Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the Western Union “direct to bank account” service is an easy and convenient way to send funds directly to a receiver’s bank account in select countries.

Check our Direct to Bank Account country information to see which countries the service is available to. You’ll see the bank information you’ll need and how long it will take for the money to be deposited into your receiver’s bank account in each country.

Just choose the Direct to Bank Account service when you send online or at an agent location. You’ll need the receiver’s bank account details. The requirements vary by country, but usually include:

• Your receiver’s bank name and code
• Their account name and number

Check our Direct to Bank Account country information to see which countries the service is available to and the information needed for each country.

A bank code is a series of numbers that’s used to identify banks around the world. It can range from 3 and 23 digits, depending on the country of the bank and the type of code.

A bank code may be known as:

• BSB
• SWIFT Code
• BIC (Bank Identification Code)
• CHIPS (Clearing House Inter-Bank Payment System) – US and Canada only
• NCC (National Clearing Code)
• BSC (Bank Sort Code)
• IFSC (Indian Financial System Code)

For some counties you may need an International Bank Account Number (IBAN) in addition to the bank code.

Ask your receiver for the bank code and IBAN (if applicable). You can refer to our Direct to Bank Account country information to see what details are required for each country.

A BIC is a code used to identify banks worldwide. A BIC is the same as a SWIFT code; the terms are interchangeable. A BIC will either have 8 or 11 digits.

Ask your receiver for the BIC if it’s required in their country—you can check our Direct to Bank Account country information to confirm the information you’ll need.

An IBAN is used in some countries to uniquely identify a customer’s bank account. The IBAN consists of an alphabetical country code followed by two digits, and then up to thirty-five characters for the bank account number. Some countries require that payments sent from Australia include an IBAN.

You can refer to our Direct to Bank Account country information to see what details are needed for each country. Ask your receiver for an IBAN if it’s required.

“Direct to bank account” money transfers vary by country and can take up to five days. For details, refer to our Direct to Bank Account country information.