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 selected countries.

Select our direct to bank account country information tool to see which countries have this service available. There you’ll find all the necessary information to complete a transfer directly to a bank account.

To send funds directly to a bank account you can simply choose the “Direct to bank account” service when sending money online or at an agent location.

The requirements change from country to country, but usually include:

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

Select our Direct to bank account country information tool to see which countries have this service available and what will you need.

A bank code is a series of numbers used to identify banks around the world. They can have between 3 and 23 digits depending on the bank and the country.

A bank code could be called:

• 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 tool to find out more details.

A bank identification code (BIC) is used to identify banks worldwide. BIC is the same as a SWIFT code, and it will be 8 or 11 digits long.

Ask your receiver if BIC is required in their country, you can check our direct to bank account country information tool for more details.

An international bank account number (IBAN) is a code used in some countries to identify a customer’s bank account. The IBAN has a letter to identify the country followed by 2 digits, and then up to 35 characters for the bank account number. Some countries require that payment sent from Australia must include the IBAN.

You can refer to our direct to bank account country information tool to see what details are needed for each country. Ask you receiver for the IBAN if it’s required.

“Direct to Bank Account” money transfers can change from country to country and can take up to five days. For more details, please refer to our direct to bank account country information tool.