- Western Union is well-reviewed by both experts and users, achieving an average rating of 3.8/5 from 123 user reviews. Users appreciate the improved app functionality and competitive exchange rates, particularly for smaller electronic transfers. However, some express concerns about high fees compared to newer services.
- Experts commend Western Union for its modernised app and competitive exchange rates, rating it 4.1 overall. They highlight the convenience of cash drop-off and pick-up options, while noting that it may not be the cheapest option available.
- Users frequently mention the efficiency of the service and the ease of sending money, with many praising the app’s usability. However, there are criticisms regarding customer service responsiveness and rising fees, with some users feeling that the service is not as cost-effective as alternatives.
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Western Union Review
Provider: Western Union
Verdict: Western Union lets you send money to more than 200 countries around the world. It was founded in 1851 in Rochester, New York, and was named the Western Union Telegraph Company when the New York & Western Union Telegraph Company merged with the rival New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in 1856. It was a pioneer in transmitting telegrams and in 1871 it introduced a money transfer service through its extensive telegraph network. It stopped sending telegrams in 2006 and now offers money transfers to almost every country in the world. Today it has 150 million retail and digital customers with its headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
Summary
Western Union has made a real effort recently to modernise it’s app and reduce exchange rates and fees to compete with new start-ups. Still, one of the best ways to send cash abroad and now very competitive for smaller electronic transfers.
Pros
- Better exchange rates
- Cash drop-off and pick-up
- Good app and website transfers
Cons
- Still not as cheap as some
- Exchange Rates (4.5)
- Available Currencies (5)
- Online Platform (5)
- Customer Service (3)
- Research & Analysis (3)
Overall
4.1Tell us what you think of this provider.
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
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