Western Union Review- Transact with Oldest Remittance Service Provider 2024

4 stars based on 65156 reviews

Western Union Review by Exchange Rate IQ

Overall rating
8.5 /10

Can you trust Western Union to send money abroad? How much the company charge for transferring funds? Are its services reliable? There are many such questions which users look for and therefore, the experts of Exchange Rate IQ provides the unbiased review of “world’s largest money transfer providers”, Western Union. The company offers over 125 currencies which can be transferred in multiple ways.

An American financial service provider, Western Union is one of the world’s oldest money transfer company in the industry. The company offers various products such as person-to-person transfers, money orders, business payments and commercial services. The company is serving more than 200 countries with over 130 currencies. Some of the benefits of using Western Union are:

  • Most Trusted Service Provider
  • Huge Network of ATMs, Agents and Kiosks
  • Variety of Services

Review of Western Union :

Launched in the year 1851 in New York, USA, Western Union has been serving the people from the past 168 years. The company has its headquarters in Meridian, Colorado, and was best known for its exchanging telegram service in the US, which was discontinued in 2006.

Western Union helps in transfer funds cross-border, cross currencies to small businesses, global corporations, families, NGOs and many more that are remotely located somewhere on Earth. It has placed more than 150,000 ATMs and kiosks across the world, which helps it in completing more than 800 million transactions till 2017.

The company offers its money transfer services through digital, mobile, and retail channels, with an array of convenient pay-out options to meet business and consumer needs. There is no maximum transfer limit, while the minimum transfer limit is just USD $1. If you are wondering whether you should use its services or not, it’s best to decide it after reading the whole review of Western Union.

The company has been highly secured and authorized by various authorities in different countries, so you can transfer the funds worry-free.

On an overall basis, we rate 8.5 out of 10 to the company.

Pricing : How much does Western Union cost?

8 /10

Western Union Transfer Fee

The Western Union fee is highly variable which depends on multiple factors. This includes factors such as country you are sending money to, payment mode, pay-out mode, transfer amount and method. This fee majorly lies in between $0 (free) to $150. You will get to know how much amount you have to pay when you start the transaction. It charges less on the bank transfer while more for the debit and credit card transfers.

Western Union Exchange Rates

The company offers mid-market exchange rates and also makes the profit in exchanging currencies. Therefore, its margin exchange rate would be a bit lower than the prevailing rates in the market. So, it is important for a customer to pay attention to the rates while transacting with Western Union online. These exchange rates also vary depending on how one pays for the transfer and how the recipient receives the money.

It also offers better exchange rates when you send a larger amount, so, experts say that you should try to send money once rather than a bundle of transfers.

Western Union is not the cheapest option but its rates being often competitive comparing to bank transfers, therefore, we rate it 8 out of 10.

Transparency: Does Western Union have any hidden fees?

10 /10

Western Union Hidden Fee

The company does not have any hidden fees. The recipient will receive the amount that has been shown on the transaction page. So, customers should be sure while using the services of Western Union.

Western Union Tracking Details

One can track the transfer through Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) provided by the company through email just after the completion of the transaction. The company has been providing the transaction tracking page, where you can directly check the transfers without logging into your account.

Western Union has no hidden fees and an excellent tracking procedure; therefore, the experts of Exchange Rate IQ provide it 10 out of 10 for the transparency.

Transfer Speed: How long does it take to send money through Western Union?

7/10

The company offers both fast and late transfers depending on the need of the customer. The fast transfers attract more fees, while the transfers which take time have low fees. Therefore, it has no option for fast and cheap transfers.

Some of the transfer types offered by Western Union are:

  1. Transfer from debit or credit card and choosing a cash pickup comes with fast options of “Money in Minutes” or “Next Day”.
  2. Western Union online transfer through bank accounts and cash pickup may take up to 4 business days.
  3. Transfer from a bank account to a bank account can take up to 7 business days.

All this time depends on the destination country, payment mode and other factors such as working hours of the bank, etc. So, we rate it 7 out of 10 for the transfer speed.

Coverage: How many Countries & Currencies does Western Union support?

