Zapp

What Zapp does

Zapp is a US-based consumer remittance fintech founded in 2023 and headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, that enables migrants in the United States to send money to family members in Latin America through a WhatsApp-native chat interface. The company's primary target segment is Mexican and Central American migrants living in the US who regularly remit funds to family, with active corridors covering Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Operationally, Zapp employs 11-50 people and runs a product-led growth model in which users initiate transfers through a WhatsApp conversation without downloading a separate app, with Spanish-language support available 7am-10pm daily and 24/7 for account queries.

The platform uses WhatsApp strictly as a communication channel; actual fund transfers are processed on Zapp's secure web backend by Spectrum Global Payment Solutions, Inc. (NMLS ID 937914), a licensed money transmitter for which Zapp, Inc. acts as an authorized agent. Zapp integrates with over 55,000 bank and retail payout locations across Latin America, including 40,000+ in Mexico (BanCoppel, BBVA, Elektra, Banco Azteca, Walmart, OXXO, Banorte, Banamex, Soriana, Santander) and 15,000+ in Guatemala (G&T Continental, Banco Industrial, Banrural, Banco Promerica, Elektra). Reported product metrics include approximately 30-minute delivery, real-time exchange rate display, stage-by-stage WhatsApp tracking notifications, and a 92% user recommendation rate. Complementary products include a USD-to-MXN/GTQ exchange rate calculator and a dedicated transfer tracking portal.

Zapp's revenue model is purely transactional. Standard fees are $3.99 for transfers up to $500 and $2.99 for transfers over $500 to Mexico, with a $3.00 surcharge for cash pickup at Elektra or Banco Azteca and a 3% surcharge on credit card payments; Guatemala has a separate tiered fee schedule ranging from $2.99 to $4.98 depending on amount and delivery method. The first transfer is commission-free as an acquisition incentive. The company is led by co-founders Jose Luis Orozco (CEO; former CEO of AlphaCredit where he oversaw $1B in Mexican consumer loans), Andres Oyanguren (COO; formerly Head of Product and Operations at AlphaCredit and Bitso), Valerie Angelkos (Head of Marketing and Communications; ex-Google and Plaid), and Pablo Martinez (CTO). No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Zapp

Legal name

Zapp, Inc.

Website

https://zapp.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zapp is a 2023-founded US fintech that enables migrants in the United States to send remittances to family in Latin America via WhatsApp chat, processing transfers through licensed partner Spectrum Global Payment Solutions to 55,000+ payout locations across Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Remittance Services

NAICS

Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer P2P International Remittances (FSAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

P2P Transfers & Remittances Platforms (BPAMAFAE), Cross-Border Payments & FX (multi-currency wallets, DCC, remittance) (THALAHAE)

Keywords

• Remittance services
• Cross-border transfers
• WhatsApp payments
• Money transfer platform
• Latin America remittance

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Money transfer transaction fees: Zapp charges fixed fees per transaction based on transfer amount and delivery method. Standard fees are $3.99 USD for transfers up to $500 and $2.99 USD for transfers over $500. Additional $3.00 fee applies for cash pickups at Elektra or Banco Azteca. Credit card payments incur an additional 3% charge. Guatemala transfers have tiered pricing: bank deposits from $3.29-$3.49 depending on amount, cash pickups from $3.99-$4.98. The first transfer is commission-free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Zapp is a fintech remittance platform that lets migrants in the United States send money to recipients in Latin America (primarily Mexico and Guatemala) by initiating a transfer inside a WhatsApp chat conversation. Funds are routed through a licensed money transmitter on a secure web platform and delivered to bank accounts or cash pickup points across 55,000+ locations, typically within roughly 30 minutes, with flat per-transaction fees and the first transfer commission-free.

Product overview

Zapp is a technology platform that enables migrants in the United States to send remittances to family in Latin America through WhatsApp. The core product combines a WhatsApp-based transfer interface with a network of licensed remittance partners to facilitate international money transfers. Users initiate transfers via WhatsApp chat, receive real-time exchange rate quotes through an integrated calculator, and can track transaction status through the transfer tracking system. Funds are delivered to recipient bank accounts or cash pickup locations through Zapp's provider network spanning over 40,000 locations in Mexico and 15,000 in Guatemala. The service operates 24/7 with Spanish-language customer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zapp International Remittance Service International remittance service enabling migrants in the United States to send money to recipients in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador by initiating a transfer inside a WhatsApp chat. Funds are routed through a licensed US money transmitter and delivered to bank accounts or cash pickup points across 55,000+ locations, typically within about 30 minutes. The first transfer is commission-free; subsequent transfers carry a flat fee (e.g., $3.99 USD for transfers up to $500, $2.99 USD for transfers over $500) plus delivery-method surcharges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of users recommend Zapp
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sendwave: Mobile-first remittance app serving African and Latin American corridors with similar target customer (migrant workers sending money home). Closely comparable business model and customer demographic, though Sendwave is app-based rather than WhatsApp-based.
• Remitly: Leading US-based digital remittance company serving the US-LATAM corridor with app-based transfers and similar payout network model. Zapp and Remitly serve the same Mexican and Central American migrant segment with comparable value propositions (speed, transparency, broad payout access).
• Taptap Send: Mobile-first remittance service targeting migrant senders with low-fee transfers to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable on product (no-frills low-fee remittance), target customer (migrant workers), and digital-only distribution model.
• Félix Pay: WhatsApp-based remittance service targeting Latin American corridors from the US. Félix Pay is the closest direct peer to Zapp given the same WhatsApp-first distribution strategy and LATAM corridor focus.
• WorldRemit: Digital remittance company with strong LATAM corridor presence and similar migrant customer focus. Closely comparable on product (bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile airtime) and on cross-border money movement business model.

Others

• Bitso: Latin America's largest crypto exchange, founded by Zapp COO Andres Oyanguren's prior employer. While not a direct remittance peer, Bitso operates cross-border US-Mexico payment rails via USDC and represents the crypto-enabled cross-border transfer category relevant to Zapp's roadmap.

Broad incumbents

• Xoom (PayPal): PayPal-owned digital remittance service covering US-Mexico and broader LATAM corridors. Operates with similar functionality (bank deposit, cash pickup) and same target demographic, but with substantially larger scale and PayPal's balance-sheet support.
• Wise (TransferWise): Global cross-border money transfer platform with mid-market FX pricing and US-LATAM corridor coverage. Comparable on cross-border money movement mechanics, though Wise serves a broader customer base beyond migrants and uses an app/web flow rather than WhatsApp.
• MoneyGram: Major US-LATAM remittance incumbent with broad retail and digital presence. Comparable payout network model and corridor coverage, competing for the same migrant customers via traditional app-based and agent-based channels.
• Western Union: Largest incumbent in the US-LATAM remittance market with unmatched retail agent density and brand recognition. Competes with Zapp on the same corridors but via digital app, website, and physical agent channels rather than WhatsApp.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Zapp.global
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zapp-global
• Instagraminstagram.com/zappglobal
• TikToktiktok.com/@zappglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zapp