Sending $100 to Grandma via Western Union? Be prepared to spend $15-$20 for the privilege. Or if you want to go the bank route, be prepared to drop $12-$30 fo

Sending $100 to Grandma via Western Union? Be prepared to spend $15-$20 for the privilege. Or if you want to go the bank route, be prepared to drop $12-$30 for an international wire (depending on your bank). Oh, and she might have to pay a $15-$30 receiving fee for an incoming international wire, depending on her country and bank. At first, Paypal seems a little better -- only about $4.50 that you have to pay from your end. But Grandma still has to pay $2.50, and god help her if she needs any help from customer service. And then she still has to withdraw money to her bank account, since most international banks still charge up to $5-$10 for this. So in toto, Paypal might actually the two of you combined about the same amount as Western Union.