How Much Does Western Union Charge To Send $100 Within US?

Western Union is the most popular money transfer platform owing to the large number of agent locations and bank connections that it has established over the years. Offering both, domestic and international transfers, the service calculates charges for the transactions taking into account multiple factors. Therefore, users are mostly not aware how much does Western Union charge to send $100 or other sum of funds?

How Much Does Western Union Charge to Send $100?

It is not enough to know simply the amount being transferred if you wish to figure out what Western Union will charge for the transaction. This is because the fees are variable depending on which country you are sending money to.

• It may help to know that Western Union does charge $14.00 to send $100 to recipient bank account.

However, this is just a rough guess and the exact cost can vary. To figure it, keep reading as we walk you through how Western Union transfers work and how much they cost.

Western Union Charges For Money Transfers

As we mentioned before, Western Union money transfer charges vary depending on a number of factors. Some of these, we will discuss below.

Location

The fee largely depends on where you intend to send the money to. The charges are different from one country to another.

Receiving Method

The charges are minimal if you send the funds directly to the recipient bank account. Western Union will charge a higher fee if you opt for cash pickup.

Payment Option

If you visit the location and provide cash for delivery, the charges may be low. They are different if you choose to do so via credit card, debit card, or bank account. Credit card transfers are typically costly because there are additional fees charged by credit card providers.

How Much Does Western Union Charge To Send Money Within US?

The charges for sending money via Western Union depends on some of the factors listed below. Take a look!

• The amount you are sending.
• The payment method.
• How the recipient will obtain the cash.

The fee for the transfer will be conveyed to you at the time of the transaction. You will have to do approximation yourself if you want to have some idea of the charges before you initiate a transfer with Western Union.

It may help to known that Western Union does charge $14.00 to send $100 to recipient bank account. However, the fee will increase to $20.50 if you send the same amount from your credit card as a cash pickup.

Western Union Exchange Rates For Transfer Types

If Western Union takes money from you and transfers it to the recipient then you must be wondering how does it make money with this business model?

• The truth is that the company earns profit by adding a margin to the exchange rate and imposing fees for the transfer.

The exchange rates are different depending on the country you are sending money to. Generally speaking, the exchange rates are lower or higher taking into account the strength of the currency that you are transferring to. There is an in-built tool on the Western Union website that lets you estimate the exchange rate that you will be offered on a certain transfer.

You might be interested in reading: Payoneer Alternatives For International Transfers.

Send Money With Western Union – Step By Step Guide

How to send money with Western Union depends on the payment option that you choose. Since the platform offers multiple range of transfer option, we will go through them one by one to explain how each of these works.

Transfer Money Online

The most commonly used method for transfer is via online platform. This requires you to create a Western Union profile first. Let’s see how the entire process works.

1. Open Western Union official website on your smartphone, computer, laptop or tablet.
2. Then proceed to create a Western Union profile if you don’t have one already. Moreover, the My WU account will be activated automatically when you send money through it for the first time.
3. Tap on Send Money option, choose the location you want to make the transfer to, select the amount of money as well as the currency to proceed.
4. In the next step, you have to select how the recipient will get the money. The options may be limited depending on the country you are transferring to.
5. Proceed to choose the payment method such as a debit card, credit card, bank transfers, cash, or bank to bank transaction. Recheck all the details and confirm the transfer by clicking on Submit.

Send Via App

You can use the mobile app to make Western Union money transfers as well. The app also allows you to review ongoing exchange rates quickly, find closest physical location, keep track of transactions, etc.

1. Open the mobile app on your device and then tap on Send Money option.
2. The app will request you to enter the transfer destination, amount of the transfer and provide the currency type that you want to send.
3. In the next step, select how the recipient will get the funds. You will be given the option to choose between cash pickup, bank transfer, Mobile money transfer.
4. Review all the information that you have added and then click Submit to request the app to initiate the transfer.

