These services aren’t available in Cuba at all, so it’s not as though you can send money to someone in another country and they can send it to Cuba on your behalf. The person in Cuba wouldn’t be able to access the app to get the money.
Unfortunately, Western Union has also closed its offices in Cuba, so you can’t send money through someone in another country to get around US restrictions either.
Even if someone is a close relative, however, you can’t send money to them if they are a prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party, a Cuban government official, or a close relative of a prohibited party member or government official. [6] X Research source
For example, if your mother, brother, and sister all live in Cuba, you could send each of them $1,000 every 3 months.
Before you set up your account, check from the home page and make sure the service transfers money to Cuba—many don’t, especially those based in the US. There’s usually a link or drop-down menu on the home page that lists countries the service operates in.
If you’re not sure which location to choose, share the options with the person you’re sending money to and let them pick the one that’s most convenient for them. If you’re trying to deposit money directly into the person’s bank account, you’ll need their bank account number.
If the recipient does not yet have an AIS card, some services (including EnvioDinero) will automatically create one. Any money you send to the person after that would be loaded onto that card. Your transaction will be processed in Canadian dollars, not US dollars. Keep this in mind when you’re looking at your card statement.
The biggest problem with using cryptocurrency is internet access. Your recipient needs readily available WiFi to effectively use cryptocurrency, which isn’t easy to come by in Cuba. [12] X Research source It can also be difficult for people in Cuba to find places that will accept cryptocurrency for payment, so that can also be an issue. Only send cryptocurrency if the person you’re sending it to is familiar with it and understands how it works.
If your bank is headquartered in another country, you might be able to make a transfer—but usually, you would have to have an account in that country first (not an American account). For example, if your bank is headquartered in Canada, and you can travel to Canada and open a bank account in Canada, you might be able to do a bank transfer from that account.
Money deposited in this account is still subject to federal restrictions, meaning you can only deposit money in the account that’s authorized under federal law or exempt from one of the prohibitions under federal law. Even in 2016, when the Obama Administration had lifted many of the US restrictions, most US banks did not validate their cards for use in Cuba. [15] X Research source
For example, the company Ding is offering Cubacel balance transfer promotions that allow you to send a recharge to a Cuban national’s Cubacel phone. The person can then transfer that amount to other Cubacel numbers, allowing everyone to share that balance. They could also potentially sell the balance for cash in the private sector.
Financial institutions are generally required to report suspected violations to the Treasury Department.
