Frequently Asked Questions

Money transfers can be paid in cash or transferred directly to the receiver’s bank account, credit or debit card, depending on the receiving country.

If your receiver faces any issues receiving the money, you can contact Customer Care at + 01 800 719 8911 for more information.

There is no cost to receive money, all fees are paid by the sender.

To pick up money at a Western Union agent location in Mexico, please bring any of the following documents:

• Your Mexican ID card
• Your Mexican driver’s license
• Your Mexican passport

Please note that acceptable IDs are subject to Mexico´s banking laws and regulations.

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

• The tracking number (MTCN)
• Their valid ID card, driver’s license or passport.
• The sender’s full name
• The sending country
• The approximate amount that was sent

For more information, please visit a nearby Western Union location.

Money transfers are generally paid in cash.

If your receiver faces any issues getting their money, call Customer Care at + 01 800 719 8911 for more information.

No, your receiver can receive money via Western Union without registering. The transfer receipt will have more details on how your receiver can get their money.

To check your transfer status, go to Track a transfer and enter your 10-digit tracking number (MTCN).

Don’t have your MTCN? You can still know your transfer status using these easy steps:

1. Go to Track a transfer and select Track a transfer without MTCN.
2. Choose if you’re the sender or the receiver.
3. Enter the sender’s phone number or the sender’s and receiver’s names.
4. Choose the receiving country and enter the approximate amount sent.
5. Enter the date of money transfer if you know it and select Track it.

Depending on your receiver’s country, you can request a change in the pickup location. Contact us to make the change.

Western Union employs a variety of techniques, including SSL technology, to keep your personal information safe.

Additionally, the following tips can help keep your password secure:

• Make your password difficult to guess. Avoid using any part of your name, your birthday or any words that can easily be associated with you.
• Use a combination of letters and numbers and a mix of lowercase and capital letters.
• Use multiple passwords for your various accounts to decrease your risk if one password is compromised.
• Avoid writing your password down where it may be compromised.

You can further protect your passwords by making sure that your virus-scanning software is kept up to date and by running anti-spyware programs. These programs can help protect you from viruses or other malware that could compromise your identity even though your computer may seem to be working fine.

If you use Microsoft Windows, make sure your Windows updates are enabled to help keep your operating system protected. You can learn more about Microsoft Windows updates at http://www.microsoft.com.

Use extra caution when entering your password on a computer that does not belong to you. Viruses, spyware or your browser’s settings might be used to compromise your account by recording your username and password.

Yes, your personal details are completely safe with us. We use organizational, technical and administrative safeguards that comply with applicable government laws and regulations to secure your personal information.

You can find more information on how we handle personal data in our Online Privacy Statement.

As a Western Union user, we value your business and take pride in delivering your funds to the intended receiver in a fast, convenient and reliable way. However, there are individuals throughout the world who will attempt to use any system to receive payments in connection with fraudulent sales or solicitations.

Make sure you know to whom you are sending money to. If you are purchasing goods or services and paying through the Western Union network, it is your responsibility to verify the reputation and legitimacy of the seller. Western Union is not responsible for the non-receipt or quality of any goods or services.

Discontinue a call if a caller instructs you on how to respond to questions asked by Western Union. Security is everyone’s responsibility. Stay informed about consumer fraud trends.
Remember: if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

If you receive an email from a company representing itself as Western Union and you are not sure it was sent by us, do not click on any links in the email. It may be a “phishing” attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information from you. Instead, immediately contact your local authorities.

Western Union will never send you an email asking for your user ID, password, MTCN or credit card details.

The test question feature in Western Union is designed for emergencies where the receiver does not have valid identification information (for example, if their wallet or identity document has been stolen).

However, it should never be used as an additional security to delay the payment of a transfer. In many locations, Western Union will pay the receiver whenever the receiver shows proper identification, even if the receiver does not know the answer to the test question.

