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 out our Direct to Bank Account country information page 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; for example, you can find out how long will it takes for the money to be available into your receiver’s bank account depending on the destination country.

If you are sending from a Western Union agent location, just choose the Direct to Bank Account service.

If you are sending money online, on the send money page, please select “Bank account” as the method you would like your receiver to get the transfer. You’ll need to provide the receiver’s bank account information. 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 page 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 countries 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 Bank Identification Code (BIC) is used to identify banks worldwide. BIC is the same as a SWIFT code, and it can be between 8 and 11 digits long.

Ask your receiver if a BIC is required in their country, you can also check our Direct to Bank Account country information 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 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.

Western Union agents are our representatives who will help you send or receive money. In Nigeria, Western Union agents are banks.

You can easily locate a Western Union agent location online, just use our agent locator.

The first step is to locate the nearest agent location (find it in our agent locator online). Once at an Agent location, you should give your receiver’s details to the agent. After all the information is entered, you will be asked to give the total transfer amount plus applicable fees. The transfer will be completed after this and the agent will provide you with the tracking number (MTCN) to enable your receiver to collect the money. The money will be available in minutes1 to your receiver. Please give the tracking number (MTCN) from your receipt to your receiver to enable them to pick up the cash.

Funds may be delayed or services unavailable based on certain transaction conditions, including amount sent, destination country, currency availability, regulatory and foreign exchange issues, required receiver action(s), identification requirements, Agent location hours, differences in time zones, or selection of delayed options. Additional restrictions may apply. See Send Form for details.

You can check your transfer status online. All you need is your name and the tracking number (MTCN) printed on your receipt.

You can check your transfer status online. All you need is your name and the tracking number (MTCN) printed on your receipt, or you can call our Westernunion.com Customer Care number at toll-free phone number in Nigeria 0700-34778-2668228, or send an email moneytransferenquiries@firstbanknigeria.com.

Each Western Union’s agent location has its own hours of operation.
Find a nearby Western Union agent location.

You can pick up your money at any Western Union’s agent location. You’ll need to provide the following information:

• Your name
• The tracking number MTCN
• Amount expected
• Sender’s full name
• Country the money came from
• A valid ID to show you are 18 year of age or more

You must present a valid international passport, driver’s license, permanent voter’s card, national identity card or BVN – your bank verification number.

Some restrictions may apply.

You can also receive money online in Nigeria by having funds transferred directly to your bank account. For more details, please check our receive money page.

Money transfers will generally be paid in cash, but some agents will pay by cheque or a combination of cash and cheque. The receiver may choose other ways to receive funds. Other restrictions may apply. Please visit or call the nearest Western Union’s agent location to get more information about restrictions.

All fees are paid by the sender. Receiving money is free of charge unless the receiver chooses to get the money in a different currency, directly to a device or a bank account at the moment of pick up.

Registration is required for most of our services. When you visit wu.com for the first time you’ll need to complete the profile registration form and follow these steps:

• Fill in the following fields: name, surname, e-mail, date of birth, country of birth, nationality, occupation, mobile number, street address, city, valid BVN ID and answer the secret question.
• Once you accept terms and conditions, you will receive a one-time verification link to your email address.
• Once you log in to your profile after email authentication, you will be requested to identify your mobile phone number. A one-time password will be sent to you by SMS.

No, registration is free of charge.

Anyone who meets the following requirements can register and start sending money online;

• Must have a valid bank verification number (BVN).
• Must be of at least 18 years of old.
• Must accept our Terms and Conditions.
• Must have a valid phone number and email address.
• Must have a debit card issued in Nigeria.

Registration with a valid BVN and an email address is possible only once.

You can change/update your WU Profile information from the Profile Overview tab after you log in to the www.westernunion.com site.

Once your identity is verified you cannot change your name, last name, date of birth, nationality and phone number. If you require to change this information after your identity is verified, please contact Western Union Customer Service Center toll-free phone number in Nigeria 0700-34778-2668228.

Your User ID is your email address and password that you created during registration.

If you forget your password, you can select the “Forgot password” option and a new password will be sent to your email address.
If you have repeatedly entered incorrect details or your profile is locked, please try to log in to your profile after 30 minutes. You can also contact Westernunion.com customer service center by calling the toll-free phone number in Nigeria 0700-34778-2668228 or sending an email to moneytransferenquiries@firstbanknigeria.com.

