Cash Transfers

Cash Transfers

Western Union, an established leader in money transfer, can send money worldwide, including the ability to transfer money online or by phone.

• Its online money transfer website has a useful feature that calculates the cost of sending money to the country of your choice. If you transfer money online or by phone, you pay using a credit card or debit card.

• If you do not transfer money online or by phone, you will need to locate both a sending money transfer agent and a receiving transfer money agent. There are 196,000 agents located in over 190 countries and territories. If using a sending money transfer agent, you must pay for the international money transfer in cash.

• Fees, procedures, and the locations of money transfer agents are available on the website or by calling 800-325-6000.

• Each money transfer transaction has a unique money transfer control number. It makes it easier for collection of funds if the recipient knows the number.

• The recipient should be able to pick up the funds within the hour (subject to the hours of operation at the receiving agent location). Proper identification is required.

MoneyGram is a competitor in international money transfer and now offers the ability to send money online as well. It has 75,000 agents in 170 countries. Like its competitor, its website has a useful feature that calculates the cost of sending money to the country of your choice. It claims to be cheaper than the leading money transfer provider, although costs may vary by country and the amount of the international money transfer (for example, we found it significantly more expensive for sending money to Mexico, but slightly less for sending money to the United Kingdom).