Frequently Asked Questions

You can only make minor typographical corrections to the receiver’s name on a regular money transfer, as long as the money hasn’t yet been picked up or deposited. This can’t be done on a money order, bill payment or prepaid money transfer.

For your safety, make sure you know your receiver.

You can send money online to a Western Union location for a cash pickup, directly into your receiver’s bank account or to your receiver’s mobile phone. After you’ve chosen your destination country, you’ll see the types of services available.

Learn more about how to send money online.

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 transfers, you can send money to their mobile phone in a matter of 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 is generally available within 1 or 2 days, depending on your receiver’s country. Learn more about sending money to a bank account.

Pay for your money transfer in the following ways.

a)      Card

You can pay using your debit or credit card.

Supported cards are: Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and Visa Electron. Please contact your bank to ensure your card is enrolled for secure authentication.

b)      Bank transfer from your account to Western Union

Enter your transfer details on westernunion.com and log in to your online banking to pay for your transfer.

1. Select a bank transfer option.
2. Review and confirm your transfer. Your receipt with your transfer information, reference number, and Western Union bank details will be shown to you and sent to your email address.
3. Log in to your bank website/ mobile app. Use the beneficiary information on the receipt page and make the payment via bank transfer. (Please ensure the information you provide matches the information on your Western Union receipt.)
4. Once Western Union receives your payment, a confirmation email will be sent to your email address.

This service is available for certain countries. Usually, money is deposited into the receiver’s bank account within 1 or 2 working days. Money may be deposited on the same day or in up to 3 working 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 to a bank account.

If your receiver lives in a country where we offer this service, you can even send money to their mobile phone—so they can get their money quicker and easier than ever. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile operators in their country.

You can send up to 1.000 EUR per transaction or within a 3-day period before we need to verify your identity. After your identity is verified, you can send up to 5.000 EUR per transaction.

Some card issuers may charge additional fees for using our services. Please contact your card issuer for more information.

Verified by Visa^® and MasterCard SecureCode^® help prevent unauthorized online use of cards. These services use personal passwords or identity information and are available for most cards from participating financial institutions.

Once your card is activated, your card number will be recognized whenever it’s used at participating online stores. A window will automatically appear and your card issuer will ask for your password. You’ll enter your password to verify your identity and complete your purchase.

Even if you haven’t activated Verified by Visa^® or MasterCard SecureCode,^® your card can still be used on our site.

Your online receipt will show whether your transfer was approved. We’ll let you know if we need more information before we can complete it. When the transfer is complete, you’ll get an email with your tracking number (MTCN).

Western Union uses the latest technology to ensure convenient and reliable online money transfers. We have upgraded our security standards to protect you from fraud when you pay online using a credit or debit card. This enhanced layer of security, aligned with the latest EU regulations and changes to security systems, helps card issuing banks to better identify and verify customers, allowing for convenient, smooth, and reliable online transactions.

According to EU regulations, you have the right to easy, secure payments with no extra cost when you pay with a card issued in the EU¹. You also have the right to a basic payment account if you are a legally residing in Europe. Learn more.

Your debit or credit card payment may be unsuccessful due to several reasons:

a)      By your bank

Your bank may decline your payment due to:

• Insufficient funds in your bank account.
• Unusually large payment exceeding your bank limits.
• Your card may not be enrolled for secure authentication.

If your bank declines a payment while making a Western Union money transfer, you will need to contact your bank or log in to your online banking to resolve the issue.

b)      By Western Union

Western Union may decline your payment for the following reasons:

• Exceeding the transfer limit set for the country you are sending money from.
• To protect you from fraud or consumer scam.

You can make up to 5 transfers to the same receiver on Alipay wallet within a 30-day period starting from the date of the first transfer. If it’s urgent, you can always choose a different payout method such as bank account or cash.

You’ll need to set up your Google Pay account to complete your transfers.

To set up your account, simply follow these steps:

1. Download Google Pay on your android device.
2. Select Get Started.
3. Choose your preferred payment method.
4. Enter and verify your card¹

¹ You can add up to 5 valid Mastercard or Visa debit, or credit cards.

You can make faster payments using your Google Pay.

Note: First, you’ll need to set up your account.

Then to use Google Pay for your transfer, follow these steps:

1. Select Google Pay as your payment method.
2. Add your receiver’s details.
3. Click on Pay with GPay on the review page.
4. Choose a card linked with Google Pay.
5. Continue to make the payment.

Note: Currently, this feature is only available on android devices and website.