At Physical Location

It is also possible to send money in person by visiting the Western Union nearest location and submitting the request that you want to make an international or domestic money transfer.

1. First of all, find a Western Union location closest to you.
2. Then visit the agent there. Make sure that you take all the required documents with you such as the recipient’s account details, payment method, and a government-issued ID for verification.
3. Then provide the details to the agent on the location and complete the money transfer by providing the funds to him.

Transfer Via Phone

One of the simplest ways to send money through Western Union is to use your phone. Let’s see how that works!

1. Call the Telephone Money transfer hotline. The line is available at 800-CALL-CASH.
2. Confirm that they are sending money from or to a US account.
3. Share details of the transaction and confirm the payment on call.

Send Money Online and Pay With Cash

Paying with cash is pretty simple. You can initiate the transfer online and then choose Pay-In store option to provide the cash to the agent on the physical location.

You might be interested in reading: Transfer Money From Western Union to Cash App.

Extra Reading

How To Receive Money on Western Union?

If you are on the receiving end of the Western Union transaction, it may help to know that you can choose how to get the money. Some of the options you have in this regards are listed below.

• Cash.
• Mobile wallet.
• Bank account.
• Pay your Bills.
• Prepaid card.

Payment Options At Western Union

Western Union hosts a number of payment options to ensure each user has some source of funds that they easily employ here. The available payment options are listed below.

• Bank account.
• Cash.
• Debit card.
• Credit card.
• Wire transfer.

Attention! Each payment option has its own set of limits, charges and restrictions. You can obtain more detail on this through Western Union official website or the helpline.

Transfer Time For Western Union Transactions

How long it will take for the Western Union money transfer to go through depends on how you choose to send it, the same as the case with transfer charges. For example, if you send money via debit card or credit card transfer for cash pickup, it may take only 10 minutes!

Most people prefer bank transfers as it is cheap. However, this type of transfer takes the longest time, almost up to 5 business days, to be processed and delivered to the recipient.

Attention! The bank transfers can take longer if the account is not verified and the Western Union has to confirm that the registered account is yours.

Transfer Limits For Sending Money With Western Union

Western Union transfer limits are not same for everyone. You will observe that they vary from one user to another and it is not possible to determine the exact reason why.

However, we have been able to figure out some factors that play crucial role in deciding the transfer limits that Western Union will provide you with. These include the following.

• Transfer history.
• Transfer destination.
• Location.
• Service you choose.

However, you will not be left in the dark altogether regarding this issue. The transfer details and the limits will be mentioned in the Send Money section on the Western Union’s homepage.

Some users have shared that they were able to send or receive as much as $50,000 from the US in direct bank to bank money transfers. This is possible but, again, not for everyone as the factors mentioned above can greatly impact the limits allotted to you.

Attention! Users have reported that the maximum they could send in a day is $5,000 and that costs $243 for the transaction, which is also the highest fee possible.

Why Should You Choose Western Union To Send Money?

There are many factors that make Western Union an ideal choice for international and domestic money transfers. Although there are alternatives, here are some reasons why you should stick to this service instead.

• It has a huge network

Western Union is one of the few international money transfer services that covers a wide range of countries across the globe, making transactions possible at multiple locations.

According to the recent survey, it has more than 500,000 agent locations around the world and approximately 42,000 agent locations in the US alone. Western Union is available in more than 200 countries.

• The transfers are quick

Depending on the money transfer method that you choose, transactions via Western Union can be as quick as within 10 minutes. This means you can send money through this platform if there is a financial emergency.

• It is an old and established service

It was launched back in 1871 so you can see for how long the Western Union has been operating. Over the years, the company has drastically improved its services for both, international and domestic transfers.

• It presents flexible transfer options

Western Union offer physical locations for transfer as well as a mobile app, online platform, and services like transactions via debit card or credit card. Therefore, you will never be limited in the number of transfer options you have here.

