Comparison

Smiles Mobile Remittance vs BDO Online

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Smiles Mobile Remittance

Send money internationally with ease using this mobile remittance app. It offers a user-friendly interface, competitive exchange rates, and supports transfers to over 200 countries. Earn points for fees and enjoy multi-language support.

Highlights
  • International money transfers
  • User-friendly mobile interface
  • Supports 200+ countries
  • Competitive FX rates
  • Remittance point program
  • Multi-language support
Read full description

Send money from Japan, Singapore, the USA, and Canada to the world in real-time with Smiles — the award-winning and Japan’s NUMBER ONE* rated mobile money transfer service. Whether you're sending PHP to the Philippines, VND to Vietnam, or INR to India, Smiles ensures your hard-earned money goes further. Our team monitors rates 24/7 so you can access our “Everyday Great Rate” and support your loved ones with more value for every transfer. WHY CHOOSE SMILES? ・Award-winning mobile app: Register and send money overseas easily on an interface that won the prestigious Good Design Award 2021. ・Friendly, multilingual support: Have a question? Our localized customer support team speaks your language (English, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and more) to ensure you always feel at ease. ・Designed by expats for expats: Our global team understands the journey of living abroad. We built Smiles to fit your international lifestyle, making global finance feel local. ・Secure & trustworthy: Rest easy knowing your transactions are protected by an advanced, AI-driven eKYC verification system. We are also fully compliant with federal and regional financial regulations ・Zero-fee with points: We value your loyalty. Earn Smiles Points every time you send money and use them to cover your remittance fee. EXCLUSIVE BONUS SERVICES ・Smiles Connect (Japan only): A dedicated SIM and eSIM service designed for residents in Japan. Order and manage your mobile plan and your remittances all in one app. ・Bills Payment: A specialized feature for overseas Filipinos to invest and pay bills directly back home. REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE INFORMATION Smiles Mobile Remittance is a licensed service provided by Digital Wallet Corporation and its global subsidiaries. ・Japan: Licensed by the Kanto Local Finance Bureau (License No. 00044). ・Singapore: Regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). ・Canada: Fully registered and compliant with FINTRAC regulations. ・USA: FinCEN registered with NMLS ID No. 2320469. Service availability, exchange rates, and fees may vary based on the transaction amount, destination country, and payout partner. Smiles utilizes bank-grade encryption to ensure your data and funds are always protected. READY TO JOIN THE SMILES COMMUNITY? Let’s “Share Smiles” — download and register in minutes today! Visit www.smileswallet.com to learn more. *Based on a 2021 survey of Filipino users in Japan regarding remittance service preferences.

About

BDO Online

Manage your BDO accounts with this banking app. Secure your cards, view statements, and transfer funds with low fees. Confirm transactions using biometrics and send money via QR.

Highlights
  • Lock/unlock cards
  • View statements
  • Free BDO to BDO transfers
  • Biometric/Passcode confirmation
  • QR code money transfers
Features
Read full description

View and manage your BDO accounts with the BDO Online app and enjoy features that let you: - Secure your cards real-time using lock or unlock card, disable overseas debit card transactions, and set your debit card limits - Schedule your one-time or recurring transactions for Pay Bills, Send Money, or Buy Load - Send Money in more ways - even in foreign currencies - Book a Branch Appointment for a more convenient visit - Confirm transactions using biometrics or Passcode If you're having trouble logging in, just follow these steps and create a new password for the BDO Online app. Step 1 On the log in screen, tap Need help logging in? > I'd like to reset my password. Step 2 Set up your new password. Step 3 Log in with your BDO Online username and new password. Your new password will also reflect in the BDO Online website and the BDO Pay app.

Screenshots

Smiles Mobile Remittance4 screens
BDO Online4 screens

Verdict

The call

Smiles Mobile Remittance and BDO Online both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 61% of Smiles Mobile Remittance's written reviews are positive against 12% of BDO Online's. Smiles Mobile Remittance also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks). BDO Online's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (12K vs 144). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Smiles Mobile Remittance against 4.7 for BDO Online. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BDO Online has 12K ratings behind it against 144, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Smiles Mobile Remittance's written reviews are positive against 12% of BDO Online's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smiles Mobile Remittance ships an update every 9 days, BDO Online every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Smiles Mobile Remittance versus BDO Online: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmiles Mobile RemittanceBDO Online
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (144 ratings) — better4.7 (12K ratings)
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews — better11.8% of reviews
Number of ratings14412K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB412 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDigital Wallet CorporationBDO Unibank, Inc.

Customer experience

Smiles Mobile Remittance

All ratings143 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews240 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative35.0%

BDO Online

All ratings11,161 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.9%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews543 reviews
Positive11.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative86.2%

Bugs and requests

Smiles Mobile Remittance

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BDO Online

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Accounts not showing up
  • Transaction history not updating
  • Inability to receive OTP
  • Constant need to reset password

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow saving of biller details
  • Synchronize passwords across web and mobile
  • Provide OTP options via email or authenticator app
  • Optimize for tablet/iPad use
  • Add ability to transfer between own accounts (e.g., USD to PHP)

In-app purchases

None

Smiles Mobile Remittance

No in-app purchases

None

BDO Online

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smiles Mobile Remittance free?
Smiles Mobile Remittance is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BDO Online free?
BDO Online is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Smiles Mobile Remittance or BDO Online?
Smiles Mobile Remittance is rated higher. Smiles Mobile Remittance averages 4.8 out of 5 from 144 ratings, while BDO Online averages 4.7 from 12K ratings.
Do Smiles Mobile Remittance or BDO Online have ads?
Neither Smiles Mobile Remittance nor BDO Online shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smiles Mobile Remittance or BDO Online?
Smiles Mobile Remittance ships an update every 9 days, and BDO Online every 5 weeks. Most recently, Smiles Mobile Remittance was updated on October 26, 2026 and BDO Online on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons