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Alternatives to Western Union

Is Western Union’s extensive network worth the extra fees and less competitive exchange rates?

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By

Leah Fallon

Updated

Western Union is a global brand with physical locations and cash pickup hubs in more than 200 countries, but its high fees and weak exchange rates may be driving you to seek out alternative options. Finding better exchange rates may be what brought you here, but these competitors have even more to offer than that.

We’ve listed out some of the more popular alternatives and highlighted what features they have that Western Union doesn’t.

PROMOTED

Xe

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Xe offers individual transfers in addition to its business account services, so you can use it for more than just sending money to friends and family abroad.
Pros
  • Low transfer fees
  • Max transfer is $500,000 per transaction
  • Support for over 55 currencies
Cons
  • They don't offer the mid-market rate
  • No credit card payments allowed for international transfers
Pay ByCredit card, Debit card, Bank transfer, Wire transfer
Receiving OptionsCash pickup location, Bank account
Available CurrenciesAED, ALL, AMD, ARS, AUD, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BND, BOB, BSD, BTN, BWP, CAD, CHF, CLP, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KRW, KWD, KZT, LKR, LSL, MAD, MGA, MKD, MUR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SBD, SEK, SGD, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TWD, TZS, UGX, VND, VUV, WST, XCD, XPF, ZAR
PROMOTED

OFX

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OFX typically beats out Western Union with its fee-less transfers. You can also send a lot more money in one transaction with OFX.
Pros
  • Zero transfer fees
  • No maximum transfer limit
  • Exchange rates typically get better with larger transactions
  • Pay &amp
  • get paid with a global account
Cons
  • Must verify your identity for new accounts by phone
  • Can only send and receive from bank accounts
  • High minimum transfer amount of $1,000
  • Doesn't use the mid-market rate
Pay ByBank transfer
Receiving OptionsBank account
Available CurrenciesAUD, AZN, BGN, BHD, BND, CAD, DKK, EGP, EUR, FJD, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, KRW, KWD, LKR, MAD, MGA, MYR, NOK, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, THB, TOP, TRY, TWD, TZS, USD, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF
PROMOTED

Wise (TransferWise)

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Wise uses a peer-to-peer exchange system that allows you to exchange your funds with others seeking to convert their money to your currency.
Pros
  • Straightforward fees
  • Offers mid-market exchange rates
  • Maximum transfer of $1,000,000
Cons
  • High fees can offset the benefits of mid-market exchange rates
  • Only allows transfer to bank accounts
  • Requires a Social Security number (SSN) in the US to send money
Pay ByCredit card, Debit card, Bank transfer, SWIFT, Wire transfer, iDeal, Trustly, SOFORT, POLi, Educational transfers from BRL, PayPal
Receiving OptionsBank account, Alipay (China only), Amazon, Stripe, Upwork, Etsy, GOAT
Available CurrenciesAED, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BYN, BZD, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, FKP, GBP, GEL, GGP, GHS, GIP, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, IMP, INR, ISK, JEP, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, LSL, 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, SEK, SGD, SHP, SLL, SRD, SVC, SZL, THB, TJS, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, XPF, ZAR, ZMW
PROMOTED

CurrencyTransfer

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CurrencyTransfer services fewer countries than Western Union, but it's best-price guarantee and zero fees make it a serious competitor.
Pros
  • Stronger exchange rates
  • No money transfer fees, no matter how much or little you are sending
  • Can send to more than one beneficiary using a single, guaranteed rate
Cons
  • Limited global reach
  • Limited sending and receiving options, typically restricted to bank-to-bank transfers
  • Transfers only go through Monday to Friday
  • May require proof of ID when signing up
Pay ByBank transfer
Receiving OptionsBank account
Available CurrenciesAED, AUD, BGN, CAD, CHF, CNY, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MUR, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, QAR, RON, SAR, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR
PROMOTED

WorldRemit

WorldRemit supports a large number of countries, currencies, payment and transfer options.
Pros
  • Flexible payment options
  • Quick transfer options
  • Transfer to mobile wallet accounts
Cons
  • Small daily maximum transfer amount of $9,000
  • Mobile airtime, cash pickups and door-to-door transfer not available in every country
Pay ByCredit card, Debit card, Bank transfer, Apple Pay
Receiving OptionsCash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, Home delivery, Prepaid phone credit
Available CurrenciesAED, ALL, ARS, AUD, BDT, BIF, BOB, BRL, BWP, CAD, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, DOP, EGP, ETB, FJD, GBP, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HNL, IDR, INR, JMD, KES, KHR, LAK, LKR, MAD, MGA, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PYG, RWF, SGD, SRD, THB, TND, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, SLE
PROMOTED

