Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone who needs to send or receive money quickly uses Western Union. These include people supporting friends or relatives abroad and travelers 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. They are our representatives in the different countries you need to send or receive money, they may be banks, post offices, supermarkets, grocery stores, check cashers, mailbox centers, drug stores, travel agencies, depots, airports, train and bus stations, currency exchange offices and other retailers.

Finding an agent location in Guatemala is easy, go to our agent locator tool.

Once you get to our agent location, you will be asked to provide some information like your receiver’s first name, last name, the amount you wish to send, the country you are sending to and your government-issued ID; then just give the agent the total amount including the applicable fees.

You need to present a valid International passport, National Identity Card, Driver’s License, Residence ID (for foreigners), Foreigner’s document.

Acceptable IDs are subject to the banking laws and regulations of Guatemala.

You will be able to send up to 1500$ per transfer and up to 7500$ in rolling 30 days.

Money transfers will generally be paid in cash or will be transferred directly to the receiver’s bank account if the option is available.

Restrictions may apply. Please contact a Western Union agent to get more information about restrictions.

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

Each Western Union agent location determines its own hours of operation. Some have extended hours and open during weekends.

Find a nearby Western Union agent location with our agent locator tool.

If you need to pick up money at Western Union agent location, please present a valid International passport, National Identity Card, Driver’s License, Residence ID (for foreigners), Foreigner’s document.

Acceptable IDs are subject to the banking laws and regulations of Guatemala.

You can go to track a transfer at wu.com. Then type in the sender’s name and the MTCN (money transfer control number). You’ll get an update on the latest status of your money transfer.

You can pick up the money at any Western Union agent location. You’ll need to provide the following information:

• The sender’s full name.
• The country where the money was sent from.
• The approximate amount that was sent.
• The tracking number (MTCN – Money Transfer Control Number)
• Acceptable ID documents are also required

For more information, please visit your nearest Western Union agent location.

Money transfers will generally be paid in cash.

Other restrictions may apply. For more information, please visit your nearest Western Union agent location.

All fees are paid by the sender.

Registration is required for most of our services, to complete your profile registration please follow these steps:

1. Go to an Airpak location and start a transfer with the agent.
2. The Airpak agent will complete the registration after getting all compliance information required.
3. Once you complete the money transfer at the Airpak location, you can visit the Airpak website and start the online registration process.
4. Once on the Airpak website, select the create an account (crear cuenta) button.
5. Choose an option from the document type (tipo de documento) dropdown list.
6. Enter the exact same ID number you use at the AirPak location.
7. You will go through the one-time password process. If the phone provided is unique or is been used by another profile, a SMS will be sent to confirm you have access to it.
8. Create a password according to Airpak’s password requirements.
9. Agree to the terms of service.
10. Login to your profile.

No, it’s free to register.

Anyone who meets the following conditions, can use our online services.

• You’ll need to have a valid ID such as an International passport, National Identity Card, Driver’s License, Residence ID (for foreigners), Foreigner’s document.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must accept the terms and conditions for using Western Union and AirPak services.
• Must have a credit or debit card.
• Must have a valid phone number.

Registration with a valid ID and phone number is possible only once.

If you need to change your profile information, please contact AirPak customer care center at + 502-2410-1051.

Your user ID is the ID number you used to create your profile.

If you forgot your password, you can select the “Forgot password” option and a new password will be sent to your phone number or email.

If you entered your login information incorrectly 3 times at login, your profile will be locked, please try to log in to your profile after 30 minutes or contact AirPak customer care center number at + 502-2410-1051.

You can change your password or phone number only at nearest AirPak agent location.

You will be required to reverify your identity by visiting a verification location. Once your ID is verified, you will be able to send money online immediately.

Please contact AirPak customer care center + 502-2410-1051.

Yes, before making your first online transfer, you will need to verify your profile. Here’s how to do it

1. Go to an Airpak location and start a transfer with the agent.
2. The Airpak agent will complete the registration after getting all compliance information required.
3. Once you complete the money transfer at the Airpak location, you can visit the Airpak website and start the online registration process.
4. Once on the Airpak website, select the create an account (crear cuenta) button.
5. Choose an option from the document type (tipo de documento) dropdown list.
6. Enter the exact same ID number you use at the AirPak location.
7. You will go through the one-time password process. If the phone provided is unique or is been used by another profile, a SMS will be sent to confirm you have access to it.
8. Create a password according to Airpak’s password requirements.
9. Agree to the terms of service.
10. Login to your profile.

When an expired ID is detected, you will be required to provide a new one.

After presenting a valid government-issued ID at the nearest verification location, you will receive a confirmation by phone.

You’ll need to present a valid International passport, National Identity Card, Driver’s License, Residence ID (for foreigners), Foreigner’s document.

Acceptable IDs are subject to the banking laws and regulations of Guatemala.

You can find all locations for physical verification online.

Yes. Only use Western Union to send money to friends and family. Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Scammers sometimes encourage people to transfer money. Do not transfer money to anyone who asks you to send them money:

• For an emergency situation you haven’t confirmed.
• For an online purchase.
• For anti‐virus protection.
• For a deposit or payment on a rental property.
• To claim lottery or prize winnings.
• To pay taxes.
• For a donation to charity.
• For a mystery shopping assignment.
• For a job opportunity.
• For a credit card or loan fee.
• To resolve an immigration matter.

If you transfer money, the person you’re sending it to gets the money quickly. After the money is paid, Western Union may not be able to give you a refund, even if you are the victim of fraud, except under limited circumstances.

If you receive an email from anyone claiming to be from Western Union and you are unsure about it, do not click on any links in the mail. This may be a “phishing” attempt to acquire sensitive information from you. Instead, immediately please contact Westernunion.com Customer Service Center + 502-2410-1051.

Western Union will never send you e-mails to ask for your user ID, password, or credit card details.

In some countries, senders are asked to provide a ‘Test Question’ and its answer when they initiate the transfer. In cases where a ‘Test Question’ was provided by the sender, the receiver may be required to give the answer when picking up the funds. The ‘Test Question’ feature is designed for emergency situations where the receiver still needs to provide proper identification. It should never be used as additional security or to delay payment. In many places, we’ll pay the receiver whenever the receiver shows proper identification, even if he/she does not know the answer to the question. Test question is not available for payout in Guatemala.

The ‘Test Question’ feature is designed for emergency situations where the receiver still needs to provide proper identification. It should never be used as additional security or to delay payment. In many places, we’ll pay the receiver whenever the receiver shows proper identification, even if he/she does not know the answer to the question. Test question is not available for payout in Guatemala.

You should immediately visit our agent location for assistance with a transaction that you believe was sent for fraud. You should also file a report with your local law enforcement.

You should also contact your government’s Office of Consumer Affairs and police station if you are uncertain or suspicious of a telephone, mail, or e-mail solicitation.

• Always make sure you know who you are sending money to.
• Discontinue a call if a caller coaches you to respond to questions asked by Western Union.
• Security is everyone’s responsibility. Stay informed. Keep abreast of new fraud trends.Remember, if it seems too-good-to-be-true, it probably is.
• For more information about how to protect yourself from fraud, click here.

Agent locations are places where you can transfer money using Western Union. Agent locations may be in supermarkets, grocery stores, check cashers, mailbox centers, drug stores, travel agencies, depots, and other retailers. In some countries, they may be in banks, travel agencies, post offices, airports, train, and bus stations, and currency exchange offices.

Use this link to find an agent location near you.

You’ll need to provide a valid identification document and pay the agent the amount you want to send, plus the applicable fees, in cash.

Western Union agent locations offer the ability to send and receive money around the world using cash.

You’ll be able to send up to 1500$ per transfer and up to 7500$ in rolling 30 days.

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.