Frequently Asked Questions

Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), as mandated by the EU’s Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), requires payment service providers to authenticate digital payments.

SCA, also known as 3D Secure, is a multi-factor authentication that adds an extra layer of security to digital payments to reduce fraud. It asks you to authenticate your payment using PIN, password, or biometrics.

At Western Union, to meet the SCA requirements, we use multi-factor authentication to secure your online transfers.

Western Union uses Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) to secure online payments. To successfully authenticate your payment, please be sure of the following:

• Your card or bank account is registered for SCA (3D Secure). If not, contact your card issuer or register it through your online banking portal.
• Your contact information is up to date with your bank and Western Union.
• You enter your PIN or password accurately.

Please note that you can also pay for your money transfers using alternative methods. We’ll show your payment options when you start an online transfer.

Anyone who needs to send or receive money quickly uses Western Union. These include people supporting friends or relatives abroad, travellers and business people who need to make fast, international remittances.

Western Union agent locations are independent businesses that provide money transfer services to their customers on behalf of Western Union.

Western Union agent locations offer the ability to send money worldwide using cash.

You’ll need to complete a “To Send Money” form and pay the agent the amount you want to send, plus fees, in cash.

To pick up the money, the receiver will complete a “To Receive Money” form at any Western Union agent location and provide proper identification. The agent then pays the transfer amount to the receiver.

Sending money with Western Union from an agent location doesn’t require credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts. But you will need to show a valid ID.

Depending on the country and the agent, where the receiver picks up the money, the acceptable IDs will vary. In general passports and national IDs are acceptable. A driver’s license might not be valid.

In some cases the receiver might also need to verify their current address, for example with a utility bill.

You can usually send any amount. However, for certain amounts and transfers, you may be subject to additional security and asked to provide additional information or documentation.

Generally, we will pay cash to your receiver. But, in some cases, payment may be made by cheque or a combination of cash and cheque.

Other restrictions may apply.

Any time after the money has been sent, you can check your transfer status online. All you need is the tracking number (MTCN), which is printed on your receipt, the receiver’s country and the amount (receive amount).

You can check your transfer status online. All you need is the tracking number (MTCN), which is printed on your receipt, the receiver’s country and the amount (receive amount).

You can pick up your money at any agent location. You’ll need to complete a “To Receive Money” form with the following information:

• MTCN
• Sender Name
• Sender City and Country Address
• Expected amount
• Receiver Name
• Receiver City and Country Address

Acceptable ID documents are also required.

Some restrictions may apply.

Each Western Union agent location determines its own hours of operation. Some have extended hours and some even stay open 24 hours.

Find a nearby agent location.

Find a nearby agent location online or look for Western Union in your local telephone directory.

Western Union agent locations are independent businesses that provide money transfer services to their customers on behalf of Western Union.

Each Western Union agent location determines its own hours of operation. Some have extended hours or even stay open 24 hours.

Find a nearby agent location

Find a nearby agent location online or look for Western Union in your local telephone directory.

No, it’s free to register. You can register here. It only takes a minute.

Registering to receive transfers in Colombia

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The Government of Colombia will require you to register if you receive a transfer in Colombia that exceeds its cash and frequency limits.

If you know you need to register, you can call Western Union’s Colombian partner, Giros y Finanzas, at any of the numbers below.

You can also wait for Giros y Finanzas to call you. They will try to contact you up to 3 times in the 15 days after we send the money. If Giros y Finanzas cannot reach you after 3 tries, we will cancel the transfer and refund the sender.

Giros y Finanzas contact numbers in Colombia (country code +57):

• National office: 018000 111 999
• Cali: (2) 518 48 00
• Bogotá: (1) 635 35 60
• Medellín: (4) 511 51 51
• Barranquilla: (5) 368 79 96
• Pereira: (6) 335 16 11

Giros y Finanzas contact numbers outside Colombia:

• Miami (USA): +1 (786) 206 6144
• Montreal (Canadá): +1 (514) 448 1874
• Panamá: +507 833 9275

Giros y Finanzas office hours of operation, Colombia Time (COT) (UTC -5):

• Monday to Friday: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
• Saturday, Sunday, and holidays: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

Giros y Finanzas may ask you to provide the following:

• Your full name (first name, middle name, paternal name, and maternal name)
• Your date of birth
• The country and city where you were born
• The city you live in
• Your address, phone/cell numbers, and email address
• Your occupation

Receiving money in Argentina

If you receive a money transfer in Argentina, you need to complete a one-time registration within 90 days of getting it.

