Remitly Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Remitly is on a mission to transform the lives of immigrants and their families by building the most trusted financial products and services on the planet. Since its founding in 2011, Remitly has focused on simplifying international money transfers and has expanded into new financial services to better serve its global user base. The company now employs over 2,700 people across 10 offices worldwide.

As a Software Engineer at Remitly, you’ll help build scalable systems, user-facing applications, and secure infrastructure. You’ll work cross-functionally with product, design, and data teams to create technology that drives meaningful impact. Responsibilities include modernizing legacy systems, improving performance, and upholding high standards for code quality and reliability.

This guide will walk you through the Remitly software engineer interview process, including commonly asked questions and strategies to help you stand out.

The Remitly software engineer interview process typically spans three main stages and varies slightly depending on the role’s level and specialization. Across all stages, the company evaluates both technical capability and cultural fit.

2.1 Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If shortlisted, you’ll receive a call from a recruiter to confirm your experience, assess fit, and explain the hiring process. This 30-minute call may include light behavioral questions and an overview of the team and role. In some cases, the hiring manager may also join to answer role-specific questions and evaluate surface-level technical skills.

As one candidate shared, “Started off with a very pleasant recruiter call, half an hour, just the basics.”

2.2 Technical Virtual Interview

Next is a one-hour virtual technical interview, often focused on data structures and algorithms. Expect to solve a LeetCode-style coding problem while explaining your approach and trade-offs. Depending on the interviewer, the round may also touch on your prior engineering experience and system thinking.

One applicant noted, “The problem was a Leetcode hard and I did end up solving it close to the hour mark.”

Another shared, “The technical questions were reasonable, and I wasn’t deliberately made to feel uncomfortable. A lot of behavior questions during the interview process.”

2.3 Onsite Interview Rounds

Candidates who pass the virtual screen are invited to a virtual onsite loop, which includes multiple rounds:

• 1 Behavioral + Design Interview: Expect questions on past experiences, decision-making, and collaboration, along with a design prompt (e.g., “Design an elevator system”).
• 2 Coding Interviews: These feature LeetCode-style problems that test problem-solving and coding proficiency.
• 1 System Design Interview: Focuses on building scalable, real-world systems and evaluating architectural decisions.

As one interviewee described, “Virtual Onsite: 3 Technical Interviews and 1 Design Interview… Instead, they’d ask a broad question (ex: Design an elevator) and then build on it.”

While many candidates report a structured and thoughtful interview experience, others have noted inconsistent post-interview follow-up.

One candidate reflected, “I was told at the end of the interview that the recruiter would reach out to me shortly with feedback. It’s been about two months since this interview and I have not heard any feedback—not even a rejection email.”

Typically, interviews at Remitly vary by role and team, but common software engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

A/B Testing, Algorithms, Analytics, Machine Learning, Probability, Product Metrics, Python, SQL, Statistics

3.1 How much would the overall advertising cost per transaction be?

You own an eCommerce platform and want to place an advertisement on Facebook. The cost of the ad placement is $0.05 per impression, with a 1% click-through rate. Your website has a 2% transaction rate based on historical data. Calculate the overall advertising cost per transaction.

3.2 Write a function to merge two sorted lists into one sorted list.

Write a function to merge two sorted lists into one sorted list. Bonus: What’s the time complexity?

3.3 Create a function to simulate coin tosses based on a given probability of heads.

Write a function that takes the number of tosses and the probability of heads, returning a list of randomly generated results for each toss.

3.4 Develop a function most_tips to find the user who tipped the most.

Given two nonempty lists of user_ids and tips, write a function most_tips to find the user that tipped the most.

3.5 Select the top 3 departments with at least ten employees and rank them by the percentage of employees making over 100K.

Given the tables for employees and departments, select the top 3 departments with at least ten employees and rank them according to the percentage of their employees who make over 100K in salary.

3.6 Write a function sorting to sort a list of strings in ascending alphabetical order from scratch.

Given a list of strings, write a function sorting to sort the list in ascending alphabetical order without using the built-in sorted function. Bonus: Have your solution be O(n log n).

3.7 How would you explain a p-value to someone who is not technical?

Explain the concept of a p-value in simple terms to someone without a technical background.

3.8 When would you use the mean vs. the median, and how do you calculate their confidence intervals?

Given a dataset, explain when to use the mean versus the median and describe how to calculate the confidence interval for each measure.