8/10

Western Union is the largest and oldest money remittance service provider, which has grown in over 200 countries and territories across the world.

  • Its services allow people to send and receive money through agents over 550,000 locations.
  • With Western Union send money online, one can send funds to more than 125 countries.
  • It is also providing its services through ATMs and kiosks which are available at various places.

The company is focusing on massive digital expansion, which will enable the digital transfer of money across the countries. Currently, the digital options of Western Union are available in the US, Canada, many countries of Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

It’s currently expanding this service in Asia, Middle East and Latin America. It has already expanded its services in Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica and Panama in Latin American and the Caribbean; Singapore and Malaysia in Asia; and Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman in the Middle East. You can also find the Western Union locations near you here.

Currencies Supported by Western Union

It has been operating in more than 130 currencies, some of it are:

AED LSL IDR INR USD CAD EUR
SEK YER ZAR GBP KWD NZD SGD
OMR HKD BOB BTN WST XAF QAR and more

The company is soon bringing its money sending services in India, where people will be able to transfer INR to other currencies to the friends and family. Still, it has to cover many areas in Asia and the Middle East which will help it to cover the whole world under its services. So, we rate it 8 out of 10 for the coverage head. So, for using the services of Western Union Login.

Western Union Transfer Process

Send money online now with Western Union

  1. Go to the website of Western Union and click on “Send Money” at the top of the home page.

  2. You will be redirected to the new page.

  3. Here select the country where you want to send the funds.

  4. Enter the amount and select how the recipient will receive the money.

  5. Click on “Continue”.

  6. Sign up or login if you are an old user.

  7. Enter all the personal details of you and the recipient.

  8. After logging in confirm the transaction.

  9. The company will provide you with “Money Transfer Control Number” on email which will help you in tracking the transaction.

Send money with Western Union

Western Union Philippines to USA money transfer

Many Filipino send their children for studies to the USA and have to send money to them for fees, monthly expenses, etc. For this, most of them find Western Union as one of the best and comfortable money transfer company where they can send money online as well as in cash. Western Union online allows you to send money internationally for up to $10,000 per transaction and this limit can be raised if you ask the company. While on Western Union agent location transfers, there is no restriction, you can send as much amount as you want.

Western Union send money to Canada

Western Union money in minutes helps you to send cash pickup to the recipient in Canada to receive money in a few minutes. It’s because the company has reached across the world with more than 500,000 agent locations in over 200 countries and territories. Besides, it is more favourable because people can transfer money through mobile, web and also from any agent location. All you need to give the details are where to send, how to pay and who is going to receive the money. Check Western Union money transfer rates for the country you want to send money and submit the transfer.

Send money to Gambia Western Union

Send money to Gambia looks a difficult and costly process as the country is still undeveloped and there are very fewer sources available. But with Western Union, you can make a bank transfer, cash pickup to the Gambia which offers competitive exchange rates compared to most of the banks and also have low transfer fees. This helps you as well as your family to get money within minutes no matter where you send in the Gambia as it has approximately 10,000+ agents.

User experience of Western Union

8/10

Originally founded as a telegram company in the year 851, Western Union wire transfer service was started in the year 1871. More than 32 transactions take place every second on the western union money transfer, which makes it one of the most used currency exchange service providers. Some of the positive and negative aspects that users face while using the services of Western Union are:

Positive:

  • Low minimum transfer amount
  • Various options to send money
  • Transfer across the world

Negative:

  • Exchange rates are not transparent
  • High transfer fee
  • Not all the channels are available in every country

 

Western Union Prepaid Card

The Western Union NetSpend Prepaid MasterCard allows users staying in the United States to hold the value on a prepaid card and use the card to make and receive Western Union money transfer. One can also use this card to shop online, pay bills, buy grocery, or can collect cash at ATMs. It gives you a quicker and most convenient way to use your money.

 

Western Union Customer Service:

The users of the Western Union, USA can contact the company via online chat, email, or over the phone. For Indian users, Western Union contact details are:

Western Union Phone number: 1-800-102-7111

Western Union India Email: [email protected]

People can contact the company between 8 am to 8 pm (IST) from Monday to Friday.

