Every year, almost 40% of Canadian residents send money to other countries all over the globe. A sizable portion of this money goes to family members in Haiti and the Philippines. But did you know that there are also plenty of people who reside in other countries who transfer money to Canada, as well?

It's not something you hear about much. To be honest, a great many people assume that since Canada is a fairly wealthy, developed nation, its residents have little need of remittance.

Did you know that you can send money to Canada without the recipient having a bank account, and without paying the high fees associated with wire services and other "kiosk"-based money services?

Sending money via offline wire services can cost close to ten percent of the money sent if you want to transfer money to Canada that same day--and it won't cost much less if you opt to have it arrive the next day.

This is more important than it used to be, with the exchange rate being what it is. Certainly many Canadians are proud that their dollar's value now runs neck-and-neck (and they no longer have to bear snide, "Canada, where everything's 30% off!" jokes from U.S. tourists).

But this also means that if a friend or relative chooses to transfer money to Canada, it's just not going to be worth as much as it used to. This heightens the impact of the high percentage fees charged by non-bank wire services.

Money orders cost less and are preferred by many people when time is not so much of an issue. However, there is always the question of whether the money will make it safely there. Postal and parcel services are certainly more reliable in North America than in most places around the globe, but the urban legend of the letter than never reaches its destination, exists for a reason.

There are also ways to send the money online as well. And if you want to transfer a large amount of money to Canada to someone who rarely receives large amounts via online transfer, the company may temporarily freeze the account to check for fraud.

Wire transfers from banks that offer them usually cost $35-$45. Although some may balk at the fee, this can be cheaper than wire transfer services if the amount is several hundred (or more).

Pre-loaded debit cards that can be charged via phone or internet connection are becoming more popular. There is at least one service that will deliver the card via the ever-dependable FedEx service. The recipient need only visit one of Canada's many ATMs to withdraw their cash.

There are many different ways to transfer money to Canada, and not every one of them will meet the needs of every situation. With knowledge of the benefits and disadvantages of each method, you can pick the solution that most closely fits your needs. You can also experiment with the different methods until you find one that meets your needs.