Sending money from the United Kingdom to Jamaica: the payments stack
Sending GBP 120 from the United Kingdom to Jamaica cost 4.45% of the amount on average in Q3 2025, across 20 services in the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide survey. Payouts in Jamaica typically run over JamClear-RTGS, ACH; between now and the end of 2027 there are 5 weekdays when banks in the United Kingdom are closed but Jamaica keeps paying out, so the payout balance has to be funded before them.
| Average cost to send | 4.45% of GBP 120 (Q3 2025, World Bank RPW) source |
| Money transfer operators | 4.45% across 20 services |
| Collect in United Kingdom | Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs (Direct Credit and Direct Debit) |
| Pay out in Jamaica | JamClear-RTGS, ACH, JAM-DEX |
What it costs to send GBP 120
The World Bank surveyed 20 services sending from the United Kingdom to Jamaica from 8 August 2025 to 28 August 2025. The average total cost, fees plus the FX margin, was 4.45% of the amount sent; money transfer operators averaged 4.45%. source
Bank and operator averages are worked out from the survey's provider types.
The send side: the United Kingdom
- Money remittance and the execution of credit transfers and direct debits are payment services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017; a firm providing them must be an authorised payment institution or a small payment institution unless it is already another type of payment service provider or is exempt. Issuing e-money requires authorisation or registration under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. source
- Initial capital for an authorised payment institution is 20,000 euros for money remittance only, 50,000 euros for payment initiation and 125,000 euros for the services in paragraphs 1(a) to (e) of Schedule 1, such as executing payment transactions (PSRs 2017, Schedule 3). source
- An authorised e-money institution needs initial capital of at least 350,000 euros; a small e-money institution with average outstanding e-money of 500,000 euros or more holds at least 2% of that amount (EMRs 2011, Schedule 2). source
Licences, sponsor banks, collections, ramps and KYC providers: sending from the United Kingdom.
The payout side: Jamaica
| Payout partner | What it does in Jamaica | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GraceKennedy Money Services | Western Union's partner in Jamaica since 1990; recipients collect cash at GraceKennedy locations or receive Western Union transfers directly into accounts at FGB, BNS, NCB, CIBC, JN, Sagicor, VMBS and JMMB. | source |
| LASCO Money Transfer | Pays remittances from partners including MoneyGram, Ria, Boss Money and Remitly for cash pickup at LASCO Money Stores and LASCO Money Agents island-wide, or onto the LASCO GOLD Visa prepaid card. | source |
| JMMB Money Transfer | Pays remittances from overseas partners including Ria, MoneyGram, Xoom, Remitly, Paysend, Taptap Send and Thunes, for pickup at JMMB Bank branches and agent locations or onto the JMMB Money Transfer Visa prepaid card. | source |
| Lynk (TFOB (2021) Limited) | Mobile wallet where users claim MoneyGram and Western Union remittances, with MoneyGram claims of up to J$100,000 a day. | source |
| Nium · our guide | Pays JMD by local wire to all SWIFT-enabled banks in Jamaica, listed as T2 delivery with a 07:30 UTC processing cut-off. | source |
Licensing, local banks, stablecoin ramps, FX and KYC in Jamaica: launching payments in Jamaica.
Payout rails in Jamaica
| Rail | Operator | What matters for payouts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| JamClear-RTGS | Bank of Jamaica | Real-time gross settlement for large-value (J$1 million and above) and time-critical payments on accounts at the BOJ, with final and irrevocable settlement; participants include deposit-taking institutions, primary dealers and the Accountant General's Department. | source |
| ACH | Automated Payments Limited, operated by JETS Limited | Systemically important retail system, live since October 2002, that clears and settles cheques, direct debits and direct credits on a deferred net settlement basis; Retail Payments Jamaica Limited, chaired by the BOJ, oversees it. | source |
| JAM-DEX | Bank of Jamaica | Central bank digital currency held in wallets issued by banks, building societies, merchant banks or authorised payment service providers, paid by QR code or wallet ID. | source |
Holiday gaps to plan for, to December 2027
Weekdays when one side of the corridor is closed. On the 5 dates when the United Kingdom is closed and Jamaica is open, the payout balance has to already hold enough to cover them. On the 5 dates when Jamaica is closed, instant rails may still pay out.