3.9 What is the probability that the second card picked has a different color or suit than the first card?

Calculate the probability that the second card drawn from a deck without replacement has a different color or suit than the first.

3.10 Can an unbalanced sample size in an AB test result in a bias towards the smaller group?

Analyze whether an AB test with one variant having 50K users and another having 200K users will be biased towards the smaller group due to the uneven sample sizes.

3.11 How would you build a fraud detection model using a dataset of 600,000 credit card transactions?

Imagine you work at a major credit card company and are given a dataset of 600,000 credit card transactions. Describe your approach to building a fraud detection model in the comments.

3.12 When would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm?

We’re comparing two machine learning algorithms. Explain the scenarios where you would use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm and provide examples of the tradeoffs between the two.

3.13 How would you generate respawn locations for an online third-person shooter game like Halo?

Describe your approach to building a model or algorithm to generate respawn locations for an online third-person shooter game like Halo.

3.14 What is the difference between XGBoost and random forest algorithms?

Explain the difference between the XGBoost and random forest algorithms and when you would use one over the other.

Preparing for a Remitly software engineer interview means combining strong technical fundamentals with clear communication and a good understanding of the company’s values. Here are key tips to help you prepare:

4.1 Communicate Clearly

Strong communication is essential—especially in virtual interviews. Speak clearly, verbalize your thought process while coding, and confirm that interviewers are following along. If something seems off, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

One applicant shared, “The interviewer didn’t seem very interested in talking to me and I really felt like I was speaking into the void for most of the hour.”

4.2 Practice Core Concepts

Focus on data structures, algorithms, and system design problems. LeetCode-style challenges are common in Remitly’s process, so practice under time constraints. Be ready to code in your preferred language and use diagram tools during design interviews.

As one successful candidate noted, “You can choose your language of choice for coding and use any design tool for the design round.”

4.3 Understand Remitly’s Values

Remitly places a strong emphasis on its mission to support immigrants and their families. Be prepared to discuss why this mission resonates with you and how you’ve demonstrated similar values in your work.

However, approach this authentically. One interviewee remarked, “For a company so verbally passionate about their values, they sure don’t act the part… Value and culture are not words on a website—it’s how you treat people.”

Understanding and speaking to these values sincerely—not just quoting them—can set you apart in behavioral rounds.

5.1 What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Remitly?

5.2 What kind of technical skills and experience does Remitly look for in a Software Engineer?

Remitly looks for experience in full-stack development, system design, and modern programming languages like Java, Kotlin, Python, or Go. Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS), REST APIs, and scalable architecture is a strong plus.

5.3 How hard is the Remitly software engineer interview?

The process is moderately challenging, focusing on LeetCode-style problems, system design, and behavioral fit. Success depends on strong fundamentals in algorithms and the ability to clearly explain your problem-solving process.

5.4 Does Remitly use take-home assignments in its interview process?

Typically no, but some candidates have reported extended system design or product modeling discussions during onsite interviews. Most technical assessments are live coding interviews.

5.5 How long does the Remitly interview process take?

The process usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, though timelines may vary. Some candidates have reported delays or lack of communication, so it’s advisable to follow up proactively with recruiters.

5.6 What is Remitly’s approach to behavioral interviews?

Behavioral questions often center around teamwork, ownership, and mission alignment. Expect to be asked how your work supports underserved communities or how you’ve handled disagreement or ambiguity in past projects.

5.7 What benefits does Remitly offer to software engineers?

Remitly provides flexible PTO, comprehensive health benefits, 401(k) matching, ESPP (employee stock purchase plan), mental health resources, and paid parental and family care leave. Educational stipends and career development support are also available.

5.8 What technologies are commonly used by engineering teams at Remitly?

Remitly engineers work with Java, Kotlin, Go, Python, AWS, Docker, and Kubernetes. Full-stack engineers may also use React or other frontend frameworks.

5.9 Is Remitly remote-friendly?

Yes, Remitly supports remote work across many roles. Teams are distributed globally, and remote collaboration is built into the engineering culture.

5.10 Where can I find real Remitly interview questions to practice?

Check out Interview Query’s Remitly Interview Guide for practice problems, company insights, and preparation tips tailored to the Remitly interview process.

If you’re preparing for an interview with Remitly, it’s crucial to be well-prepared for technical and behavioral assessments.

For more insights about the company, check out our main Remitly Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Remitly’s interview process for different positions.

You can also check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Good luck with your interview!