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.
All you need is the sender’s name and the tracking number (MTCN) printed on the sender’s receipt.
Here are a few ways you can send money online using Western Union:
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 a matter of minutes. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile operators in their country.
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.
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.
To send more than 1000 EUR every 5 days from Portugal, you’ll need to verify your identity online. Once verified, you can send up to 5000 EUR every 3 days.
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 unauthorised 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 recognised 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. If we need more information before we can complete it, you’ll be asked to call us. 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 EU2. 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:
If your bank declines a payment while making a Western Union money transfer, you 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:
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.
If you need to get in touch with Western Union, don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Care