If your profile is not verified yet, you can change your info on the “Profile overview” page after you log in.
Once your profile is verified, please contact the toll-free phone number in Nigeria 0700-34778-2668228 or send an email to moneytransferenquiries@firstbanknigeria.com for any info update.

You can delete you online profile by contacting Westernunion.com customer service center toll-free phone number in Nigeria 0700-34778-2668228 or sending an email to moneytransferenquiries@firstbanknigeria.com.

Western Union values its business and takes pride in delivering your funds in the quickest and most reliable way possible. However, it is important that you protect yourself from fraudsters who are out to get your money.
Below are some frequently asked questions about fraud. For more information, please visit our Fraud Awareness page.

Yes. Only use Western Union to send money to friends and family. Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Scammers sometimes encourage people to transfer money. Do not transfer money to anyone who asks you to send them money:

• For an emergency situation you haven’t confirmed.
• For an online purchase.
• For anti‐virus protection.
• For a deposit or payment on a rental property.
• To claim lottery or prize winnings.
• To pay taxes.
• For a donation to charity.
• For a mystery shopping assignment.
• For a job opportunity.
• For a credit card or loan fee.
• To resolve an immigration matter.

If you transfer money, the person you’re sending it to gets the money quickly. After the money is paid, Western Union may not be able to give you a refund, even if you are the victim of fraud, except under limited circumstances.

If you receive an email from anyone claiming to be from Western Union and you are unsure about it, do not click on any links in the mail. This may be a “phishing” attempt to acquire sensitive information from you. Instead, immediately forward the suspicious mail to moneytransferenquiries@firstbanknigeria.com.
Western Union will never send you e-mails to ask for your user ID, password, or credit card details.

In some countries, senders are asked to provide a ‘Test Question’ and its answer when they initiate the transfer. In cases where a ‘Test Question’ was provided by the sender, the receiver may be required to give the answer when picking up the funds. The ‘Test Question’ feature is designed for emergency situations where the receiver still needs to provide proper identification. It should never be used as additional security or to delay payment. In many places, we’ll pay the receiver whenever the receiver shows proper identification, even if he/she does not know the answer to the question.

You should contact the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 009 4969 12 014 4024 immediately for assistance with a transaction that you believe was sent for fraud. You should also file a report with your local law enforcement.

You should also contact your government’s Office of Consumer Affairs and police station if you are uncertain or suspicious of a telephone, mail, or e-mail solicitation.

• Always make sure you know who you are sending money to.
• Discontinue a call if a caller coaches you to respond to questions asked by Western Union.
• Security is everyone’s responsibility. Stay informed. Keep abreast of new fraud trends.

Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Learn more about fraud protection.

My WU is a free loyalty program from Western Union.

You can register to My WU loyalty program at cash counter while sending money from our Agent locations.

• Transfer fee discounts on qualifying money transfers.
• Special promotions on money transfers.

Learn more about My WU program.

Earning reward points is currently disabled in the program. If you are a My WU member, we will notify you about our new rewards program.

Via the My WU portal:

1. Log in to your profile and go to My WU Rewards.
2. Go to the Rewards section to view your reward options.
3. Choose your reward and select Use reward.

The discount will be applied automatically to your next transfer fee.

You can use your My WU points till they expire as per My WU terms and conditions.

Earning reward points is currently disabled in the program. If you are a My WU member, we will notify you about our new rewards program.

Yes, you can continue to redeem your My WU points until their expiry.

You can find your My WU number printed in the receipt of the transfer you register to the program with, in the last transfer receipt (assuming your profile was looked up), by contacting customer service, or by logging in to wu.com site. It’s important for you to know your My WU number and keep it handy, so that you can leverage the benefits of the program.

You should double check the data that you are using to log in (i.e. Last name + My WU number, or Last name + Email) and make sure they match the latest information that you have provided to WU. If you cannot validate or are unsure of the information provided to WU, you can call the support line to retrieve/update the relevant data points, including My WU number, Email address and Phone number. Using My WU number or email address (together with your last name) is the most reliable way to check your balance and/or redeem rewards.