Also, if you receive 2 additional transfers within that 90-day period (a total of 3 transfers), you will need to register before you can pick up the third transfer.

To get you registered, we will contact you within 24 hours of the transfer at the number provided by your sender. You will be asked to provide additional identifying information on an online form used for registering transfers.

Receiving money to your bank account in China

If you’re the receiver, you may need to complete a one-time registration before you can receive money.

If you need to register, you will be contacted within 24 hours by us at the number provided by your sender.

To register and confirm your identity, you will need:

• The tracking number (MTCN)
• To confirm your bank card number
• To confirm your Chinese name as it appears on your government-issued ID.
• Your government-issued ID.

If the receiver cannot be contacted within 3 days, we will not be able to complete the transfer, and the sender will be issued a refund.

You can also call Customer Care at 4008190488 or 02168664622 to provide your identity information.

Before you can pick up the money, you’ll receive a SMS, an email or a phone call from the agent so you can choose to register at a physical location or via online registration.

Here’s what you’ll need to provide for registration:

• Your full name as it appears on your government-issued ID.
• Name on the bank account.
• Bank name.
• Bank code.
• Branch name.
• Branch code.
• Bank account number.
• The currency on your bank account needs to be in JMD.
• TRN number (TaxID).
• Government-issued ID, ID type, and expiration.
• Country of birth.
• Date of birth.
• Phone number (home and mobile).
• Home address (street, city/town, or parish).
• Occupation.
• Place of work (if homemaker or unemployed, this is not required).
• Your email address.

Please note that GraceKennedy will complete the verification required to make sure the receiver owns the given bank account. The verification process may take up to 2 business days and may be cancelled within 8 days if your registration is not complete.

You’ll need to verify your identity to send 1,000 EUR or more. After your identity has been verified, you can send up to 5,000 EUR per transfer.

To verify your identity, please do the following:

1. Log in to your Western Union profile. If you don’t have a profile yet, create one.
2. Select Profile at the top right and choose Start verification now.
3. Then select Verify by letter. A letter with a coupon will be sent to your residential address by regular mail.
4. After receiving the letter, approach a Post Office with the coupon and your ID document. At the Post Office a KYC check will be performed, they will fill out the Form for Identification, and send it to us.

You do not need to send any documents to us via post or email. Simply take the coupon and your ID to the Post Office for the KYC check. The Post Office will handle the rest. For any enquiries, the post officer can contact us at ID@westernunion.com.

You can provide any of the following documents to verify your identity:

• Your passport
• Your EU or EEA issued national ID
• Your Estonian driving license

Any time after sending, you can check your transfer status online. All you need is your name and the tracking number (MTCN) printed on your receipt.

You can check your transfer status online . All you need is the sender’s name and the tracking number (MTCN) printed on the sender’s receipt.

You can pick up your money at any agent location. You’ll need to complete a “To Receive Money” form and include the following information:

• MTCN
• Receiver Name
• Receiver City and Country
• Expected amount
• Sender Name
• Sender City and Country

Acceptable ID documents also are required.

Some restrictions may apply.

Depending on the country and the agent, where the receiver picks up the money, the acceptable IDs will vary. In general passports and national IDs are acceptable. A driver’s license might not be valid.

In some cases the receiver might also need to verify their current address, for example with a utility bill

When you send money internationally, your receiver generally will be paid in local currency. The exact amount will be calculated based on the exchange rate applicable at the time of shipment. However, for transfers to certain countries, the exact amount will be calculated based on the exchange rate applicable at the time of receipt.

Here are a few ways you can send money online using Western Union:

•  Money in minutes:

If your money is needed within minutes, you can send online using your credit or debit card. Receivers can pick up cash at Western Union locations worldwide, depending on the hours of operation at that location.

If your receiver lives in a country where we offer mobile money transfer, you can send money to their mobile phone in minutes. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile operators in their country.

•  Money available in 1 or 2 days:

If you send money to a bank account, your money’s generally available in 1 or 2 days, depending on your receiver’s country. Learn more about sending money to a bank account.

You can send up to 1.000 EUR within a 5-day period before we need to verify your identity.

After that is finished, your send limit will increase to 5.000 EUR per 3-day period.

Find a nearby agent location online or look for Western Union in your local telephone directory.