| Date | United Kingdom | Jamaica | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day | Christmas Day | Both closed |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Open | Prefund Jamaica the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | Both closed |
| Wed 10 Feb 2027 | Open | Ash Wednesday | Jamaica banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | Good Friday | Both closed |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | Easter Monday | Both closed |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Early May bank holiday | Open | Prefund Jamaica the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 24 May 2027 | Open | National Labour Day (observed) | Jamaica banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 31 May 2027 | Spring bank holiday | Open | Prefund Jamaica the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Open | Emancipation Day (observed) | Jamaica banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Fri 6 Aug 2027 | Open | Independence Day | Jamaica banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 30 Aug 2027 | Summer bank holiday | Open | Prefund Jamaica the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
| Mon 18 Oct 2027 | Open | National Heroes' Day | Jamaica banks closed: only always-on rails pay out |
| Mon 27 Dec 2027 | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Boxing Day holiday (by ministerial appointment) | Both closed |
| Tue 28 Dec 2027 | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Open | Prefund Jamaica the day before: no funding from the United Kingdom, payouts continue |
Full calendars: United Kingdom and Jamaica. Size the buffer with the corridor runway calculator.
Funding the corridor
- Faster Payments is available to customers 24/7, but net settlement between participants takes place in the Bank of England RTGS system three times each business day. source
- CHAPS does not run on weekends or England and Wales bank holidays, and the customer payment deadline is 17:40, so any same-day sterling funding of an overseas account must be instructed before then. source
- Primary agents must hold foreign currency settlement accounts for netting with their overseas providers, and they can convert only where it is incidental to the business, such as paying the JMD equivalent of an inbound remittance. source
- Customer RTGS transfers at Scotiabank Jamaica run from 08:00 to 14:30 on business days; transfers after the cut-off, at weekends and on public holidays are processed the next business day. source
- The BOJ's B-FXITT sale of US$40 million on Friday 16 October 2026 took bids until 09:45, settled on Tuesday 20 October, limited each entity to 20% of the offer, and capped resale to end-users at a J$0.20 spread over the buy price. source
Running the corridor
Polynopsis shows every balance on both sides of this corridor in one live position: the collection accounts in United Kingdom, the payout partners and banks in Jamaica and any stablecoin in between. It warns before the Jamaica balance runs dry, holidays included. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send money from the United Kingdom to Jamaica?
The World Bank's survey put the average total cost of sending GBP 120 at 4.45% in Q3 2025, across 20 services. Money transfer operators averaged 4.45%.
Which rails pay out in Jamaica?
Local payouts run over JamClear-RTGS, ACH, JAM-DEX.
When do I need to prefund Jamaica payouts ahead of holidays?
Between now and December 2027 there are 5 weekdays when the United Kingdom is closed and Jamaica is open, the first on Mon 28 Dec 2026. The payout balance has to cover those days before they start.
Related corridors
Sources
- World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset · World Bank
- UK bank holidays (JSON feed) · GOV.UK
- UK bank holidays · GOV.UK
- The Holidays (Public General) Act · Ministry of Justice, Laws of Jamaica
- Observance of National Labour Day 2026 · Jamaica Information Service
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.
About Polynopsis
Polynopsis is liquidity management software for cross-border payment companies. The name joins poly, many, and synopsis, a seeing together: one live view of money spread across many banks, payout partners, exchanges and stablecoin wallets, including money in flight, with a warning before any corridor runs dry.
Why it is called Polynopsis · About Polynopsis · Glossary · Corridor runway calculator