How to save a recipient and send again

The short answer

When you send money with Cowris, tick Save this recipient on the recipient step. Next time, you find that person under Saved recipients. Tap their name and the form fills in for you. You still check the details each time before you pay.

This guide shows how to save a recipient, how to send to them again, and what to check on every transfer.

What a recipient is

A recipient is the person you send money to. What we need from them depends on the direction you send.

You can also add a note. It is optional.

How to save a recipient the first time

Saving happens during a normal transfer. There is no separate form.

1. In the app, tap Transfer. On the website, click Send Money.
2. Enter the amount you want to send. Tap Continue.
3. On Who are you sending to? (app) or Recipient (website), fill in your recipient's details.
4. Tick Save this recipient.
5. Tap Continue, then review and pay as usual.

For a recipient in Nigeria

1. Bank: search for the bank and tap it.
2. Account number: type the 10 digits.
3. We look up the account. You see Checking the account…, then the account name with a green tick.
4. Check that the name is your recipient's name before you go on.

For more on this check, read how to check a Nigerian bank account before you send money.

For a recipient in Canada

1. Type their First name and Last name.
2. Type their Interac email. We send the money to this email by Interac e-Transfer.

Ask your recipient to confirm the email in writing. A typed email with one wrong letter goes to the wrong place.

How to send to a saved recipient

Next time, the recipient step is shorter.

1. Tap Transfer (app) or Send Money (website).
2. Enter the amount. Tap Continue.
3. On the recipient step, look under Saved recipients.
4. Tap your recipient. The form fills in with their details.
5. Check the details. Tap Continue.
6. On Review and pay (app) or Review (website), check the amounts and the recipient.
7. Choose how to pay and follow the steps on the screen.

Your saved recipients show for the currency they receive. A recipient who gets naira shows when you send to Nigeria. A recipient who gets Canadian dollars shows when you send to Canada.

Check the details every time

A saved recipient saves typing. It does not replace your check.

• Nigerian bank account: each time, look at the account name we show. Make sure it is the right person.
• Name warning on the website: if the account name is different from the name you saved, we warn you. The message says the name on the account and the name you saved, and asks you to check the bank and account number before you send money.
• Interac email: if your recipient changed their email, update it before you send.

Money sent to the wrong account may not come back. A few seconds of checking is worth it.

If your recipient changes bank

People change banks and accounts. When your recipient gives you new details:

1. Start a new transfer.
2. On the recipient step, fill in the new bank and account number as a new recipient.
3. Check the account name we show.
4. Tick Save this recipient so the new details are ready next time.

Then use the new entry from Saved recipients on your next transfer.

Avoid sending twice by mistake

Sending again is quick, so it is easy to tap twice. We help you catch this.

If you start a transfer that looks like one you just made, you see a warning. On the app, the message says you have a pending transfer with the same amount and recipient. You choose View pending transaction or Continue with new transfer. On the website, you see Is this a new transfer? and choose Yes, it's a new transfer or No, show the earlier one.

Choose with care. If you meant to send once, open the earlier transfer and pay that one.

Pay the same way each time

Saving a recipient does not change how you pay.

• CAD to NGN: pay by Interac e-Transfer. Copy the amount, email, security answer and message from the screen. Paste your transfer code in the message box. For the full steps, see how to send money to Nigeria with Interac e-Transfer.
• NGN to CAD: pay by bank transfer. Copy the details and add your transfer code as the narration.

Pay from your own bank account, in your own name. Then go back to Cowris and tap I've sent it.

Follow your transfer

After you pay, open Transactions and tap your transfer. The top shows Where your money is. You see each step, from Waiting for your payment to Completed.

When it shows Completed, your recipient has the money. You can tap View receipt.

The rate and fees

There are zero fees on every Cowris route. See the current rate in the app. Your rate is held for up to 60 minutes once you start a transfer. Rates move, so check You pay and They get on the review screen every time.