Paying international tuition and student fees shouldn’t be a stressful experience. At TransferMate, we’ve built a smarter, faster, and more cost-effective way for students and their families to send money abroad. Whether you’re paying your student tuition from China, India, or anywhere else in the world, the process is straightforward and designed to save both students and parents time and money.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to make a student payment with TransferMate, highlight what makes us different, and explain the unique steps for students in China and India.
To make things even easier, we’ve created short videos showing the step-by-step process for each region.
Why use TransferMate to pay for Student Tuition?
In most cases, international student payments are made using bank transfers. However, traditional bank transfers often come with hidden fees, delays, and a lack of transparency. Fortunately, there are new ways to pay for third-level education that are faster and more affordable than traditional methods.
With TransferMate, students and families benefit from:
- Preferential exchange rates: pay from your local currency and get the best exchange rate possible, while the recipient institution receives the funds in their local currency.
- No international sender or receiver fees: the amount you send is always the amount received, reducing emails from customer service teams chasing you for extra payment.
- Faster processing times: payments typically settle within 1–2 business days, completing your payments faster.
- Full transparency: you’re able to track your payment at every stage, so you always know where your money is.
- Local payment methods: pay in your own currency via payment methods that suit you, like Bank Transfer, Credit Card, SoFort, AliPay, and more.
- Regulated and secure: TransferMate is the world’s largest fintech payments network licensed in 99 jurisdictions worldwide, so your money is always safe.
- 25,000 trees planted on your behalf: helping to offset the carbon emissions of processing your payment and your international flights.
These benefits mean your money always reaches the university, you feel less stressed, and you can receive faster confirmation of your place on campus.
Step-by-Step: How to Make a Student Payment with TransferMate
Making a student payment is straightforward, and the process is designed to work smoothly no matter which country you’re paying from.
Step 1: Log in to Your University’s Payment Portal
Most universities partnered with TransferMate have a dedicated payment link on their website or student portal. As part of the process, you will create an account with TransferMate to track and facilitate future payments.
Select the “International Payment” or “Pay with TransferMate” option to get started.
Step 2: Book your Payment
Select the country that you’re paying from on the drop-down list and enter the tuition and housing fees exactly as stated in your offer letter.
You’ll be shown a list of local payment options available in your country. Then select the payment method you wish to use to complete the payment booking. This ensures you pay in your local currency with no hidden fees.
Then press “Next: Student Details” to continue with the process.
Step 3: Enter Your Student and Payment Details
Select who is making the payment from the drop-down list. Then fill in the details of your student ID, name, e-mail, and other relevant information. Once complete, click on “Next: Confirmation” to continue with your transaction.
Step 4: Confirmation
On this screen, you will be asked to choose and confirm a password. This will create a student payment account for you, allowing you to track your payment and make any future payments.
Once you have chosen a password that satisfies all the requirements, please read our terms and conditions and mark the checkbox to confirm that you understand them.
Lastly, click on the “Save and Confirm Payment” button to complete the payment booking.
Step 5: Make the Payment Locally
Depending on your country and the payment option you chose in Step 1, you’ll receive instructions to make a local bank transfer, use an online payment system, or pay through a recognized provider.
When transferring funds to the nominated TransferMate account, please ensure to include your student payment reference number and student name to avoid any payment delays.
Step 6: Track and Confirm
Once the payment is made, you’ll receive confirmation emails and be able to track your payment online from your newly created account. The university is also notified as soon as funds are cleared.
How to Make a Student Payment from China with TransferMate
For students in China, TransferMate offers tailored payment options that comply with local regulations, making the process smooth.
Step 1: Log in to Your University’s Payment Portal
Most universities partnered with TransferMate have a dedicated payment link on their website or student portal. As part of the process, you will create an account with TransferMate to track and facilitate future payments.
Select the “International Payment” or “Pay with TransferMate” option to get started.
Step 2: Book your Payment
Select China from the drop-down list and enter the tuition and housing fees exactly as stated in your offer letter.
You’ll be shown a list of local payment options available in China. Then select the payment method you wish to use to complete the payment booking. This ensures you pay in your local currency with no hidden fees.
Then press “Next: Student Details” to continue with the process.
Step 3: Enter Your Student and Payment Details
Select who is making the payment from the drop-down list. Then, fill in the details of the Student's Chinese Name and national ID, student number, name, email, and other relevant information. Once complete, click on “Next: Confirmation” to continue with your transaction.
Step 4: Confirmation
On this screen, you will be asked to choose and confirm a password. This will create a student payment account for you, allowing you to track your payment and make any future payments.
Once you have chosen a password that satisfies all the requirements, please read our terms and conditions and mark the checkbox to confirm that you understand them.
Lastly, click on the “Save and Confirm Payment” button to complete the payment booking.
Step 5: Make the Payment Locally
Congratulations, you have successfully booked your payment. On this page, you’ll receive instructions to make a local bank transfer, use an online payment system, or pay TransferMate through a recognized provider.
