Skrill vs Neteller
Two wallets, one owner, and very little daylight between them. Here's what actually differs — and why most Australians should look elsewhere entirely.
For almost everyone, skip both. They cost the same to convert, charge the same to sit idle, and neither is on the AUSTRAC remittance register or holds an Australian licence. Pick Skrill only if a platform you already use lists it and not Neteller; pick Neteller only for the reverse, or if you want AUD as your primary balance. If you are choosing freely, Wise or Revolut beat both on every measure that matters here.
Side by side
Costs are computed from each provider's published schedule for a bank-funded, bank-delivered transfer. A row marked estimated sits outside what the provider publishes as a rate.
Which one, and when
You need to fund one specific platform
This is the only reason either wallet is worth opening, and it is not really a comparison. Forex brokers and trading platforms tend to list one or the other rather than both. Check the platform's cashier page first; the wallet follows from that, not the other way round.
You want to hold Australian dollars
Neteller can make AUD your primary balance. Skrill holds AUD as one of forty-odd currencies but not as the account's base, so money you leave there is exposed to a conversion you did not ask for when you move it. On a wallet you are only using occasionally, that is the difference that compounds.
You are moving money in and out regularly
Both charge 3.99% to convert and then a percentage again to withdraw — 1.75% at Neteller with a US$3.50 minimum, up to 3.99% at Skrill depending on the method. Two conversions and a withdrawal on A$1,000 costs more than A$57 at either. Wise moves the same amount for A$2.81.
The balance will sit untouched for a while
Both start charging a monthly service fee after six months without a login or a transaction — €5 at Skrill, US$5 at Neteller. A forgotten balance drains itself. Logging in resets the clock at both, which is the cheapest fix available.
Where each one loses
Skrill does not offer AUD as a primary balance, and its withdrawal fee reaches 3.99% on some methods — the same rate it charges to convert. Its schedule is written in euro, so an Australian pays whatever that converts to on the day.
Neteller's deposit fees are steeper: 2.5% is common where Skrill often charges nothing. Its schedule is in US dollars, with the same conversion exposure. Neither its fees nor Skrill's are published in AUD at all.
General information about payment methods available in Australia. Not financial advice. Fees, limits and features change — verify current terms with the provider before acting.