Following are some common scams to be aware of while sending money:

• Someone asked you to pay a fee before receiving a loan.
• Sweepstakes, prize or lottery company representatives asking you to transfer money to them to claim a prize you’ve won. Many companies are running fraudulent contests that ask you to transfer money to them but give you nothing in return.
• Unsolicited letters or emails from Nigerian or other foreign government officials requesting assistance in the transfer of excess funds from a foreign country into your bank account.
• Telephone calls from the police claiming that someone you know has been in an accident, been arrested or kidnapped and is requesting money.
• Unsolicited letters or emails offering an unrealistic price for expensive or rare merchandise.
• Unsolicited letters or emails offering a job.

Make sure you know who you are sending money to. If you are purchasing goods or services and paying through the Western Union network, it is your responsibility to verify the reputation and legitimacy of the seller. Western Union is not responsible for the non-receipt or quality of any goods or services or this kind of use of the service.

If you feel you have been the victim of fraud and have sent money using Western Union, call our Fraud hotline to file a formal fraud claim with us, contact us at spoof@westernunion.com or visit the Fraud awareness section of our website. We also encourage you to file with your local law enforcement, as we work directly with them on their investigation and details of the transaction.

To know about your transfer, go to Track a transfer and enter your 10-digit tracking number (MTCN).

Don’t have your MTCN? You can still know your transfer status using these easy steps:

1. Go to Track a transfer and select Track a transfer without MTCN.
2. Choose if you’re the sender or the receiver.
3. Enter the sender’s phone number or the sender’s and receiver’s names.
4. Choose the receiving country and enter the approximate amount sent.
5. Enter the date of money transfer if you know it and select Track it.

A money transfer control number (MTCN) is a unique 10-digit tracking number assigned to your transfer. You can use the tracking number MTCN to track your transfer in just a few minutes.

After you complete the transfer, you’ll see the MTCN on the receipt.

Alternatively, you can go History and select a transfer to view the tracking number MTCN.

Note: Do not share your tracking number MTCN with anyone except your receiver or a Western Union representative.

You can cancel your transfer if it has not been picked up or deposited. Use the following methods to cancel your online or in-person transfers.

Yes, you will get a receipt for your transfer after you make the payment. You can also see the details of all your transfers in your profile on the Western Union® mobile app.

For online transfers, we’ll show you the receipt immediately after the transfer is paid. You can also check your email for the receipt.

Alternatively, you can go to the History section of your profile and select a transfer to view its details.

We’ll notify you when your money transfer is complete. Alternatively, you can track your transfer online.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused. Your transfer may have been canceled because of one of the following reasons:

• We couldn’t confirm your identity from the information you provided.
• You sent money to a business account instead of a personal account.
• You had insufficient funds in your bank account.
• There was a technical issue at your bank’s end.
• The receiver’s bank details and name are incorrect.
• Your receiver didn’t pick up the money within 45 days.
• You used a joint bank account.

If your transfer was canceled, you can always start a new one.

This could happen due to one of the following reasons:

• We’re verifying your identity.
• We are double-checking a few other details.

Your transfer may also be delayed if we’re unable to locate your money transfer payment. In this case, please contact Customer Care.

For other reasons, no further action is needed from you. We’ll notify you when your transfer status has changed.

For a better transfer experience going forward, please provide the following details accurately:

• Your name and your receiver’s name
• Your contact details
• Your ID details

Please Contact us if your transfer status doesn’t change for more than 48 hours

Local government regulations require us to verify your identity before you send money from Mexico. You will be asked to take a selfie and participate in a video conference besides confirming your details. You will need to have your INE/IFE at hand.

To verify your identity, please do the following:

• Log into our app
• Start a transfer
• Take front and back pictures of your INE/IFE government-issued ID
• Confirm your personal details
• Take a Selfie
• Take a picture of your index fingerprint.
• Have a video conference

Yes, you can upload your documents later. If you’ve started a transfer online, it will be saved automatically for 10 hours. You can upload your documents any time within this period. If you don´t upload the documents within the 10-hour-allowed timeframe, the transfer will be automatically canceled.

To upload your documents, please follow these steps:

1. Log into the Western Union mobile app.
2. From the Menu, select History.
3. Choose a transfer and select Continue.
4. Upload the documents.

Yes, you can upload your documents later. If you’ve started a transfer online, it will be saved automatically for 10 hours. You can upload your documents any time within this period. If you don´t upload the documents within the 10-hour-allowed timeframe, the transfer will be automatically canceled.

