Western Union Money Transfer Review

The internet may have made money transfers faster and more convenient, but transfers are nothing new.

One of the oldest and largest money transfer companies is Western Union. Founded in 1851 when money was sent on horseback, Western Union allows you to transfer money to any of more than 200 countries worldwide. Since then, its business has grown and expanded thanks to online money transfers.

Send money in more than 125 currencies with your credit card, bank account, debit card, or wire transfer online. Moreover, Western Union is very famous all around the world because of their cash transfers through the agent network. You can literally visit any WU branch or location and personally transfer your money to any country in the world.

Western Union offers multiple options for money transfers: online, in person, over the phone, or via Western Union app. In some cases, cash is available for pickup that same day.

Here’s how to send money online with Western Union:

1. Visit www.westernunion.com. Select “Send Money.”
2. Enter the country where you want to send money to. Western Union allows you to send money to more than 200 countries.
3. Enter the amount of money you want to send to the other person, and select the currency they’ll receive (if applicable).
4. Select how the person will receive the money. Options include bank account transfer, delivery, or cash pickup.
5. You will be able to see how much the transfer will cost you in fees based on how you choose to pay for the transfer. Transfers between bank accounts are less expensive with Western Union, but take longer to complete.
6. You will be prompted to log into your Western Union account if you have one, or create an account if you do not.
7. Fill in details about the recipient, such as their name and contact information. If you are transferring money to their bank account, you also will need to provide the recipient’s bank account information.
8. Pay for your transfer by entering your bank account, credit card, or debit card information. If you choose to pay in person with cash, you will need to take your photo ID with you to the Western Union location to pay.

Western Union allows you to pay for a money transfer in five different ways: with your bank account, debit card, credit card, wire transfer, or with cash.

The amount of money you can send using Western Union depends on your individual transaction history if you’ve successfully sent money with Western Union before. It also depends on the receiver’s country, your location, and how you elect to pay for the transfer.

When sending money through the website or via app, daily limit for most transfers is $2,999. For next-day transfers, the limit is $500.

If you choose to send money by initiating the transfer in person at a Western Union branch, there is usually no limit to how much money you can send daily. However, some countries do have limits on how much money a person can receive in a day.

Transfers initiated over the phone range from $300 to $2,500 per day.

Western Union allows you to send money to and from over 200 countries. Some of the countries where you can send money include:

• Argentina
• Bangladesh
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Romania
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Uruguay
• Vietnam

How much you will pay to send money with Western Union depends on a few factors:

• Where you’re sending money to
• How you’re paying for the transfer
• How much you’re sending

In general, transfers from your bank account to the recipient’s bank account are the least expensive option when it comes to transfer fees. However, this type of money transfer does take longer than the other options, sometimes up to a week.

If you want to send money quickly with by paying with your credit or debit card, expect to pay higher fees. In some cases, the recipient can pick up their money within a few hours at the closest Western Union location. There are more than 550,000 individual locations worldwide, giving plenty of opportunities to pick up cash.

Western Union is one of the online money transfer companies that makes relatively large margins on its exchange rate markup. Sometimes, customers need to pay up to 20% in exchange rate difference and various fees.

Western Union’s exchange rates aren’t always better than its competition. The country where you’re sending money and how much money you’re sending can make a difference in the exchange rates.

When you send money to developing countries using Western Union, you can get better exchange rates than you would get if you send money to Europe or the US. You also may find better exchange rates when sending large amounts of money.

Western Union makes its money in two major ways. By charging transfer fees on its transfers, and by marking up the exchange rate to send money.

Typically, Western Union charges fees based on three factors: The country where you’re sending money, how much money you’re sending, and how you’re paying for the transfer. You will pay lower fees or no fees at all if you use bank to bank type of transfer. If you want the money to get to the other person quickly, use a credit card or debit card to fund the transfer. However, paying this way is going to cost you a fee.

Western Union also makes money by marking up the margin on exchange rates. This markup can add up to 20 percent of the total amount of your money transfer.

Because of the fees and exchange rate markup, Western Union is not often the least expensive option for sending money.

As one of the oldest money transfer companies in the business, Western Union is seen as a very secure, safe way to send money overseas.

The company is fully licensed and insured in multiple countries. It’s long history of offering money transfers means it is well-trusted by the public.

Western Union offers money transfers between individuals, either within the same country or between countries.

You also can use Western Union to pay bills with certain retailers. They also offer a prepaid card allowing you to send and receive money easily, and even direct deposit your paycheck onto the card. The card can be used as a debit card at many retailers, allowing you to make purchases.

Western Union Business Solutions also offers business services, including paying to suppliers, employees, and partners internationally; accepting payments from foreign customers, and globally mass payments.

Western Union has more than 17,000 individual customer reviews on Trustpilot, a consumer review site.

Overall reviews are mixed, with 65 percent of reviewers rating Western Union excellent. A total of 11 percent of reviewers rate Western Union either poor or bad.

User Bart stated he found the rates and fees at Western Union competitive with the rest of the industry. He also stated that his transfer was completed quickly and without trouble.

Customer Omar gave Western Union a try after getting stuck in Pakistan and running out of money. His transfer arrived in six business days without issues, and he says he plans to use the service in the future.

Reviewers who had negative experiences with Western Union point to poor customer service and communication about the status of their transfers.

Western Union offers email, live chat support, and a customer service phone line.

(800) 214-5483, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. CST and Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CST

Originally founded as a telegram company in 1851, Western Union began offering wire transfers in 1871. It has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1865, and currently is the largest money transfer company in the world.

Western Union is currently valued at $9 billion. In 2017, the company transferred more than $300 billion, averaging 32 money transfers per second for the entire year.

Over the years, Western Union has evolved as the money transfer industry has evolved. It has expanded to offer money transfers to more than 200 countries and more than 550,000 locations. Western Union also operates a business services arm and offers online transfers.

Western Union is the one of the oldest, most trusted, and largest money transfer companies in the world, serving billions of customers each year. While it is highly respected, it is not often among the least expensive money transfer companies.

If you’re searching for a company you can trust, choose Western Union. Send money internationally with little hassle or worry.