MoneyGram

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Like Western Union, MoneyGram has a large global reach and may offer cheaper fees depending on your sending destination.
Pros
  • Pairs with Walmart for same-day in-store transfer service
  • Over 40,000 locations in the US
  • Fees can be reduced depending on payment type and transfer destination
Cons
  • Maximum online transfer amount of $10,000, although it can be lower for other currencies
  • Local exchange rates vary by transfer destination
Pay ByCash, Credit card, Debit card, Bank transfer
Receiving OptionsCash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, Home delivery, FastSend, Debit card
Available CurrenciesAED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BYN, BZD, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GIP, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HKD, HNL, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, IQD, ISK, JEP, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, LSL, LYD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MNT, MRU, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RSD, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SDG, SEK, SGD, SRD, STN, SZL, THB, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VES, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, YER, ZAR, ZMW, SSP, SLE
PROMOTED

Instarem

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Instarem is one of very few money transfer services to offer the mid-market currency exchange rate for some of its transfers during certain trading hours. It also offers a straightforward fee schedule to make calculating costs a breeze.
Pros
  • Transparent fees
  • Same-day transfers for most supported currencies
  • Loyalty points system that can be redeemed against transactions
  • Send money to over a dozen Filipino e-wallets
Cons
  • Transfers must be sent to a bank account outside of Philippines
  • Fewer supported currencies than many competitors
Pay ByCredit card, Debit card, Bank transfer, Wire transfer, ACH/Direct Debit
Receiving OptionsCash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, Alipay (China only)
Available CurrenciesAUD, EUR, GBP, HKD, INR, MYR, SGD, USD

Xoom

Xoom is a PayPal service and is one of the few money transfer services in the industry to back its transfer times with a money-back guarantee. This is useful when you need the money to get there by a certain time or not at all.
Pros
  • Money-back guarantee if your transfer doesn't arrive on time
  • Cash pickup in many countries
  • Home delivery in many countries
Cons
  • Requires a government-issued ID
  • Limited network compared to larger competitors
  • No live chat customer service option
Pay ByCredit card, Debit card, Bank transfer
Receiving OptionsCash pickup location, Bank account, Mobile wallet, Home delivery
Available CurrenciesAUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, USD

Still looking for other options?

Our table lets you compare the services you can use to send money abroad. Compare services on transfer speeds and fees, then click Go to site when you're ready to send.
Alternatively, learn more about Western Union in our review.
1 - 12 of 12
Updated regularly
Name Product USFMT Filter Values Fastest Transfer Speed Fees (Pay by Bank Transfer)
Instarem
Instarem
24 hours
From 0%
New Instarem customers will get a special FX rate and zero-fees on their first transfer.
Instarem offers offers rewards on every transaction.
Go to siteView details
Wise (TransferWise)
Wise (TransferWise)
Within minutes
From 0.41%
Wise uses the mid-market rate and transparent fees to help you send money in 50+ currencies.
Go to siteView details
MoneyGram
MoneyGram
Within minutes
From $0
MoneyGram has fast cash pick-up transfers to more than 350,000 agent locations worldwide.
Go to siteView details
Airwallex
Airwallex
Within minutes
$0
After spending $15k in your first 90 days, receive a one-time $500 bonus that will automatically be credited to your account on any FX conversion.
Airwallex can help you make business payments to 150+ countries in 60+ currencies.
Go to siteView details
OFX International Money Transfers (Business)
OFX International Money Transfers (Business)
24 hours
$0
Business customers: Send safe, no-limit transfers with no fees and competitive exchange rates.
Go to siteView details
CurrencyTransfer for Business
CurrencyTransfer for Business
24 hours
$0
Increase business efficiency with zero transaction fees and same-day transfers.
Go to siteView details
Xe Money Transfer for Business
Xe Money Transfer for Business
24 hours
$0
Save your time and money with Xe Money Transfer for business.
Go to siteView details
OFX
OFX
24 hours
$0
OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 45+ currencies.
Go to siteView details
Currencies Direct (business)
Currencies Direct (business)
24 hours
$0
Minimizes costs of international transactions and offers custom solutions for business clients. Currencies Direct may call you to confirm your transfer, so be prepared for a phone call shortly after initiating a transfer.
Go to siteView details
Xe
Xe
Within minutes
$3
Xe has fast transfers with low fees and a range of foreign currency tools.
Go to siteView details
CurrencyTransfer
CurrencyTransfer
24 hours
$0
CurrencyTransfer lets you shop around for the best exchange rate on its online marketplace.
Go to siteView details
Currencies Direct
Currencies Direct
24 hours
$0
CurrenciesDirect makes transferring money abroad simple with bank-beating exchange rates. Currencies Direct may call you to confirm your transfer, so be prepared for a phone call shortly after initiating a transfer.
Go to siteView details
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