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Western Union fees explained
How much does Western Union charge to send money internationally?
Offering quick and secure transfers, with over 500,000 branches around the world, Western Union lets you send funds in person, online and over the phone. Our guide to Western Union fees shows the relatively low charges you should expect to pay.
Western Union international money transfer fees
Western Union charges different fees according to how you’re sending the money, where you’re sending it to and how you want your recipient to receive it.
Here’s a breakdown of Western Union’s fees for sending CAD$250 and CAD$990 from Canada for cash pickup to different countries as of August 19, 2021. When we checked, costs can rise if you pay by debit or credit, while paying by cash or bank transfer usually comes with a more flat and predictable fee structure.
| $250 via bank transfer | $250 via debit/credit | $250 via cash (in store) | $990 via bank transfer | $990 via debit/credit | $990 via cash (in store) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines (PHP) | $7.00 | $4.99 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $4.99 | $7.00 | |
| USA (USD) | $7.00 | $4.99 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $4.99 | $7.00 | |
| Australia (AUD) | $7.00 | $7.50 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $24.80 | $7.00 | |
| India (INR) | $7.00 | $6.00 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $10.00 | $7.00 | |
| China (CNY) | $7.00 | $7.50 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $24.80 | $7.00 | |
| France (EUR) | $7.00 | $7.50 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $24.80 | $7.00 | |
| Jamaica (JMD) | $7.00 | $7.50 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $24.80 | $7.00 | |
| Kenya (KES) | $7.00 | $7.50 | $7.00 | $8.00 | $24.80 | $7.00 |
How can I avoid Western Union fees?
The cheapest way to send money abroad with Western Union is a bank transfer directly to the recipient’s bank account or by paying for your transfer with cash. However, there appears to be especially low rates for debit/credit transfers to particularly popular destinations countries like the Philippines, US and India.
Check if there are any Western Union promo codes available
How about any hidden fees?
On top of any upfront fees, Western Union also adds a margin on top of the mid-market exchange rate. The size of this margin varies depending on the currency you want to transfer.
For example, if you want to send $1,000 to China from Canada, Western Union adds a margin of 2.35%:
- Mid-market rate: 1 CAD = 5.0638 CNY
- Western Union rate (payment via Alipay to your recipient’s bank account): 1 CAD = 4.9446 CNY
While to send $1,000 to India, Western Union adds a margin of 0.81%:
- Mid-market rate: 1 CAD = 58.0290 INR
- Western Union rate (payment by credit/debit for cash pickup): 1 CAD = 57.5605 INR
Compare Western Union with other international money transfer services
Our table below lets you compare services you can use to send money abroad. Compare fees, exchange rates and discounts from different money transfer services, and when you have made your choice, click Go to site.
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