# Mela: US Banking for Ethiopian — Bank. Send money to Ethiopia.

> Global USD banking for Ethiopians, enabling U.S. accounts and international spending. (iPhone/iPad app by Mela Finance Inc.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-us-banking-for-ethiopian/id6742454181 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Mela Finance Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769501378)
- Category: Finance, Business
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 162 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-03-03
- Data updated: 2026-08-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-us-banking-for-ethiopian/id6742454181/reviews.md

## What is Mela?

Mela is a U.S. diaspora banking built for the Ethiopian community.

If you live in the U.S., support family in Ethiopia, and spend with Ethiopian businesses, Mela was built for you.

With Mela, you can open a U.S. bank account from your phone, manage money digitally, send money directly to a bank account in Ethiopia through an official transfer, pay participating Ethiopian businesses, and collect points on eligible purchases.

Mela is built for the real money moments Ethiopian diaspora families and businesses handle every week: banking in the U.S., supporting Ethiopia, paying participating businesses, and seeing proof of what happened.

What you can do in Mela:
- Open your U.S. bank account from your phone
- Manage money from your phone
- Send money to a bank account in Ethiopia through an official transfer
- See the best official rate available today before you send
- Pay participating Ethiopian businesses with your phone, Mela account, or Mela card
- Collect points on eligible purchases
- Get support when something is unclear

Start with one money moment. Let Mela earn the rest.

## Key features

- Open U.S. USD account
- Receive USD from global platforms
- Use own U.S. account/routing numbers
- Spend globally with Visa debit card
- Send money to Ethiopia
- No monthly fees

## Recent user reviews (10 of 20)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-us-banking-for-ethiopian/id6742454181/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Seamless transfers once connected to bank account

*2026-07-24*

First time using transfer apps to send to my family . Was very easy to create the account that I needed and verify my identity . After linking it to my bank it has been a life saver . Also have been able to get unbeatable prices !

### 5/5 — I highly recommend this app

*2026-07-18*

I’ve been using Mela to send money to Ethiopia, and I genuinely love it. It’s easy to use, feels reliable, and the whole process is smooth and stress-free. I can send funds quickly and support people back home with confidence, so I’ll definitely keep using it.

### 5/5 — Digital Banking

*2026-07-08*

Digital Banking that allows me to transfer from US to Ethiopia with the best rate on the market

### 5/5 — Fast and better rates guaranteed

*2026-07-08*

I had a great experience using Mela platform. Transactions were fast, secure, and easy to complete, and the app was simple to navigate. Customer support was responsive when I had a question, and overall the service has been reliable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a convenient way to send and receive money.

### 5/5 — Mela

*2026-07-06*

Great rate and seamless experience. Now I can do all this from my phone and no longer need to go around

### 5/5 — The Future of Ethiopian Finance

*2026-07-04*

Mela is more than a money transfer app. It’s building a financial platform designed specifically for the Ethiopian diaspora. I love the idea of having one place to send money home, support Ethiopian businesses, and connect with the community through modern financial tools. The app is easy to use, the transfers are smooth, and it’s exciting to see a company building technology with our community in mind. Looking forward to seeing all the new features they bring in the future!

### 5/5 — What a great app

*2026-06-30*

I tried so many other apps which kept eating into my transfers with hidden costs. With Mela, more money actually makes it to my family. This app is an absolute game changer. Great job

### 5/5 — Excellent rate & Instant transfer

*2026-06-30*

Mela has Excellent exchange rates and incredibly fast transfers. My family gets more birr compared to other services I’ve tried, and the process is always smooth and reliable. Highly recommended!

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2026-06-30*

I was finally able to get a USD account under my own name, and the whole experience was seamless. So far, everything has been working great.

Thanks a lot for making it happen! ❤️

### 5/5 — Much needed for our community

*2026-06-29*

Love the rate and how i can use my phone and just sent to any Ethiopian bank.

Kudos to the team, great work.

## Frequently asked questions about Mela

### How secure is Mela?

Mela is a U.S.-regulated fintech neobank registered with FinCEN as an MSB. Funds are held 1:1 in fully-reserved USD accounts, powered by regulated U.S. banking partners, ensuring a high level of security.

### What are the fees for Mela?

Mela offers no monthly fees for keeping your balance in USD. Specific fees may apply for using your U.S. account and routing numbers, as well as for sending money to Ethiopia.

### What identification is needed to open a U.S. USD account with Mela?

You can open a U.S. USD account using your passport or Fayda. This streamlined process allows Ethiopians to establish their own U.S. banking presence.

### Can I receive money from international clients using Mela?

Yes, you can receive USD from U.S. banks, Upwork, direct clients, and other global platforms directly into your own U.S. account and routing numbers provided by Mela.

### Does Mela have ads?

No, Mela does not contain advertisements. The app is designed to provide a seamless banking experience without interruptions from ads.

### What devices does Mela support?

Mela is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. The app is optimized for iOS users looking for global banking solutions.

### How often is Mela updated?

The latest version of Mela is 5.0.93, last updated on March 5, 2026. Regular updates ensure the app remains reliable and secure for its users.

### What is the user sentiment for Mela based on ratings?

Mela has a rating of 3.8 stars from 9 ratings. This indicates a generally positive but mixed user reception, suggesting areas for potential improvement.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.0.14 — 2026-08-14

What's new:
• Fixed the exchange rate sometimes not loading on the home screen
• The rate now loads even when location isn't available, instead of waiting
• Pull to refresh and Retry now work reliably on the rate card
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 6.0.13 — 2026-08-04

What's new:
• A guided intro walks you through Mela when you first open the app
• Filter your transaction history and notifications to find things faster
• Redesigned send-to-bank and exchange-rate screens
• Your email is now prefilled when you log back in after signing out
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 6.0.11 — 2026-07-07

Smoother sign-up:
• "Tell us about your funds" now just asks for your occupation
• Simplified the tax step — no SSN or Tax ID needed
• Removed a redundant identity screen

### 6.0.9 — 2026-07-06

Smoother sign-up:
• "Tell us about your funds" now just asks for your occupation
• Simplified the tax step — no SSN or Tax ID needed
• Removed a redundant identity screen

### 6.0.5 — 2026-07-02

Smoother sign-up:
• "Tell us about your funds" now just asks for your occupation
• Simplified the tax step — no SSN or Tax ID needed
• Removed a redundant identity screen

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## More apps by Mela Finance Inc

- [Mela Finance](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-finance/id6701993054)
- [Mela Merchant](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mela-merchant/id6762823331)

All apps by Mela Finance Inc: https://appshunter.io/developer/1769501378

## Related topics

[mela](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mela)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-25.*