What is Western Union?

W.U. is a company which offers a worldwide transfer service, thus allowing to send or receive money in a matter of minutes.

How can I send money via Western Union ?

By filling in a form stating details such as: Amount to be sent, City and country where the money will be sent, Beneficiary details, Sender details. The remittance of the money will be made by directly handing the money or the funds could also be debited from the account. From this very moment and once the MTCN is obtained, the sender will inform the beneficiary of this number so that he/she can pick up the funds in any W.U. agent or agency in the world, previously showing some identification. If the beneficiary doesn't have a valid identity document, there is a possibility in some countries of requesting a key question and answer for amounts not exceeding 1.000 euros.

Under which terms/conditions will the beneficiary be able to pick up the money?

There are 3 identifying elements which allow the pick up of the transferred funds: MTCN code, Key question/answer, Valid identity document. When the MTCN code is shown it is also necessary to correctly identify the beneficiary with a valid document.

What is the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number)?

The MTCN is the numerical code of the transfer -formed by 10 digits- given to the sender of the transfer. This code must be supplied to the beneficiary to simplify the transfer identification process in any W.U. agent at the moment of the pick up.

What is a key question/answer?

This is a code which must only be known by the sender and the beneficiary of the transfer. The sender must communicate this code to the beneficiary in order to be able to answer it correctly when picking up the money. This option is allowed for amounts not exceeding 1.000 euros and when the beneficiary of the funds doesn't have a valid identity document or the transfer is addressed to an African country.

How long does it take for the transfers to reach their destination?

The service guarantees that the deliverance will reach its destination 10 minutes after the client makes the transfer or receives the MTCN.

During what hours is this service available?

This is an every-day-24-hour service available calling the local country’s Western Union customer service or visiting any of W.U. branches in their usual Monday to Friday opening hours.

Which currency is used for these transfers?

The transfer in origin is made in euros and the final payment in the official currency of the destination country.

Which is the exchange rate used for these transfers?

The exchange rate used is fixed by W.U. and it doesn't necessarily correspond with the official exchange rate.

Can I cancel a transfer order?

The return of the transfer can be requested as long as it hasn't been picked up by the beneficiary.