Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Here are a few ways you can send money online using Western Union:

• Money in minutes:

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 minutes. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile operators in their country.

• Money available in up to 2 days:

If you send money to a bank account, your money is generally available in up 2 days, depending on your receiver’s country. Learn more about sending money to a bank account.

Please be informed that the delivery time specified on the send money page varies according to the corridor, payment method, and payout method selected. It only estimates the time to deliver the money when the funds are received. It excludes the payment processing time.

Best rate is the discounted currency exchange rate that we offer you. 

You can save more on transfer fees with us by choosing the right combination of payment and delivery methods. You can also use valid promo codes and My WU rewards. 

We calculate your total savings by adding all savings you made on transfer fees from My WU rewards, promo codes and special discounts. These include only completed transfers during the last two years.

To get the best exchange rate, simply select the right combination of different payment and delivery methods.

After logging into your Western Union account, you will see the History page.

When your savings amount is more than 10 GBP, you will be able to see the total savings amount and the number of transfers for which you made the savings.

Pay for your money transfer in the following ways:

1. 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.
2. Bank transfer on westernunion.comYou can pay for your money transfer using your online bank account. After you have entered your transfer details, you will be redirected to your online banking via Klarna, Trustly, or iDeal depending on your country.
3. Bank transfer from your account to Western UnionEnter your transfer details on westernunion.com and log in to your online banking to pay for your transfer.
   1. Select bank transfer option.
   2. Review and confirm your transfer. Your receipt with your transfer information, reference number, and Western Union bank details will be shown to you and sent to your email address.
   3. Log in to your bank website / mobile app. Use the beneficiary information on the receipt page and make the payment via bank transfer. (Please ensure the information you provide matches the information on your Western Union receipt.)
   4. After Western Union receives your payment, a confirmation email will be sent to your email address.

After you’ve chosen your destination country, you’ll see the types of services available to you.

For more details about online payments, please contact Western Union Customer Care.

This service is available for certain countries. Usually, money is deposited into the receiver’s bank account in 1 or 2 business days. Money may be deposited the same day or in as many as 3 business 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.

Western Union uses Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) to secure online payments. To ensure the best experience when using Western Union, we ask our customers to consider the below:

• Make sure your card is enrolled for secure authentication by either contacting your bank or logging in to your online banking and selecting the option from your security settings.
• Ensure your contact information is up to date on your online banking and Western Union profile.

Please note, you can also pay for your money transfers via alternate payment options available for your country, including Klarna, Trustly, iDeal, Faster payment, Apple Pay, and WU Pay. Your payment options will be shown to you when you start an online transfer.

You can send money online to a Western Union location for cash pickup, directly to 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.

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.

If you haven’t activated Verified by Visa^® or MasterCard SecureCode^®, your card can still be used on our site.

Your debit or credit card payment may be declined due to several reasons:

1. By your bankYour bank may decline your payment due to:
   • Insufficient funds in your bank account.
   • Unusually large payment exceeding your bank limits.
   • Your card may not be enrolled for secure authentication.

   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.

2. By Western UnionWestern Union may decline your payment for the following reasons:
   • Exceeding the transfer limit set for the country you are sending money from.
   • To protect you from fraud or consumer scam.

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 EU¹. You also have the right to a basic payment account if you are legally residing in Europe. Learn more.

¹ Please note that you need to be a legal resident of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom to be eligible for these rights.

About UPI

Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is a payment method that allows you to instantly transfer money to a bank account in India.

Understanding UPI ID

UPI ID is a virtual payment address (VPA) that uniquely identifies one person. A UPI ID format is like an email ID: with the sign “@” in the middle. For example, your receiver’s UPI ID could be “receiver’s_name@bank_name” or “phone_number@bank_name.”

When sending with a UPI ID, you only need to have your receiver’s UPI ID. You do not need to ask receivers for their account number, account type, bank name, or IFSC code.

To receive the payment, the receiver needs to have their UPI ID linked to the bank enabled for international UPI remittance. Please see below the list of banks that support international UPI.

Current list of banks that support international UPI transfer

Below are the banks currently supported. More banks will be made available soon.

Send limits using UPI

Currently, you can send up to 200,000 INR per transfer.

Steps to send money using a UPI through Western Union

Western Union is the first money transfer service company to use a UPI transfer internationally.

1. Log in to your Western Union profile.
2. Choose India as your receiving country (you will need to know your receiver’s mailing address).
3. Choose to send using a bank pay out and use any payment method.
4. Choose UPI ID under the bank information section. You’ll be able to browse all the banks enabled for international UPI transfer.
5. Choose to send your transfer, and you’re all set. Generally, your transfer should be completed in minutes.