Xoom, the US mobile remittance firm that is being acquired by PayPal for $890 million, formed a partnership with TransferTo which will enable its users to send money to 22 countries in the form of prepaid top-ups.

TransferTo is a US firm that specialises in the international airtime credit business and is owned by French payments giant Ingenico.

The partnership means Xoom users can send airtime credit online from the States to international prepaid mobile phones in 22 countries. Among the countries covered are India, Mexico and the Philippines.

TransferTo has relationships with operators around the world enabling this type of transfer, which enables small sums to be transferred at any one time but is suitable for recipients without bank accounts.

Xoom already enables international remittances via money transfer and bill payment.