Things To Watch Out For With Western Union Transfers

Regardless of the long list of benefits that it offers, you can not ignore the fact that customers have reported complains against Western Union over the years. There are some drawbacks that explain the urge many users to look for other money transfer providers when they wish to send their funds internationally or to remote destinations.

• There is unfavorable exchange rate

Many people are not impressed by the exchange rates that Western Union offers. The company charges as high as 20% which is worse than what most providers in the market charge.

Unfriendly rates consequently mean that a large portion of money will be lost when it is changed into a different country or sent overseas.

• It charges high fees

Western Union has a transfer fee for all types of money transfers. It is, however, variable. You may be charged more for bank transfer and less for transactions mediated via debit or credit card. Typically, the Western Union charges ranges from $3.50 to $100.

Attention! You can avoid high fees by using promotional codes or discount coupons when making a transaction. However, these only become available occasionally.

• There is a limit of maximum transfer amount

Similar to other money transfer service providers, Western Union also imposes a maximum limit on how much you can and receive. This largely depends on the location where the transaction is taking place but other factors come into play as well.

The only workaround for this is to visit a physical agent location for the transfer. Here you can send as much money as you want after appropriate identification.

Is It Safe to Send and Receive Money Through Western Union?

Although Western Union has incorporated several protective measures for its users, some scams are commonly reported every now and then. You can make Western Union use more secure by learning about ways to avoid such fraudulent interactions online.

• Online payment requests, overpayment scam, and tax scams are most common when it comes to Western Union transactions.

If you are dealing with an online merchant or an individual online seller that you don’t personally know, it is recommended that you do not agree to paying through Western Union. There are fair chances that the other party will obtain the cash payment from you but never send the product that you had ordered.

Some users had reported getting a check payment for a new job or a service that exceeded that total amount due. Later on, after the other party had requested the surplus amount to be sent back via Western Union, the check bounced and since the money transfer could not be reversed, there was no way to get back the funds they had already sent.

Attention! Beware if somebody contacts you claiming to be a government representative. Scammers often claim that owe taxes that must be cleared immediately via Western Union. Red flag!

We strongly advise that you go through the warnings listed on Western Union official website before initiating any type of money transfers. Only hit Accept option after you have thoroughly read the pointers.

Moreover, it has introduced new procedures like photo identification and tracking number (MTCN) to help you send the funds to the right person only. Western Union customer support service will also be available 24/7 to guide you against frauds and scams.

Western Union – Alternatives

There are other options in the market that offer services similar to what Western Union has in stock. You can look into these to compare the exchange rates and fees of different transfer services before you initiate any type of transaction. Some of the prominent names to consider are listed below.

• Wise.
• Currencies Direct.
• OFX International Money Transfers.
• Currency Transfer For Business.

The Bottom Line

Western Union is one of the most reliable money transfer service for international transactions. It hosts multiple security features and also allow you to track the transfer to ensure it reaches the recipient timely.

• Western Union does charge fees and exchange rates that are costly than other options so you can look at alternatives to make the transfer more affordable.

We would also recommend that you go for bank to bank transfer or visit the agent location to opt for cash delivery as these are cheaper options and will save you some dollars for sure!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money am I allowed to send with Western Union?

If you are visiting a Western Union location, there is no limit on the amount or number of transactions that you can perform. The only requirement is that you provide valid identification. However, online transfers with Western Union are limited to $2,500.

Can I send money via Western Union without identification?

You can only send money with Western Union if you are able to provide the Money Transfer Control Number and a valid government issued ID at the time of the transaction.

I want to cancel Western Union money transfer. Help!

After the transfer has been initiated, there is no way to cancel it with Western Union. However, you should immediately get in touch with the customer support department to seek help.

How much does Western Union charge to send $50?

The charges for a transaction charges via Western Union depends on the amount you are sending, the location you are sending, and how the recipient plans to get the money.

Is Western Union cheaper than MoneyGram?

Western Union has lower fees as compared to MoneyGram but MoneyGram offers better exchange rates to its customers.