Western Union
Walmart2Walmart is a service powered by Ria that lets you transfer money within the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico almost instantly — but you’ll have to pick up the cash in a Walmart store and you can’t send an international transfer.
While Western Union allows for online transfers to anywhere in the world, Walmart2Walmart is mostly a domestic service that transfers money from store to store only.
To transfer money online with Western Union, you visit its site and enter how much you’re transferring and to which country. You’re able to see the exchange rate and select a transfer options and associated fees.
Once you confirm, Western Union converts and delivers your money to a bank account or makes it available for cash pickup at locations worldwide. You also have the option of initiating a transfer by phone or in person at an agent location.
Walmart has been in the international money transfer business since 1999 through a partnership with MoneyGram. But Walmart2Walmart is an entirely separate service with the backing of Ria money transfers service. With Walmart2Walmart, you send money from one Walmart location to another and Bodega Aurrera stores.
That’s right: You walk into your local Walmart, specify the amount you’d like to send and to which US state, and hand over your cash or debit card for payment. Within minutes, it’s available for pickup at any Walmart store within the state you’ve specified. You can also use Walmart’s app to pay your bills to over 3,000 merchants or to send money internationally through its Walmart2World service.
How much you’ll pay varies by how much you’re transferring, how you’re sending it and the country you’re sending it to. Fees start at $5 but can soar to up to $45 or higher when paying by credit or debit card for cash pickup in specific countries. To send $100 from bank account to bank account in the US carries a fee of $14.
Walmart2Walmart offers a fee structure with two transparent pricing tiers:
Winner: Varies
Ultimately, who’s best depends on your circumstances. Given its clear pricing structure, you’ll definitely save with Walmart2Walmart. But you’re limited to in-person store-to-store transfers of $2,500 or less. With Western Union, you’ll pay more — though how much more depends on many factors, but you can send money online and worldwide.
To understand who offers better exchange rates, you’ll need to first look at the mid-market rate. This is the true exchange rate that averages the buying and selling rate of a global currency — and the rate banks and transfer services use when they trade among themselves. We’ll look at the rates Western Union offer compared to the mid-market rate.
Depending on the country you’re sending money to, a typical exchange rate at Western Union could be up to 6% above the mid-market rate. If you’re sending a large amount overseas, this means hundreds of dollars goes straight into Western Union’s pocket.
Let’s use the example of a transfer to euros (EUR):
With Walmart2Walmart, there are no worries about exchange rates — because you can only send domestically.
Winner: Western Union
Walmart2Walmart does not send money abroad, so Western Union is your only option for money transfers into foreign currencies.
Delivery speed varies with transfer options. At an agent location or by phone, your transfer could be delivered in minutes (at higher costs). Your cheapest options could take five days or longer, depending on the country.
No matter how you pay, your transfer is delivered from your Walmart to any Walmart in your recipient’s state in minutes.
Winner: Walmart2Walmart
While both Western Union and Walmart2Walmart offer instant delivery for certain situations, Walmart2Walmart will get your money where it needs to go faster than Western Union every time.
| Payment Methods | Minimum and maximum transfers | Delivery methods | Transfer speeds | Countries and currencies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Union | Bank account, credit or debit card, cash | $1 minimum. Maximum varies by method and payment | Bank transfer, cash pickup, e-wallet | Varies from minutes to 5+ days | 200+ countries |
| Walmart2Walmart | Cash or debit card | $1 minimum; $2,500 maximum | Walmart and Bodega Aurrera store pickup | In minutes | 3 countries |
WorldRemit: First Transfer FREE
Walmart2Walmart can save you time and money with transfers in minutes, but you’re limited to sending to Walmart and Bodega Aurrera store locations in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Western Union will send your money to any of its more than 500,000 agent locations globally.
Ultimately, you’ll want to compare your options to find a service that’s right for your situation.