 

Western Union App:

The company has been providing its apps so that one can transfer funds without any delay.

  1. Western Union Android App
  2. Western Union iOS App

 

Western Union Refer a friend:

The company provides EUR20 reward if the friend you referred use services of Western Union and transfer funds more than EUR50 in the first transaction.

Western Union Promo Code:

The company time to time provides various offers and discount which will help you in paying less transfer fee or any other offers. These promo codes are shared by notification, SMS or email.

Besides all this, the Western Union website is available in various languages, which help it to serve people across the world. It offers personal, business and charitable transfers, but has many areas where it can expand for more growth.

 

On overall user experience, we rate Western Union 8 out of 10.

Security : Is Western Union Safe?

10/10

The Western Union Company, popularly known by its brand name Western Union is the oldest and most trusted money transfer service providers. Therefore, the company uses a high level of encryption to safeguard the information of customers.

The company has been affiliated by various authorities across the world in the countries it is serving in. It relies on proprietary and cutting-edge data analysis to always remain compliant with the regulations of all the jurisdictions it operates in.

So, one can trust the company with its security policies and measures it takes to save the details of clients. Therefore, we rate Western Union 10 out of 10 for its security.

Transfer Type And Modes

Pay In Options

Bank
Cash
Credit Card
Debit Card
Mobile Money
Cash Card
Mobile Wallet

Pay Out Options

Bank
Cash
Mobile Money
Home Delivery
Cash Card
Mobile Wallet

Service Mode

 Online
 At Branch
 Telephone

Exchange Rate Type

Fixed

Western Union FAQ's

What is the minimum and maximum transfer amount at Western Union?

Western Union Minimum Transfer Limit: USD $1

Western Union Maximum Transfer Limit: USD $5,000

You can send the similar amount in other currencies through Western Union.

Discuss this question

How much can I send with Western Union?

Western Union is pretty flexible in the transfer limits it offers its customers. It has a low minimum transfer limit of USD $1 and a maximum transfer limit of USD $5000 which is averagely fair for a daily sender. Even better is the fact that you can send this money to over 200 countries worldwide where several of their agents are located. Knowing this can make you easily plan your transfer ahead and make timely payments when needed.

Discuss this question

What if I want to send more than USD $5,000?

If you want to send more than USD $5,000 through Western Union, you need to open forex account with the company.

Discuss this question

Can I track money sent via Western Union?

stern Union offers a unique Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) for every sender making a transaction. This number should be passed on to the recipient so that he or she may provide it for he or she to receive the money sent. You can get your MTCN tracking number from your history page and in your printed or emailed receipt.

Discuss this question

How can I know if a Western Union agent is located near me?

You can determine the proximity of your nearest Western Union agent via their agent locator from their website, or simply, by clicking here. This locator offers you the option of searching for an agent via your physical address or via an agent’s name. It will then pin point the exact location of the agent near you or an agent of your preference based on your experience with them.

Discuss this question

What is Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN)?

Money Transfer Control Number (MCTN) is provided by Western Union to sender which needs to be passed to the recipient, so when recipient reach to agent to pick up cash, he has to provide MCTN to the agent.

Discuss this question

How can I start sending money via Western Union?

Sending money via Western Union is easy. All it takes is a mobile phone through which you can download the Western Union agent bank’s Mobile App. Once you have the app, you can log in to your profile and start making your transactions. To find out more about how you can send money and track it to the point it reaches your recipient, you can visit their customer care page for detailed assistance.

Discuss this question

How can I make sure my transfer is safe?

Western Union strives to send your money in the fastest and most reliable way possible. Moreover, it values the integrity of your funds. However, the responsibility of preventing fraudsters from reaching your money is also in your hands. Relative to this, Western Union has gone out of its way to enlighten you concerning how you can avert all malicious activities that can lead to loss of your money. Find out some of the ways through which you can ensure that you do not send money to a fraudster and prevent yourself from making heavy losses.

