Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone who needs to support friends or family abroad, or travelers who need to send money from a foreign country can use Western Union services.

Western Union agents are our representatives in the different countries you need to send or receive money. Western Union agent locations are independent businesses that provide money transfer services to their customers on behalf of Western Union. They may be banks, post offices, supermarkets, grocery stores, check cashiers, mailbox centers, drug stores, travel agencies, depots, airports, train and bus stations, currency exchange offices and other retailers.

Finding an agent location in Peru is easy. Use the location finder, available in the app for Western Union Peru

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 a valid government-issued ID. Then just give the agent the total amount including the applicable fees.

You can send cash to be paid in cash or deposited into a bank account.

You can visit our website for further information about how to send money from an agent location.

You’ll need to present a valid version of one of the following documents:

• Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI)
• Passport
• Foreign card (CE)
• Temporary Permission of Permanence (PTP)
• Refugee ID
• Cedula for bordering countries

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

You will be able to send From the App the transaction limit is S/ 8.500 . From a retail store the transaction limit is S/ 25.000.

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 location 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) printed on the sender’s receipt.

Each Western Union agent location has its own working hours. Most have weekends service and some extended hours.

Find a nearby Western Union agent location.

If you need to pick up money at a Western Union agent location, please present a valid version of one of the following documents to the agent location:

• Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI)
• Passport
• Foreign card (CE)
• Temporary Permission of Permanence (PTP)
• Refugee ID
• Cedula for bordering countries

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

You can track a transfer at our website. Type in the sender’s name and the tracking number (MTCN) and 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:

• Valid ID (as described above)
• The sender’s full name
• The country where the money was sent from
• The approximate amount that was sent
• The tracking number (MTCN)

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.

There is no cost to receive money, 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. Visit Western Union Peru app and start the registration process.
2. Once on the Peru Western Union app, select the “Sign up” button.
3. Enter the exact same ID number you will use at the agent location.
4. Receive a verification email.
5. Create a password according to Western Union Peru password requirements.
6. Agree to the terms and conditions.
7. Log in to your profile.

No, registration is free.

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

• Must have a valid Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI) for nationals. Residence permit, Foreign card (CE), PTP (Temporary Permission of Permanence) or passport for foreigners, Refugee ID, and Cedula for bordering countries
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must accept the terms and conditions for using Western Union
• Must have a credit or debit card
• Must have a valid email address and phone number

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

If you need to change your profile information, please contact our Customer Care at +511 4220014 or +0800 -12080

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

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

If you entered your log in information incorrectly 3 times, your profile will be locked. Please try to log in to your profile after 30 minutes or contact our Customer Care at +511 4220014 or +0800 -12080

Some details may change from your profile section in the app. For additional changes please contact our Customer care.

If your ID expired, you will need to go through the online verification flow again.

Please contact our Customer Care Center number at +511 4220014 or +0800 -12080.

Online identity verification is immediate.

You’ll need to present a valid version of one of the following documents:

• Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI)
• Foreign card (CE)
• Passport
• PTP (Temporary Permission of Permanence)
• Refugee ID
• Cedula for bordering countries

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

There is no need to go to an agent location for identification verification.

Be wary if you are required to pay a fee before receiving a loan. Beware of sweepstakes, prize or lottery company representatives who tell you to transfer money to them in order to claim a prize you’ve won. There are many companies running fraudulent contests that ask you to transfer them money but give you nothing in return.

Beware of unsolicited letters or emails from a Nigerian or other foreign government officials requesting assistance in the transfer of excess funds from a foreign country into your bank account.

Beware of telephone calls from the police claiming someone you know has been in an accident or arrested and is requesting money.

Beware of unsolicited letters or emails offering an unrealistic price for expensive or difficult to find merchandise.

Make sure you know to whom you are sending money. 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.

If you receive an email from a company representing itself as Western Union and you are not sure it was sent by Western Union, do not click on any links in the email. This may be a “phishing” attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information from you. Instead, immediately forward the suspicious email to spoof@westernunion.com.

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

The “Test Question” feature in the Western Union^® Money Transfer service is designed for emergency situations where the receiver does not have proper identification (e.g. his or her wallet and identification have been stolen). It should never be used as additional security to time or delay the payment of a transaction. 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.

Western Union does not offer an escrow service or any type of “purchase protection” policy. Western Union’s business is to transfer funds from a sender to a receiver. We caution people who use our services against sending money to people they don’t know. It is the sender’s responsibility to know the party to which the funds are being sent. Using a fictitious name or changing the Receiver name after the money transfer has been sent is not a guaranteed means of securing funds. If a receiver presents proper identification with the same name as on the money transfer, payment will be made.

Be wary of 3rd party “collection” or “holding” services unless they are a reputable, licensed escrow service. Western Union is not an escrow service, should not be used as an escrow service and is currently not affiliated with any escrow services.

For online auctions, examine seller feedback carefully and know the warning signs associated with fraudulent auction sales. Most online auction sites have safety guidelines or FAQs that can help you identify potentially fraudulent sales. Be wary if the seller is using a free email address or insists on accepting only one form of payment. Report any suspicious activity and file non-delivery of goods complaints with the auction site through which you purchased the item.

Remember that Western Union never acts as a guarantor of an auction buyer or seller’s performance.

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 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.

Western Union employs a variety of technique, 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 lower case and capital letters.
• Use multiple passwords for your various accounts to decrease your risk in case 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 https://www.microsoft.com.

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

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.