Frequently Asked Questions

With the ‘Start online and pay in store’ service, you could get benefit from our lower transfer fees than if you sent a money transfer through an agent location. This is how it works:

• Go to wu.com.
• Register and create an online profile.
• Start a money transfer.
• Choose “Pay cash in store” as the payment method.
• A tracking number (MTCN) will be generated, which will be valid for 24 hours to enable you to go and pay in cash at a Western Union agent location.
• Visit one of the participating Western Union agent locations and complete the transfer.

When you start a money transfer at wu.com, the exchange rate available at that time will be the one that’s ‘locked in’ for 24 hours. Once you get to the Western Union agent location to pay for the transfer, the exchange rate will be the same as what was available at the moment you started the transfer online.

When you start a transfer on wu.com and visit one of the participating Western Union agent locations to pay for your transfer, you do not need to fill in any forms. You save time and use the convenience of the service.

Find all the countries you can send money to at wu.com.

The amount of money sent depends on the region you’re sending to:

• From WAEMU to WAEMU, you can send up to 3,000,000 XOF
• From WAEMU to Zone Franc (France, Comoros):
  • You can send up to 1,000,000 XOF without any supportive documentation.
  • For amounts above 1,000,000 XOF, you must provide supportive documents when completing your transfer at an agent location.
• From WAEMU to any countries not in WAMEU or in Zone Franc:
  • You can send up to 500,000 XOF without any supportive documentation.
  • For amounts above 500,000 XOF, you must provide supportive documents when completing your transfer at an agent location.

You can pay for your ‘Start online and pay in store’ transfer at any of the participating Western Union agent locations. Click here to see the list for Niger.

You will be asked to provide the following to the agent in order to complete the transfer:

• Your mobile phone number
• The same government-issued ID you used to create your online profile
• The complete amount which includes the principal and applicable fees

Once you finish filling in the details for your transfer online, a confirmation screen will be shown to you right away. After you visit one of the participating Western Union agent locations and complete your transfer, you will be given a receipt with a tracking number (MTCN) and the money will be sent. You should then provide your receiver with the MTCN to enable them to pick up the money. When the transfer is complete, and the money has been picked up by the receiver, you’ll get an SMS confirmation.

The receipt will be provided at the agent location after the transfer is completed.

Local regulatory restrictions in some countries, allow exchange rates to be fixed only at the time of collecting the money transfer.

When you start a money transfer at westernunion.com, the exchange rate available at that time will be the one that’s ‘locked in’ for 24 hours. Once you get to the Western Union agent location to pay for the transfer, the exchange rate will be the same as what was available at the moment you started the transfer online.

Find all the countries you can send money to at westernunion.com.

You will be asked to provide the following to the agent in order to complete the transfer:

• Your mobile phone number
• The same government-issued ID you used to create your online profile
• The complete amount which includes the principal and applicable fees