LemFi has updated its sign-up reward. Sign up for LemFi using the link below and you can receive $50 in LemFi Cash. It will be added to your account shortly after you sign up. You can use LemFi Cash for international transfers, such as sending money from the U.S. to China. You can use $5 per transfer, on transfers of at least $50, up to three times per month. Since the fees are higher for transfers under $100, sending $100 or more is generally a better deal. With this change, LemFi Cash can cover the fees on roughly 10 transfers after sign-up, so you can put it to use multiple times.

Things to keep in mind

  1. If you are outside the U.S., use a reliable U.S. VPN or roaming data with a U.S. phone number to sign up and verify your identity (a Chinese passport is accepted).
  2. Adding a debit card to Apple Pay and paying with it can bypass location verification. You can use someone else’s Apple Pay and card.
  3. Important: Do not enter a virtual phone number (such as Google Voice), as it may affect identity verification and prevent you from sending money. Enter a regular U.S. mobile number.
  4. If using a virtual number prevents verification, sign up again with a new number and use a different ID to verify your identity. A passport, driver’s license, or green card can be used for verification.

In addition to earning the sign-up reward and making everyday transfers, you can also use this app to trigger the Direct Deposit requirement for bank account bonuses. It works very well. Just don’t contact customer service to ask about it—quietly go ahead and do it!

About LemFi

LemFi is an app focused on international money transfers. These transfers make it easier for immigrants in different countries to send money to family and friends back home, and to move money between accounts they own. The app currently accepts users in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. It has recently expanded into Europe and is growing rapidly. It is available in Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. For U.S. users, the app’s biggest advantage is its low fees. Transfers from U.S. dollars to Chinese yuan cost $5.98 per transfer (for amounts over $100) or $6.98 per transfer (for amounts under $100). Based on these rates, LemFi is best for larger transfers. The first transfer gets a highly favorable exchange rate, and there are no monthly or transfer fees. Transfers to China can arrive instantly via Alipay or WeChat, and many Chinese bank accounts are also supported.

LemFi international transfer screen Note that LemFi itself is not a bank; it is a financial platform that provides money transfer services. It operates through licensed payment companies in the U.K. and Canada and is regulated by the U.K.’s FCA and Canada’s FINTRAC, so it appears to be reliable. LemFi regulatory information

Sign-Up Reward

See the beginning of the article for the specific reward and requirements.

  • LemFi sign-up link (sign up using this link or download the app yourself and enter referral code JINGOKDA)

On the page after creating your account, you’ll be asked whether you have a referral code. Enter JINGOKDA.

After the update, the reward is $30 in LemFi Cash. You can use $5 on each transfer of $50 or more. We still recommend sending $100 or more: the fee is $1 lower, and the larger the transfer, the smaller the fee as a percentage of the amount, since the fee is fixed. Transfers from U.S. dollars to Chinese yuan cost $5.98 per transfer (for amounts over $100) or $6.98 per transfer (for amounts under $100). Select the option to use LemFi Cash when you make the transfer.

Sign-Up and Verification Process

I tried the app myself. The sign-up process has quite a few steps, and you need to verify your identity before you can send money. In my experience, apps with stricter review processes tend to last longer because their sign-up rewards are less likely to be abused. One important note: the app checks your location. You can’t sign up while you’re in mainland China, and it will check your location again during identity verification.

  • Go to the sign-up link, enter your phone number to download the app, or search for LemFi in the App Store and download it directly.
  • Then enter your phone and other details. The process is straightforward. Make sure the name you enter matches the name on the ID you’ll use for verification, or you may not be able to verify later.
  • Enter JINGODKA on the referral code page to activate the offer.
  • You need to verify your email address and identity before making a transfer.
  • First, prepare an ID. In the U.S., you can provide a driver’s license, passport, or SSN card. LemFi now also accepts Chinese passports for verification, which is convenient for international students who don’t have an SSN or driver’s license.
  • After uploading your ID, you’ll also need to complete a face verification to confirm your identity.
  • Just follow the steps. There are quite a few.
  • Once you complete all the steps, your application will be reviewed. If there are no issues, approval usually takes about 3 minutes. If it requires further review, it can take 48 hours. After that, you can start making transfers.

How to Make a Transfer

As mentioned earlier, LemFi is not a bank, so you first need to add funds from your bank to the app before making a transfer. At present, you can add funds only with a debit card or Apple Pay linked to a debit card. Visa and Mastercard are supported. If you have a debit card that earns cash back, that’s a nice bonus—you can earn cash back on the money you transfer.