If your receiver lives in a country where we offer this service, you can send money to their mobile phone. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile phone operators in their country.

Check available destination countries and mobile providers.

This service is available for certain countries. Usually, money is deposited into the receiver’s bank account in 1 or 2 business days. Money may be deposited the same day or in as many as 3 business days, depending on when and where it’s sent.

After you send money, ask your receiver to contact their bank or check their bank statement to verify the deposit.

Learn more about sending money to a bank account

You can cancel a money transfer only if it has not been picked up by your receiver. If you sent money to a bank account, you can cancel it if the transfer has not been completed by your receiver’s bank.
To request a refund, please call Customer Care, or if you sent the money in person, return to the agent location.

Refunds typically take up to 10 business days from the date they are completed.

To protect our customers, we review every money transfer to make sure it’s safe. For a variety of reasons, we may ask you to provide us with more information before we can allow you to continue using our services.

We need additional information to understand why you use Western Union and the relationship between you and the person or entities you’re transacting with. The more information you provide, the quicker we’ll be able to complete your request.

To have access to our services again, follow the steps below:

1. Gather the required documents. Please note that these will vary depending on your reason for using Western Union and your relationship to the person or entities you’re transacting with. At minimum you must be prepared with your government-issued photo ID, documents that relate to your purpose for using Western Union, proof of the source of the funds, and any additional documents that may provide support for the answers provided on the questionnaire. For more information, go to Help section at westernunion.com.
2. Go to westernunion.com/gcr and start the customer questionnaire.
3. Complete the customer questionnaire:

• Personal information:
  – Provide your first, middle (optional) and last names as they appear on your ID.
  – Share your current email, physical address and mobile number. Please make sure you provide an active email address for communication purposes.
  – Specify your country of birth.
  – Select your occupation and provide additional clarification if needed.
  – Enter a recent tracking number (MTCN) if available.
  – Upload a copy of your valid government-issued photo ID.
• Relationships:
  – List people or entities you’ve transacted with using Western Union.
  – For each person or entity, enter the full name, relationship, purpose of transaction and upload supporting documents.
• Source of funds:
  – Choose the source of funds from the drop-down list and upload supporting documents.
• Third party details (if you are transacting on behalf of someone else) (if applicable):
  – Explain the purpose of transaction(s) and your relationship to the third party.
  – Provide the details related to the third party.
• Fraud (if applicable):
  – Indicate if you’ve been a victim of fraud or scam.
  – If yes, share a brief description of what happened.

4. Review the accuracy of the information you provided.
5. Select Submit questionnaire to complete the process.

a. Valid government-issued photo ID is needed to verify your identity.

Examples: passport, driver’s license, national ID.

b. Source of funds is needed to make sure that the money transfers are not related to illegal acts and correspond to the nature of your activity.

Examples: at least the latest 3 months of bank statements, at least the latest 3 months of pay slips, employment contract with salary, loan papers, sale agreement, winning receipt, tax return statement, etc.

c. Purpose of money transfer or intended use of money is needed to understand the basis for making the payment and the type of relations between the sender and the payee.

Examples:
Personal remittance/family support – the following documents are suitable to prove relationship: pictures with persons you transacted with, marriage certificate, counterparty’s birth certificate, counterparty’s government issued ID, etc.
Business remittance/payment for goods/services – bills, receipts, sale or purchase agreements, etc.
Education – evidence of tuition fees, etc.
Medical expenses – hospital bills, pharmacy receipts, health insurance premiums, etc.
Charity support – written acknowledgment from the charity, etc.
Purchase home – purchase agreement, mortgage documents, etc.
Gift – receipts, etc.
Travel expenses – travel tickets, hotel bookings, etc.

d. Third party activity (sending or receiving money on behalf of individual or business) information is needed to understand the purpose and nature of your relationship with Western Union.

Examples: business registration documents, letter of authorization by the company or notary, bank statement showing access to third party funds, etc.

After we’ve received your completed questionnaire and required documentation, we’ll email you a response within 3 business days.

In case we have additional questions, we may contact you via the email address provided in the questionnaire.

We’re committed to the security of your personal information. We use organizational, technical and administrative safeguards that comply with applicable government laws and regulations to secure your personal information. We also restrict access to the personal information that we process to only our employees, agents and representatives that have a business need to know it. For more information, read our Terms and Conditions and Online Privacy Statement.