer includes bank deposit, doorstep cash pickup, and delivery, mobile wallet refills, mobile top-up, and cash card reloading. So, even if the coronavirus lockdown may have caused the in-person services to be suspended in certain regions, you can still use other modes to transfer money overseas and support your loved ones.

3. Ways to Transact During the Coronavirus Lockdown

We have noticed a surge in queries from countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and the Philippines regarding our offline operations during the coronavirus lockdown. We would like to inform all our customers that due to nationwide coronavirus lockdowns, we may not be able to offer in-person cash pickup and delivery in many locations.

If you are from Ghana, then the local banks that are within our network would continue to operate between 08:30 AM to 15:00 PM from Monday to Friday. For telephonic help, you can reach out to Consolidated Bank, our Channel Partner that is currently offering free telephonic assistance to all Small World customers. If you are located in Accra, Tema, and Kumasi regions, then we recommend that you check the notices to confirm the nearest functional branches.

In Nigeria, we currently have limited operations and offer our services through certain branches of the Polaris Bank. The working hours of these branches are 9:00 AM to 13:00 PM from Monday to Friday and on Saturdays, we operate between 08:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Please note that Sunday is a weekly off in all the operating branches of the Polaris Bank.

Those from The Philippines are requested to make Bank Deposits due to limited in-person operations. You can still pick up cash from certain places such as the Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhullier, MLhuillier Kwarta Padala, RD Pawnshop, Villarica Pawnshop. Also, BDO Unibank branches are available to serve you, and you can locate the nearest branch here. You can click here for updates about our operations in various other countries. However, we would like to clarify that you can continue to make mobile money transfers to all the countries that we operate in.

Subject to the local regulations and restrictions imposed on public movement, some of our Channel Partners may be working offline during the coronavirus lockdown. However, we recommend that you make use of mobile money transfers to avoid exposing yourself and your dear ones to this dangerous and contagious pandemic. 

Coronavirus is a highly contagious disease that can spread quite easily and therefore we recommend that you avoid places such as banks and ATMs. Also, we recommend that you advise the same to your loved ones and stick to refilling cash cards online and sending money to mobile wallets. The recipient can then use this amount to make online purchases as most online retailers now accept mobile money. This eliminates the need to venture out during these tough times to withdraw money. 

New to Mobile Money?

Mobile Money refers to the process of sending money to an e-wallet, which can then be used by the recipient to make actual payments. Governments across the globe are doing their best to facilitate this mode of payment as it minimizes the potential risks that follow the in-person exchange of physical currencies.

4.  Use the Small World Mobile Application

Small World brings you an easy to use mobile application that works on both Android and iOS devices. Android users can download it through Google Store and iOS user can do the same from Apple Store. However, to use it on your iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touch, you need iOS 9.0 or above versions and for Android devices, you must have Android 5.1 and above. Once you download this application, the first thing you’ll notice is an easy to use interface. So, if you need your elderly relatives to use this application, then it shouldn’t be much of a hassle. The minimalistic design ensures easy and convenient navigation.

5. Online Transactions and Cyber Security

Small World complies with all the security measures required to keep online transactions safe and fully complies with the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) and other requirements. Accordingly, we encrypt all the communication exchanged between the client and the server, through a powerful SSL Certificate. However, you need to be cautious and avoid accessing Small World’s website or your Bank’s website through a private network. If you did that, then you could be a victim of the Man-in-the-Middle attack, which could reveal your user ID, financial details, and password to the attacker. Also, if you share your computer with others, it is recommended that you avoid saving passwords to your financial services or online shopping websites.

6. Track your in-transit money

We understand the stress that you go through while sending money overseas, especially, when the money is in-transit and yet to reach the recipient. Therefore, Small World provides you real-time tracking through its website and its mobile application. You simply need to select the Payout Country from the dropdown menu and enter the Transaction Number, also known as the MTN Number.

7. Seek Customer Support only for critical issues 

Help us serve you better by limiting your queries during these tough times as we are working with limited employees and resources. So, before reaching out to us, do read through our FAQs section and try finding answers to your queries.

We are doing the best we can to support you in these times of crisis, and in doing so, we continue to abide by the coronavirus lockdown and other restrictions imposed by the Governments of the various countries that we operate in. We request you to do the same and make use of technology to transfer money to your loved ones, without leaving your home.