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The short answer
Some transfer firms accept UK credit cards, but your card issuer may treat the payment as a cash-like transaction. Lloyds Bank says cash transactions include wire transfers and topping up e-money or wallets, can carry a fee of up to 5%, and start charging interest as soon as they post; Barclaycard says cash interest runs from the transaction date even if you clear the balance in full. A debit card or bank payment avoids those card charges.
Two different sets of charges
When you pay for a transfer to Nigeria by credit card, costs can come from two places: the transfer firm, and your card issuer. The firm shows its fee and rate in its app. The card issuer’s charges do not appear there; they show up later on your statement.
Remitly’s UK Nigeria page lists Visa and Mastercard credit cards as accepted, along with debit cards, Apple Pay and bank transfer. WorldRemit’s UK FAQ lists “debit, credit or pre-paid cards”. So the option exists. Whether it is wise depends on how your card treats the payment.
How UK card issuers classify it
Issuers decide which merchant categories count as cash. Two examples from their own pages, read in October 2026:
- Lloyds Bank lists cash transactions as including buying foreign currency, “sending money orders or wire transfers”, and “purchasing or topping up electronic money, payment cards, mobile wallets”. It says the fee “may be up to 5%” with a possible fixed minimum, and that interest is charged “as soon as your credit card provider adds the transaction to your account”.
- Barclaycard lists gambling, lottery websites, money orders, wire transfers and buying foreign currency as cash-like, with the same rate and fee as cash. Its cash withdrawal fee is £2.99 under £100 or 2.99% over £100 (varies by card), and interest runs “from the date of the transaction, to the date you pay it off”, even if you pay the full balance by the due date.
A remittance payment is usually coded by the transfer firm as a money transfer, which many issuers treat as cash-like. The only way to be sure for your card is to read its terms or ask the issuer before you pay.
Worked example (illustrative only)
You send £500 to Lagos and pay by credit card. Suppose your issuer treats it as cash, with a 3% cash fee and a cash interest rate of 28% a year charged daily, and you clear it after 30 days.
| Item | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cash fee | £500 × 3% | £15.00 |
| Interest, 30 days | £500 × 28% × 30 ÷ 365 | £11.51 |
| Total card charges | £26.51 |
That £26.51 sits on top of whatever the transfer firm charges. Paid by debit card, the same transfer would carry only the firm’s own fee and rate. The rates in this example are invented; use your card’s stated figures.
Other things that can change
- No interest-free period. Purchases often get one if you pay in full; cash transactions usually do not.
- Repayment order. Check your card terms for how payments are allocated between purchase and cash balances.
- The firm’s own surcharge. Some firms price card payments differently from bank payments. The quote screen should show it.
- Limits. WorldRemit’s UK FAQ sets card and Apple Pay limits of £8,000 per transaction and £50,000 per 24 hours, against £100,000 for bank transfer.
Credit history and borrowing
A cash-like transaction is still borrowing, and it adds to the card balance that lenders can see. If you are planning a mortgage or a car loan in the next few months, think about how a higher balance, or repeated cash-type use, might look to a lender reviewing your statements. Ask the lender or a free credit reference service if you are unsure how your file reads.
If a relative at home needs money urgently and your own account is empty, compare the full cost of the credit card route (fee plus interest for the weeks until you can repay) with other options, such as an arranged overdraft or a smaller amount now and the rest on payday. The cheapest transfer is often the one paid from money you already have.
Cheaper ways to pay
A UK debit card is not normally treated as a cash advance, because it draws on your own money. Bank transfer or open banking “pay by bank” moves money straight from your account; see paying by open banking. Apple Pay is only a wrapper for whatever card sits behind it, so a credit card in Apple Pay is still a credit card; see Apple Pay for Nigeria transfers.
What to check first
- Your card’s terms for “cash transactions” or “cash-like transactions”.
- The cash fee and cash interest rate on your latest statement.
- The transfer firm’s quote for the same amount by debit card or bank payment.
- Whether borrowing to send money is the right move at all. If the money is for an emergency, compare it with other options first.
Where Pryme fits
If you keep pounds in a Pryme account, you can send from your own balance or convert to naira with Swap first, without a card in the middle. The app shows the rate and the fee before you approve.
Questions people ask
Is paying for a money transfer by credit card a cash advance?
Often, yes. Many UK issuers treat wire and money transfers as cash-like transactions with a cash fee and interest from day one. Check your card terms.
How much does Barclaycard charge for cash-like transactions?
Its page lists £2.99 under £100 or 2.99% over £100 for cash withdrawals, with cash-like transactions charged the same rate and fee; it varies by card.
Does paying in full avoid the interest?
Not for cash transactions on most cards. Barclaycard says cash interest applies even if you pay the full balance by the due date.
Is a debit card better for sending money to Nigeria?
It avoids credit card cash fees and interest. The transfer firm’s own fee and rate still apply, so compare the quote.
Sources
- Lloyds Bank: Withdrawing cash and cash transactions · accessed Oct 2026
- Barclaycard: Cash interest rates and fees · accessed Oct 2026
- Remitly: Send money to Nigeria (UK) · accessed Oct 2026
- WorldRemit: Send money from the United Kingdom (FAQ) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.