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 El Salvador 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.

1. International passport

2. National Identity Card

3. Driver’s license

4. Residence ID (for foreigners)

5. Foreigner’s document

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

1,500 USD per transaction.

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
• TResidence ID (for foreigners)
• Foreigner’s document.

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

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. After you open wu.com. you’ll need to complete the profile registration form and follow these steps:

• Go to an Airpak location.
• Perform a transaction at Airpak location.
• The agent at Airpak completes registration by filling out all Compliance required information.
• Access Airpak’s website.
• Click on Crear Cuenta button.
• Select an option from Tipo de documento Dropdown list.
• Provide Identification Number which must be the same used in retail transaction.
• Perform One Time Password process – During this step a verification is made if the phone is unique or is associated to another profile. A confirmation is sent to the phone to confirm that the customer has access to the phone provided at Retail transaction.
• Create a password according to Airpak’s password procedures.
• Agrees to the terms of service and finally logging into their profile.

No, it’s free to register.

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

• You’ll need to present a valid ID
  • 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/debit card or bank account created in El Salvador.
• Must have a valid phone number.

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

If your profile hasn’t been verified, you can change or update your AirPak profile for WU Send Money.

After your profile has been verified you cannot change your name, last name, date of birth and nationality. If you require to change this information after your identity is verified, please contact AirPak customer care center + 503-2250-8600.

Your User ID is your ID number and password.

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 repeatedly entered incorrect details or your profile is locked, please try to log in to your profile after 30 minutes or contact AirPak customer care center + 503-2250-8600.

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. for a new ID verification. Once you ID is verified, you will be able to send money online right away.

Please contact AirPak customer care center + 503-2250-8600.

Yes, before making your first online transfer, you will need to verify your profile:

• Go to an Airpak location.
• Perform a transaction at Airpak location.
• The agent at Airpak completes registration by filling out all Compliance required information.
• Access Airpak’s website.
• Click on Crear Cuenta button.
• Select an option from Tipo de documento Dropdown list.
• Provide Identification Number which must be the same used in retail transaction.
• Perform One Time Password process – During this step a verification is made if the phone is unique or is associated to another profile. A confirmation is sent to the phone to confirm that the customer has access to the phone provided at Retail transaction.
• Create a password according to Airpak’s password procedures.
• Agrees to the terms of service and finally logging into their profile.

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

Once you have successfully registered online, you will be asked to visit one of the AirPak’s locations and verify your identity and phone number in person.

After presenting a valid government-issued ID at the nearest verification location, you will receive a confirmation by phone. If you need to send money before your verification is completed, please visit a Western Union agent location.

You’ll need to present a valid ID that has your full name, date of birth, issue date and number, expiry date and country of issue

1. International passport
2. National Identity Card
3. Driver’s license
4. Residence ID (for foreigners)
5. Foreigner’s document.

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

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 + 503-2250-8600.

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 El Salvador

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 no.t know the answer to the question. Test question is not available for payout in El Salvador.

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, transaction details, and pay the agent the amount you want to send, plus fees, in cash.

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

1500 USD per transaction.

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.