Discuss this question

Alternatives to Western Union

Western Union User Reviews and Ratings

reviews powered by trustpilot

Not able to send money using resend

Review published ago

Not able to send money using resend or previous added people, had to create a new one and add new card . Also can't use computer " denied access " wich was used previously.

by Лана О

Not able to send money using resend

Review published ago

Not able to send money using resend or previous added people, had to create a new one and add new card . Also can't use computer " denied access " wich was used previously.

by Лана О

muy buen servicio

Review published ago

muy buen servicio, se realiza con toda la seguridad del mundo, y se puede enviar a cualquier hora para ayudar a nuestras familias... gracias... son lo mejor

by alejandra stark rondon

muy buen servicio

Review published ago

muy buen servicio, se realiza con toda la seguridad del mundo, y se puede enviar a cualquier hora para ayudar a nuestras familias... gracias... son lo mejor

by alejandra stark rondon

Fast and easy.

Review published ago

Fast and easy. Five stars.

by Javier Altuve

Fast and easy.

Review published ago

Fast and easy. Five stars.

by Javier Altuve

modifica destinatario

Review published ago

è difficile cambiare il nominativo di una transazione non ancora completata, oppure annullarla

by sandro

modifica destinatario

Review published ago

è difficile cambiare il nominativo di una transazione non ancora completata, oppure annullarla

by sandro

Horrible.

Review published ago

La verdad que nunca habia tenido una experiencia tan desastrosa. Es kla primera vez que utilizo Western Union, y ni siquiera he conseguido subir la foto de mi pasaporte, lo intente mil veces, hablé cinco veces con el telefono de soporte y nada, no pudieron ayudarme de ninguna manera. No racomandable.

by Francesco Del MInio

easy

Review published ago

easy, no hassle

by Frater IllumiGnostic

My initial transfer was cancelled…

Review published ago

My initial transfer was cancelled without explanation. No reason given while transfer was cancilled!

by Suraj Lawal

I have been using Western Union to…

Review published ago

I have been using Western Union to transfer funds for years now and hardly had any problems. It is a great company and I thank you!

by MICHAEL

Quick and easy!!!

Review published ago

Quick and easy!!!

by Jerry Jensen

fast delivery easy to send money..

Review published ago

fast delivery easy to send money..

by Eduardo Carrillo

ok very

Review published ago

ok tanks good by

by PAULO SOARES

generally always easy but their points…

Review published ago

generally always easy but their points earning system is completely useless. i've earned 10 points and i send money at least 3 times a week.

by customer

Tried for 2 Days to make a transfer

Review published ago

Tried for 2 Days to make a transfer. Did not work. Tried the chat - worthless. Called customer service - heavy accent, no help.

by Richard Merrow

quick service

Review published ago

quick service

by Marcelle

Prompt and reliable as always

Review published ago

Excellent service

by SAN RIEL

sencillez y rapidez

Review published ago

sencillez y rapidez

by Ana Iriarte Siri Roop Kaur

For the past 6 months we do not get…

Review published ago

For the past 6 months we do not get points rewards, and there is never a promotion for current costumers but for new ones, so there is no benefit for me to keep using WU. Unfortunately, I do not have other options to send money to Paraguay.

by Maria Franco Zaldivar

I used WU many years ago

Review published ago

I used WU many years ago. Great solution, always!!

by Roberto Poblete Montenegro

Reward Points

Review published ago

Reward Points The way to redeem reward points is not clear. I tried to redeem the points and the site said the points would be automatically applied to my next transfer, but they were not. I was still charged the transfer fee.

by A

Having a terribly inconsistent time…

Review published ago

Having a terribly inconsistent time transferring money! Transfers are now being sent and I am getting and email stating that it is ready for pick up on the other end, only for it to be CANCELLED, without any explanation. This happens often. Also, I am having a HORRIBLE time getting onto your site to send money! I have sent MANY thousands of dollars to friends and family and this is just not acceptable!

by Mac
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Compare Western Union With Other Money Transfer Companies

Western Union Company & Contact Info

Address:- Denver, Colorado, United States
Email:- [email protected]
Phone:- 1800 102 7111
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