When transferring funds to the nominated TransferMate account, please ensure to include your student payment reference number and student name to avoid any payment delays.
Step 6: Prepare Proof of Identity
At the bottom of the Payment Details page, you will find specific Payment Details to follow when paying from China. Please ensure to read these thoroughly.
When paying from China, you will need to prepare the following documents to upload on the linked GeoSwift platform within 24 hours of completing your payment:
- Proof of Identity: The front and back of your student ID card, or if the payer is not the student, please provide the front and back of the payer’s ID card or the relevant page of your passport.
- Proof of Payment: Supply the relevant admission notice or payment notice issued by the institution or accommodation provider you’re paying (including school name/logo, student name, and the amount of this payment, payment time, or corresponding semester).
- Payment Voucher: The relevant bank transfer voucher or mobile banking electronic voucher.
Please Note: if the payment materials uploaded do not meet the requirements, your payment will be refunded.
Step 7: Track and Confirm
Once the payment is made, you’ll receive confirmation emails and be able to track your payment online from your newly created account. The university is also notified as soon as funds are cleared.
How to Make a Student Payment from India with TransferMate
India is one of the most significant sources of international students worldwide, and TransferMate has developed specialized payment processes to comply with local regulations.
Step 1: Log in to Your University’s Payment Portal
Most universities partnered with TransferMate have a dedicated payment link on their website or student portal. As part of the process, you will create an account with TransferMate to track and facilitate future payments.
Select the “International Payment” or “Pay with TransferMate” option to get started.
Step 2: Book your Payment
Select India from the drop-down list and enter the tuition and housing fees exactly as stated in your offer letter.
Specifically for payments made from India, you will also be required to enter:
- Source of Funds: Choose between the options of “Resident Savings” or “Education Loan” from the dropdown menu, whichever is relevant to you.
- Declaration Amount: Please enter the cumulative INR value of all foreign exchange transactions made during the current financial year (April 1st – March 31st). This information is required in accordance with Indian regulatory guidelines.
- Payer PAN Number: Lastly, enter the payer's PAN Number.
You’ll be shown a list of local payment options available in your country. Then select the payment method you wish to use to complete the payment booking. This ensures you pay in your local currency with no hidden fees.
Then press “Next: Student Details” to continue with the process.
Step 3: Enter Your Student and Payment Details
Select who is making the payment from the drop-down list. Then fill in the details of your student ID, name, e-mail, and other relevant information. Once complete, click on “Next: Confirmation” to continue with your transaction.
Step 4: Confirmation
On this screen, you will be asked to choose and confirm a password. This will create a student payment account for you, allowing you to track your payment and make any future payments.
Once you have chosen a password that satisfies all the requirements, please read our terms and conditions and mark the checkbox to confirm that you understand them.
Lastly, click on the “Save and Confirm Payment” button to complete the payment booking.
Step 5: Upload Required Documents
At this stage, you will be asked to upload required documents when paying with TransferMate from India. Please ensure you read all of the details thoroughly and upload the following:
- Images of Your Passport, front page and address page
- A copy of your Offer Letter or Invoice from your institution
- A copy of your student visa (if applicable)
- An image of your PAN card
You will also be required to download an A2 form, which must be completed, signed by the payer, and uploaded to the system.
Please note that if you chose your source of funds as “Education Loan” in Step 2, you will also be required to upload a detailed Loan Disbursement Letter, or equivalent document.
Finally, once you have completed your payment to TransferMate, please return to this page and upload a copy of the transfer receipt.
Once you have selected all the relevant files, click the “Upload” button and wait for the upload to complete.
Step 6: Make the Payment Locally
Depending on your country and the payment option you chose in Step 1, you’ll receive instructions to make a local bank transfer, use an online payment system, or pay through a recognized provider.
When transferring funds to the nominated TransferMate account, please ensure to include your student payment reference number and student name to avoid any payment delays.
Step 7: Track and Confirm
Once the payment is made, you’ll receive confirmation emails and be able to track your payment online from your newly created account. The university is also notified as soon as funds are cleared.
Paying from the Rest of the World
If you’re paying from anywhere else in the world, the process is the same as the first step-by-step guide in this article. You’ll typically:
- Select your country and payment amount.
- Choose a local payment option (bank transfer, card payment, or online banking).
- Make the payment in your own currency.
As TransferMate covers over 200+ countries and territories, your payment is routed domestically, saving you international bank fees and delays.
Here are translated step-by-step video guides in Portuguese and Spanish to help you through the process.
Making an international student payment shouldn’t be complicated. With TransferMate, the process is fast, transparent, and cost-effective, no matter where you’re paying from in the world.
By following the step-by-step process outlined above, you’ll be able to pay your student tuition or accommodation fees with complete peace of mind.
Ready to pay your student fees? Start your payment with TransferMate today.
