There are various financial companies based in America that aid in money transfers. Western Union is one of these companies. Founded in 1851 in Rochester, New York, USA, the company has grown so big that it operates in over 200 countries. Its headquarters are currently in Denver, Colorado, United States. Today I want to focus on how to send money on Western Union online.
In the modern world, sending money online has become the way of life. Millions of people are using their mobile phones to send money online to friends and relatives as well as paying for commodities and services. While the online money transfer services were initially available for companies such as PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer, banks and other money transfer services such as Western Union and MoneyGram took the same route to capture the online money transfer market.
In most cases, when you transfer money online, the recipients are able to receive their funds within minutes. Some transfers can take up to five days to complete. The most crucial thing is that online transfer service has revolutionized the way we send and receive funds all over the world. Today, you can buy an item online from China while in America and get it within days, thanks to online money transfer services.
Steps To Create A Western Union Account
The first step to sending money via Western Union online is by creating an account using your smartphone or computer. Western Union has an app that allows you to operate your account securely.
Furthermore, creating an account with Western Union takes a few seconds to complete. The following steps are necessary when it comes to creating a Western Union account.
- Using a secure browser, visit the Western Union account creation page to get started.
- Enter the necessary information on the page that opens. These include:
- Your name (first, middle and last name. Middle name is optional while the first and the last names are compulsory)
- Date of birth
- Email address (if you don’t have one, you can create one)
- Password (a strong password that is challenging to guess)
- An address
- ZIP Code
- Phone number
- A security question to help you when resetting your password
- Next, agree to the terms and conditions. Each company usually has its terms and conditions that you must agree to if you want to use their services.
- Lastly, click complete to finish setting up your account.
You will also need to verify your account by providing your United States driver’s license, passport, or government-issued ID.
Send Money On Western Union Online – The Entire Process
Once you create your account, the next thing is to start using it for various transactions. Western Union allows you to move and receive money from friends and relatives. You can send money to others using the following procedure.
If you are sending money for cash pick up
- Log in to your profile.
- Choose the recipient’s country.
- Enter the amount to send and choose cash as your preferred delivery method.
- Enter the receiver’s name.
- Next, pay with your card or bank account.
- Wait for a confirmation by email and save the tracking number.
- You can share it with your receiver for pickup.
You can transfer money online to a Western Union recipient’s mobile wallet. You have to log into your online account and transfer money. However, you have to choose to transfer to a mobile wallet instead of a cash pick-up location. The funds will show in the recipient’s account within a short time.
That means that the recipient does not need a bank or Western Union account to receive money. Western Union is among the best ways you can send money to someone without a bank account. There is no specific time on when the recipient should get their money.
Recipients within America may get the funds within a few minutes to several hours. The time taken to move money to Western Union recipients differs in various ways. The receiving country, regulatory services, currency availability, agent location hours, identification requirements, differences in time zones are significant factors that affect the delivery time.
Method You Can Apply To Send Money From Western Union To A Bank Account
Apart from sending money to a cash pick-up location, you can transfer funds directly to the recipient’s bank account. The recipient can then withdraw the funds or use them online for various transactions. To transfer money to a bank account, you can follow the procedure below.
- Log into your Western Union account.
- Enter the destination (country) and the amount to transfer.
- Select bank as the receiving method
- Enter the recipient’s bank details. These include the bank account details.
- Select a secure payment method. You can pay for the transaction with your credit/debit card or even with your bank account.
- Confirm the transfer. The funds will show in the recipient’s account within a few minutes or several hours to days depending on the destination country and other factors.
- Track the transaction using the tracking number (MTCN). Your recipient can also use the same tracking number to track the status of the transfer.
Generally, Western Union is a beautiful platform to transfer money from one bank to another with a few taps, especially when transferring to other countries.
Reasons To Use Western Union To Transfer Money
There are various reasons why you can rely on Western Union to transfer money. They include the following:
1) Online security
Western Union is one of the most elaborate online transfer platforms that have excellent online security. You can be sure that your account is safe from hacking. The app is more secure, and you can prefer using it for more improved security features.
There have been various cases of account hacking for some online money transfer sites, but the cases are sporadic at Western Union. In short, Western Union money transfers are highly encrypted, and no third party can access the transfer details.
2) Convenience
There are thousands of Western Union locations all over the world. Therefore, you can be sure that you or your recipient will not find it difficult to access their money. Furthermore, the online services allow you to move money with a few taps on your phone so long as your wallet has enough money.
3) Many options to pay for your transfers
You have many options that you can use to fund your transfers. These include a bank account, a debit card, or a credit card. You can even present cash at an agent location and carry out the transfers.
4) Easy signup
You can create a Western Union account within a few minutes and start your transfers. There is no bureaucracy as long as you have all the required details. You can sign up using your computer or a smartphone app.
5) Saves time
Just as you can send money with a checking account number instantly, you can send money instantly to Western Union mobile wallets. Recipients can use the funds as soon as you send them.
6) You can earn points with the Western Union rewards program
Western Union allows you to enroll in the My WU rewards program to earn points for every transfer you make. You can later redeem the points for discounts on transfer fees. With time, you eventually save significant amounts of money.
Final Words
Western Union is a money transfer agent that allows you to move and receive money from one person to another. The company’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado, United States. You can transfer money within or outside the United States of America since Western Union allows you to move money online or at a physical store. You can cancel a transfer if you send money to the wrong person.
