The words explained.
Sending money across a border makes you learn vocabulary you never asked for. Here is all of it, in one sentence each, with the longer version a click away.
IFSC code
Indian Financial System Code
- An IFSC code is an 11-character code that identifies a single bank branch in India, and it is required to pay money into an Indian bank account.
UPI ID
Unified Payments Interface identifier, also called a VPA
- A UPI ID is a short address such as name@okhdfcbank that stands in for someone's Indian bank account, letting them be paid without sharing an account number.
NRE vs NRO account
- An NRE account holds money brought into India from abroad and can be sent back out freely; an NRO account holds income earned inside India, is taxed there, and can only be sent back out within limits.
Remittance
- A remittance is a transfer of money by someone working in one country to a recipient in another, typically to family in their country of origin.
KYC
Know Your Customer
- KYC is the identity check a regulated financial provider must complete before it can move money for you, usually a government ID plus a photo of your face.
Exchange rate margin
- An exchange rate margin is the gap between the mid-market rate and the rate a provider actually gives you, and it is a cost even when the provider advertises no fee.
Mid-market rate
- The mid-market rate is the midpoint between the buy and sell prices for a currency pair on the global market, used as the reference point every other rate is measured against.
Plaid
- Plaid is the service that connects your bank account to a financial app, so the app can verify the account and debit it without ever receiving your banking password.