WU has tried to merge matching/duplicate profiles and reconcile point balances, contacts, etc. This is a very complicated task and, in some cases, some profiles were kept separately. For a smooth experience, members are invited to merge their duplicate accounts (by calling the support line at 1-800-325-6000) and update their main profile, so for the balance and reward redemption features to work as expected.

In this case you are using a non-unique lookup criteria: phone number (together with your last name) and chances are that you have unintentionally (1) registered more than once with the same phone, (2) provided a wrong and/or dummy phone number OR (3) provided a phone number that was somebody else’s. Best way to address these challenges is by contacting customer service to make sure your profile is reflecting the most current information, including last name, email address and mobile phone number. Using My WU number or email address (together with your last name) is the most reliable way to check your balance and/or redeem rewards.

To protect our customers, we review every money transfer to make sure it’s safe. For a variety of reasons, we may ask you to provide us with more information before we can allow you to continue using our services.

We need additional information to understand why you use Western Union and the relationship between you and the person or entities you’re transacting with. The more information you provide, the quicker we’ll be able to complete your request.

To have access to our services again, follow the steps below:

1. Gather the required documents. Please note that these will vary depending on your reason for using Western Union and your relationship to the person or entities you’re transacting with. At minimum you must be prepared with your government-issued photo ID, documents that relate to your purpose for using Western Union, proof of the source of the funds, and any additional documents that may provide support for the answers provided on the questionnaire. For more information, go to Help section at westernunion.com.
2. Go to westernunion.com/gcr and start the customer questionnaire.
3. Complete the customer questionnaire:

• Personal information:
  – Provide your first, middle (optional) and last names as they appear on your ID.
  – Share your current email, physical address and mobile number. Please make sure you provide an active email address for communication purposes.
  – Specify your country of birth.
  – Select your occupation and provide additional clarification if needed.
  – Enter a recent tracking number (MTCN) if available.
  – Upload a copy of your valid government-issued photo ID.
• Relationships:
  – List people or entities you’ve transacted with using Western Union.
  – For each person or entity, enter the full name, relationship, purpose of transaction and upload supporting documents.
• Source of funds:
  – Choose the source of funds from the drop-down list and upload supporting documents.
• Third party details (if you are transacting on behalf of someone else) (if applicable):
  – Explain the purpose of transaction(s) and your relationship to the third party.
  – Provide the details related to the third party.
• Fraud (if applicable):
  – Indicate if you’ve been a victim of fraud or scam.
  – If yes, share a brief description of what happened.

4. Review the accuracy of the information you provided.
5. Select Submit questionnaire to complete the process.

a. Valid government-issued photo ID is needed to verify your identity.

• Examples: passport, driver’s license, national ID.

b. Source of funds is needed to make sure that the money transfers are not related to illegal acts and correspond to the nature of your activity.

• Examples: at least the latest 3 months of bank statements, at least the latest 3 months of pay slips, employment contract with salary, loan papers, sale agreement, winning receipt, tax return statement, etc.

c. Purpose of money transfer or intended use of money is needed to understand the basis for making the payment and the type of relations between the sender and the payee.

• Examples:
  • Personal remittance/family support – the following documents are suitable to prove relationship: pictures with persons you transacted with, marriage certificate, counterparty’s birth certificate, counterparty’s government issued ID, etc.
  • Business remittance/payment for goods/services – bills, receipts, sale or purchase agreements, etc.
  • Education – evidence of tuition fees, etc.
  • Medical expenses – hospital bills, pharmacy receipts, health insurance premiums, etc.
  • Charity support – written acknowledgment from the charity, etc.
  • Purchase home – purchase agreement, mortgage documents, etc.
  • Gift – receipts, etc.
  • Travel expenses – travel tickets, hotel bookings, etc.

d. Third party activity (sending or receiving money on behalf of individual or business) information is needed to understand the purpose and nature of your relationship with Western Union.

• Examples: business registration documents, letter of authorization by the company or notary, bank statement showing access to third party funds, etc.

After we’ve received your completed questionnaire and required documentation, we’ll email you a response within 3 business days.

In case we have additional questions, we may contact you via the email address provided in the questionnaire.

We’re committed to the security of your personal information. We use organizational, technical and administrative safeguards that comply with applicable government laws and regulations to secure your personal information. We also restrict access to the personal information that we process to only our employees, agents and representatives that have a business need to know it. For more information, read our Terms and Conditions and Online Privacy Statement.