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Ugly Cash review

Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Ugly Cash suits businesses paying staff and suppliers across Central and South America, with conversion fees of 0.66% to 2% and balances held under FDIC up to USD 250,000. The monthly charge is the trade-off, and the clarity of the pricing plus fast local payouts is what you pay it for.

Key facts

Best for
Paying staff and suppliers across Central and South America each month.
Transfer fee
Fixed $2.00 plus a variable percentage per country on local bank withdrawals: El Salvador $3.00 under $200 or $4.00 above, Guatemala 1.0%, Honduras 1.25%, Costa Rica 1.0%, Chile 1.0%, Peru 1.0%, Ecuador 0.5%, Colombia 0.35%, Dominican Republic 1.5%, Paraguay $0.5 plus 1%↗
Exchange rate markup
0.5%↗
Delivery time
Up to 24 business hours for local bank withdrawals; fast local withdrawals available 24/7 including weekends and holidays↗
Payout methods
Bank, Cash-pickup, Card↗
Currencies
3↗
Legal entity
Best Friend Finance, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Support channels
Email, Help-centre↗
Official website
ugly.cash

Everyday accounts

Monthly fee
$20↗
Deposit protection
FDIC up to USD 250,000↗
Currency conversion fee
0.66% to 2%↗
Local account details
Us-ACH↗
Audience
Business

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 8 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
Xreddit.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Payout routes cover bank transfers, cash pickup and cards (bank, cash pickup and card)
  • Fast local withdrawals run around the clock, weekends and holidays included
  • Balances are held under FDIC up to USD 250,000
  • Local account details are supplied for us ach, so payouts land on local rails

Cons

  • The monthly fee of $20 sits well above the €0 site median
  • Currency coverage of 3 is narrower than the 5 median
  • Support runs on email and help centre only
Ugly Cash

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Scored 9.1 / 10 by VaultCue.

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Who it suits

  • Businesses paying staff and suppliers in Central and South America each month
  • Firms that want cash pickup as well as bank payouts (bank, cash pickup and card)
  • Teams that want a published markup (0.5%) and known account pricing ($20)

Who should look elsewhere

  • Skrill, where bank transfers carry no transfer fee, if a fixed monthly charge is the wrong deal
  • Paysera, whose euro transfers to SEPA and Paysera users cost nothing, if your money moves in euro

Safety of your money

Ugly Cash appears with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (31000301748746), and under Bridge Building Inc with the NMLS (2450917). It is also registered with the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera in Mexico (Marca SAT 5562722728), the Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador (651358ee79e50005ac4733d7) and the Comision Nacional de Activos Digitales (PSAD-0015).

Who runs it

Ugly Cash is run by a company headquartered in the US (US), with support through email and help centre. US registrations cover the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Bridge Building Inc with the NMLS. The Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera in Mexico, the Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador and the Comision Nacional de Activos Digitales also appear.

How Ugly Cash compares

Where Ugly Cash is available

Available
Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bolivia, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia
Licence in United States
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), U.S. Department of the Treasury (31000301748746), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Bridge Building Inc (NMLS) (2450917), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in Puerto Rico
Oficina del Comisionado de Instituciones Financieras (OCIF), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in Mexico
Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (UIF), Mexico (Marca SAT 5562722728), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in El Salvador
Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador (651358ee79e50005ac4733d7), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in El Salvador
Comision Nacional de Activos Digitales (CNAD), El Salvador (PSAD-0015), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does Ugly Cash cost each month?+

The business account carries a monthly fee of $20, the main charge here, since most services on the site charge nothing. Currency conversion runs at 0.66% to 2%, so the total depends on how often and how much you convert.

What is the exchange rate markup?+

The markup is 0.5%, against a site median of 0.9%, and conversion runs at 0.66% to 2%. Both are published before you send, so the spread on a payment is visible in advance.

What do local bank withdrawals cost?+

Each local bank withdrawal adds a fixed charge plus a variable percentage that changes by country, so cost depends on where the money lands. Card payouts lean on the conversion rate instead, and payout routes listed are bank, cash pickup and card.

How fast are withdrawals?+

Local bank withdrawals can take up to a business day to arrive, while fast local withdrawals run around the clock, weekends and holidays included. Cash pickup sits within bank, cash pickup and card, so money can be collected in person when a bank payout is too slow.

Is my money protected?+

Balances sit under FDIC up to USD 250,000. The service is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (31000301748746), and under Bridge Building Inc with the NMLS.

How many currencies can I hold?+

You can hold 3, a narrow list next to rivals, while the median service on the site carries more (5). Local account details are supplied for us ach, so payouts arrive through local banking rails.

How do I get help?+

Support runs through email and help centre, so questions go by email or through the help centre. Neither a phone line nor live chat sits in that list, which matters when a payout is stuck and you want someone on the line.

Sources

Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Licence type.

Ugly Cash

Ugly Cash

Paying staff and suppliers across Central and South America each month.

9.1/10See alternatives