  • When you add a card, the app also checks your location to help prevent fraud and card theft. I hadn’t seen this kind of verification before. It’s quite thorough, perhaps because international money transfer fraud is common.
  • Then enter the amount to finish adding funds.
  • Then choose the amount to send. The fees are as follows: For transfers of 100 or more, the fee is a flat $3 per transaction. For transfers under 100, the fee is $3.5 per transaction.
  • Choose how the recipient will receive the money. As mentioned earlier, WeChat and Alipay act as intermediaries, and the money ultimately goes directly into the linked bank account. You can also choose a bank account directly. If this is your first time receiving an international transfer, you’ll need to provide some information in WeChat or Alipay. A prompt will appear automatically when you receive the transfer; just fill it out accurately.
  • Most major banks are supported.
You can also pay directly in one step without adding money to your balance.
  • Here are the transfer steps:
  • Here are the payment steps:
  • Here are the steps for receiving the money:

Transfer Limits

If you haven’t verified your identity after signing up, your account will have a monthly limit of $1,000. That may be enough for things like sending red envelopes or making an urgent money transfer. To raise your limits, you’ll need to verify your identity. Verified accounts have substantially higher limits, making LemFi a viable primary option for sending money.

  • Maximum per transaction: $4,000
  • Maximum per day: $8,000
  • Maximum per week: $16,000
  • Maximum per month: $32,000

Customer Support

LemFi also offers Chinese-language customer support on WeChat, which you can open automatically from Help & Support. If the FAQs don’t solve your problem, just type “人工” (human agent). In my experience, the response is very fast: if you have an issue, they’ll quickly pass it to the technical team and follow up with you.

Rewards Points

LemFi has introduced a points program. You can earn points by making international transfers of $20 or more. Points can be redeemed on transfers, and gift card redemptions are planned for the future. LemFi continues to roll out new promotions, so if you haven’t signed up yet, now’s a good time to join. The first round of a promotion is usually the most generous.

The points work as follows: For transfers of $20 or more, you earn 0.1 point for every $1 transferred. Every 100 points can be used to take $1 off your next transfer. For example, a first transfer of $1,000 earns 100 points, which you can use to get $1 off your next transfer. That’s equivalent to an additional 0.1% exchange-rate reward.

Exchange Rate Offer

LemFi currently has a new ongoing promotion: get a better exchange rate when sending money to a bank card. More promotions may be introduced in the future.LemFi bank card exchange-rate promotion

Other Useful Features

I’ve recently spent some time exploring how to use LemFi, and found a few interesting tricks to share:

  • Funding with a debit card under a different name: I opened an account for a family member and added my own debit card to their Apple Pay; I was still able to add funds normally. LemFi apparently doesn’t check whether the name on the Apple Pay payment account matches the name on the LemFi account. If you have an extra device and phone number, you could also get a $50 reward for a family member.
  • Meeting debit card purchase requirements: You can add funds to LemFi with a debit card and then send the money (or transfer it back to a bank, as discussed below). That means you can use it to meet debit card transaction requirements imposed by some banks, all within the app. Simply add your debit card to the account or to Apple Pay.
  • Creating a fake direct deposit with a US-to-US transfer: In addition to sending US dollars directly to China, LemFi has a less obvious use: sending US dollars to another US dollar account. Just select USD as the currency for both sending and receiving. You can use this to move dollars or cashback rewards directly to a US checking or savings account. I tested it, and it was counted as a direct deposit. There are also online data points of people using this method to meet BMO and Chime DD requirements. Even better, you can enter any recipient name for the transfer; it doesn’t have to match the name on your LemFi account. This means you can help family members without bank accounts meet direct deposit requirements. Read the full guide

Bottom Line

LemFi’s biggest advantages are its clear, straightforward transfer fees and generous sign-up reward. The app also offers good security and a solid user experience, plus Chinese-language customer support. I think it’s a good choice as a primary app for everyday transfers. Compare it with other money transfer platforms in the table below.

Comparison of International Money Transfer Platforms

Platform Delivery Time Fees Receiving Methods Limits Quick Take Sign-Up Bonus
LemFi Instant $5.98 for transfers of $100 or more; $6.98 for transfers under $100 Alipay, WeChat, UnionPay card Up to $4,000 per transfer

Up to $8,000 per day

 Highly secure, Chinese-language customer support, generous sign-up bonus Get $50
Remitly Instant to 4 business days No fee (for transfers under $1,000, $2.99 per transfer) Alipay, WeChat, UnionPay card $2,999 per day, $10,000 per month; limits can be increased Fast transfers, no ID verification required, average exchange rates Get $10
Panda Remit Instant to 3 business days ACH: $2.99–$6.99; debit: 0.8% Alipay, WeChat, UnionPay card $3,000 per transfer, $9,000 per day Good exchange rates, very low overall fees, user-friendly interface, easy to use, good Chinese-language support $5 discount + first transfer fee waived + exchange rate discount
Wise 1 hour to 2 business days Debit ($1.27+2.20%), ACH ($1.27+1.22%), wire ($5.41+1.06%) Alipay, UnionPay card ¥31,000 or ¥50,000 per transfer, $10,000 per day Wide range of features and currencies, transparent fees Get $600 in fee-free transfers

Referral Link

Sign up with the exclusive promo code JINGOKDA to get $50 LemFi Cash.

  • LemFi referral link (Sign up through this link or download the app yourself, then enter JINGOKDA as the referral code.)