To upload your documents, please follow these steps:

1. Log into the Western Union mobile app.
2. From the Menu, select History.
3. Choose a transfer and select Continue.
4. Upload the documents.

We usually verify your documents instantly, but it can sometimes take up to 30 minutes. We can contact you if we need more information.

If we’ve verified your identity once, you don’t have to submit your documents again. However, we might ask you to validate your email address, mobile number or other identity proof in some cases

Registration is required for most of our services. After you register and your identity is verified, you can send money in minutes as your information will be pre-filled.

Other benefits of registration include access to your transfer history and details, easy repeat transfers and automatic transfer updates.

No, registration is free.

To register, follow these steps:

1. Download and install the Western Union mobile app in Mexico.
2. Select Register.
3. Enter your name as it appears on your government-issued ID.
4. Select Continue.
5. Enter your email address and create a password.
6. Select Register.

Anyone who meets the following conditions can use our online services:

• Has a national INE/IFE card.
• Is at least 18 years old.
• Has accepted the Western Union Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.
• Has a valid email address.

Registration with a valid government-issued ID or email is possible only once.

To log into your Western Union profile, just follow these steps:

1. Go to our app.
2. Select Log in.
3. Enter your registered email address and password.
4. Select Log in again.

If you wish to stay logged in, just select Remember me.

To edit your profile, simply do the following:

1. Log in through our app.
2. Select your name or your initials at the top right to go to your profile.
3. Edit your phone number, address or email address.
4. Select Save information.

Note: After you’ve successfully changed your email address, use the same email address to log in to your Western Union profile going forward.

Your user ID is your registered email address. If you forget your email address you’ll need to contact Customer Care.

If you forget your password, select Forgot your password? on the login page. A password reset link will be sent to your email.

If you enter your login information incorrectly 3 times, your profile will be temporarily locked. You can try and log in again with the correct details after 30 minutes.

In case you need more help, please contact our Customer Care at + 01 800 719 8911 for more information.

To change your password, please do the following:

1. Log into our app.
2. Select your name or initials at the top right to go to your Profile.
3. Go to Update your password and enter a new password.
4. Select Save new password.

Alternatively, you can reset your profile password by selecting Forgot password? when logging in.

Yes, you can change your registered email or password using the Western Union® app.

Yes, you can delete your Western Union profile. To cancel your profile, contact our Customer Care with the following information:

1. Your name as it appears in your profile.
2. Your registered email address.
3. The reason for deleting your profile.

We may contact you for additional information to complete your request.

Very important note: Profile deletion is permanent, and you’ll lose access to your transfer history.

We have a free mobile app for Android and iOS devices in Mexico.

To download our app on your iOS device, please do the following:

1. Go to the App store, type Western Union and select the app Western Union Mexico.
2. Select Get and then select Open.

To download our app for your Android device, please do the following:

1. 1. Go to the Play store, type Western Union and select the app Western Union Mexico.
   2. Select Download and then select Open.

You can access the following services with our mobile app:

• Sending money
• Checking exchange rates and transfer fees
• Checking transfer estimates.
• Tracking a transfer
• Finding an agent location

To send money via our app, please follow the steps below:

1. Log into your profile. If you don’t have a profile yet, please create one.
2. Choose your receiver’s country and select Continue.
3. Enter the send or receive amount and select Check fees.
4. Then choose any of the following delivery and payment methods:

Payment methods:

• Credit/Debit Card and cash in store.

Delivery methods:

• Cash pickup
• Bank account (available only for selected destination countries)
• Credit/Debit Card

1. Select Save and Continue to receiver.
2. Enter your receiver’s details.
3. Then select Continue to review and finally Send.

After you complete the transfer, you can track it with the tracking number (MTCN) on your receipt.

Please note that you can try a combination of different send and receive amounts and methods to get the best possible exchange rate, transfer fee and delivery time.

Yes, you can start a transfer on the app and pay by cash at an agent location. Simply choose Cash in store under Payment method on the app and walk to a nearby agent location to complete your transfer.

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.