{"id":499547,"date":"2019-05-24T09:39:03","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T13:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/?page_id=499547"},"modified":"2026-04-09T11:46:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:46:07","slug":"western-union-vs-paypal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/ca\/international-money-transfers\/western-union-vs-paypal","title":{"rendered":"Western Union vs. PayPal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Western Union is nearly synonymous with international money transfers, and if your recipient needs cash pickup, it might be the way to go. But depending on the currency, PayPal may offer a better exchange rate and fast transfer speeds. We compare Western Union and PayPal to help you pick the best option for your transfer.<\/p>

Quick verdict<\/h4>
\"Fees
<\/a>Lower fees:<\/strong><\/a>
Western Union<\/div><\/div>
\"Exchange
Exchange rates:<\/strong><\/a>
PayPal<\/div><\/div>
\"Clock
Fast transfers:<\/strong><\/a>
PayPal<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>

Western Union<\/h4>

Go to the Western Union site, enter how much you\u2019re transferring and confirm how you\u2019re sending it and how it should be received. You also have the option of visiting or calling an agent.<\/p>

Once you\u2019ve approved the exchange rate and fees you\u2019ll pay, Western Union converts and delivers your money to your recipient\u2019s bank account or for cash pickups at locations worldwide.<\/p>

Read review: Western Union<\/a><\/p><\/div>

PayPal<\/h4>

To transfer money through PayPal, you\u2019ll need to create a free PayPal account. You then send a transfer to your recipient\u2019s PayPal account, funding the transfer with your PayPal balance, bank account, credit or debit card or PayPal Credit. After your recipient receives the money, they can either keep the funds in their PayPal account or withdraw the money to their bank account.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Which offers lower fees?<\/h3>

Western Union<\/h4>

Figuring out much you\u2019ll pay to transfer money internationally with Western Union can be muddied. Sending directly to your recipient\u2019s bank account is free for transfers to most countries. When sending money for cash pickup, most fees start at $5, although they can be as much as $100+ when sending large amounts, assuming you\u2019re paying by credit or debit card.<\/p><\/div>

PayPal<\/h4>

How much it costs depends on how much money you send, where you send it and how you pay for the transfer.<\/p>

When you pay for an international transfer using your PayPal balance or linked bank account, you\u2019ll pay a fee of either $2.99 or $4.99 \u2014 the fee is waived if you\u2019re sending to within Canada. If you\u2019re sending to certain countries and paying by credit or debit instead of your paypal balance, you\u2019ll have to pay an additional 2.90% fee plus a small fixed fee (usually around CAD$0.50).<\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Trophy
Winner: Western Union<\/strong><\/p>

For most countries, you pay $0 transfer fees with Western Union if you send money directly to your recipient\u2019s bank account. With PayPal, sending large amounts to many regions in the world could cost you a flat fee + a percentage fee + a fixed fee, which can add up really quickly as the transfer amount increases. Western Union is our winner here.<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/article>

Compare other transfer services<\/h3>
\r\nOur 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<\/strong>.\r\n<\/div>
\n
\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
{\"userFilters\":[{\"config\":{\"MULTISELECT\":true,\"VALUES\":\"AED,AFN,ALL,AMD,ANG,AOA,ARS,AUD,AWG,AZN,BAM,BBD,BDT,BGN,BHD,BIF,BMD,BND,BOB,BRL,BSD,BTN,BWP,BYN,BZD,CAD,CDF,CHF,CLP,CNY,COP,CRC,CUC,CUP,CVE,CZK,DJF,DKK,DOP,DZD,EGP,ERN,ETB,EUR,FJD,FKP,GBP,GEL,GGP,GHS,GIP,GMD,GNF,GTQ,GYD,HKD,HNL,HRK,HTG,HUF,IDR,ILS,IMP,INR,IQD,IRR,ISK,JEP,JMD,JOD,JPY,KES,KGS,KHR,KMF,KPW,KRW,KWD,KYD,KZT,LAK,LBP,LKR,LRD,LSL,LYD,MAD,MDL,MGA,MKD,MMK,MNT,MOP,MRU,MUR,MVR,MWK,MXN,MYR,MZN,NAD,NGN,NIO,NOK,NPR,NZD,OMR,PAB,PEN,PGK,PHP,PKR,PLN,PYG,QAR,RON,RSD,RUB,RWF,SAR,SBD,SCR,SDG,SEK,SGD,SHP,SLL,SOS,SPL,SRD,STN,SVC,SYP,SZL,THB,TJS,TMT,TND,TOP,TRY,TTD,TVD,TWD,TZS,UAH,UGX,USD,UYU,UZS,VEF,VES,VND,VUV,WST,XAF,XAG,XAU,XCD,XDR,XOF,XPD,XPF,XPT,YER,ZAR,ZMW,ZWD,STD,MRO,SSP,SLE,TZN,LTL,MTL\"},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"DETAILS.AVAILABLE_CURRENCIES\"},\"dataType\":\"TEXT\",\"label\":\"Available Currencies\",\"order\":null},{\"config\":{\"MULTISELECT\":true,\"VALUES\":\"Cash,Credit card,Debit card,Bank transfer,PayID,BPAY,EFTPOS,Apple Pay,Google Pay,Phone banking,POLI,Interac e-Transfer,Online bill payment,Direct debit (EFT),Wire transfer,Interac Online,Money order\"},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"DETAILS.PAYMENT_METHOD\"},\"dataType\":\"TEXT\",\"label\":\"Payment method\",\"order\":null},{\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"UI_FILTER_COMPONENT\",\"fieldCode\":\"SPECIAL_OFFERS\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Special offers\",\"componentType\":\"SpecialOffersFilter\",\"config\":{\"VALUES\":\"1\",\"fields\":[{\"value\":\"exclusive_only\",\"label\":\"Finder Rewards & exclusives\"},{\"value\":\"all_offers_no_rewards\",\"label\":\"All offers\"}]},\"options\":{\"comparator\":\"eq\"},\"queryParameter\":\"special-offers\"}],\"niche\":{\"currencySymbol\":\"CAD\",\"decimalPoint\":\".\",\"decimalPlaces\":\"2\",\"thousandsSeparator\":\",\",\"filterBoundsMap\":{\"product.DETAILS.AVAILABLE_CURRENCIES\":null,\"product.DETAILS.PAYMENT_METHOD\":null}},\"prefilled\":false,\"experimental\":false}<\/div>