Western Union is a money transfer service that allows you to quickly transfer money around the world. While it's not totally risk-free, it's a reliable way to send money to friends and family virtually anywhere in the world. Follow this guide to make sure your money reaches its intended destination safely.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Send Money
Step 1. Make sure you know the recipient
Western Union is a particularly popular channel for scam wizards, who use it to receive money from their victims. So make sure that you are absolutely certain that you know the person you are sending money to and that you are perfectly aware of why you are doing it. Here are Western Union's guidelines on when NOT to send money:
- Never send money to a nephew, relative or friend in need without first checking directly or through a reputable source.
- Never send money to someone you've just met on the internet.
- Never use Western Union for online purchases (you have no guarantee that the seller will actually send you the purchased items).
- Never send money with Western Union for hypothetical job opportunities or for alleged "lottery winnings". In these cases, you are often asked by email to send money to West African countries, such as Nigeria or Ghana. Don't forget that unsolicited e-mails are often scams: it is not true that you won the lottery, nor that you were chosen by an elusive "prince" to receive millions of dollars.
- Never use Western Union to buy or sell on private classifieds sites. You may also come across vendors who claim to be interested in purchasing your item and want to send you a check for more than the item's price. At this point they will ask you to return the difference via Western Union. This is a very common scam.
Step 2. Talk to the person requesting this payment directly
To find out which city to send the requested money to, you will need to know its location. Make sure you know the exact name that appears on the recipient's ID document and that will be used to check that the money is being paid to the right person.
Check that there is a Western Union branch in the place where the recipient lives and that you are able to send money to that location
Step 3. Send money from a Western Union branch
Go to the branch closest to you and fill out the necessary forms. You can send money from a branch in various ways: in cash, by credit or debit card, or by wire transfer from one bank account to another. If you use a credit card, you may have to prepay the commission imposed by the issuing bank in cash.
- The amount of the commission varies according to the payment method chosen, the place of departure and the destination.
- If the transfer is made by wire transfer from one current account to another, it is necessary to know the name of the recipient's bank, the BIC (Bank Identifier Code), the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and the current account number. For some countries, other information may also be required.
- The money may be available within a few minutes or a few days: it always depends on the location and payment method.
- Keep your MTCN number. This is the control code: the recipient must provide it when collecting the money.
Step 4. Send money online from the Western Union site
Click on the "Send Money" link on the Western Union homepage. Choose "Send online". Fill out the form and select the payment method. You can send money either by credit or debit card, or by wire transfer from your bank account. The recipient can choose whether to collect the money at a Western Union branch or have the sum credited to their bank account.
- If you use a credit card, you may have to prepay the commission imposed by the issuing bank in cash.
- To use the online money transfer service you will need to create an account on the Western Union website.
- The amount of the commission varies according to the payment method chosen, the place of departure and the destination.
- Keep your MTCN number. This is the control code: the recipient must provide it when collecting the money.
Step 5. Send money over the phone
Call the Western Union toll-free number, which you can find on the site. Provide the required recipient details to the operator and pay by credit or debit card.
- If you use a credit card, you may have to prepay the commission imposed by the issuing bank in cash.
- The amount of the commission varies according to the payment method chosen, the place of departure and the destination.
- Keep your MTCN number. This is the control code: the recipient must provide it when collecting the money.
Step 6. Use the Western Union mobile app
The Western Union app allows users to send money, track movements and make payments directly from their mobile. The app is available for both the IOS and Android operating systems.
Step 7. Contact the recipient again
Provide them with the MTCN number that Western Union has communicated to you and which must be indicated on the form that the recipient will fill out when they go to their branch to collect the money. Recommend again to bring with them an identity document, which must necessarily contain the same personal data that you provided during the transaction.
Part 2 of 2: Receiving Money
Step 1. Go to your Western Union branch to receive the money
If you intend to collect the money in person, please go to your nearest Western Union branch. You will need to have with you the MTCN number and an identity document with photo and personal data corresponding exactly to those indicated during the transaction.
On the site you can find the Western Union office closest to you
Step 2. Have the money credited to your checking account
If you want to receive the money directly into your bank account, you must inform the sender and provide him with all the necessary bank details, which consist of the IBAN code, the BIC code and the current account number.
- The credit will appear on your account balance a few days after the transfer.
- There are some countries and some banks where this service is not available.
Step 3. Get a Western Union prepaid card
This card allows you to receive money and can be used as a debit card for purchases and payments. Once registered, you can log into your Western Union account and enter the MTCN number to credit the money to your card. You can also top up your card by phone.
Step 4. Receive money over the phone
Certain carriers in some countries allow the transfer of money directly to a "virtual wallet" via mobile phone. Check the Western Union website for more details.
Advice
- Sometimes you can take advantage of promotions that reduce the cost of sending certain amounts of money to and from certain locations or countries.
- Charges vary according to the amount sent, the destination location and the payment method chosen. For example, with Western Union it is cheaper to send and receive money directly from the site or through the app.
- Western Union is generally the cheapest way to transfer a small amount within the same country. Expenses go up when it comes to converting money into the recipient country's currency. Before sending money, you can calculate the fees due to the currency exchange directly on the Western Union website.
Warnings
- Always verify the identity of the recipient.
- Always check that communications regarding your Western Union transactions are actually from Western Union.
- Not all branches provide for the availability of the entire package of services; similarly, there are some countries where some methods of sending money are not allowed.
- Never reveal your transaction details to someone you don't trust.
