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Western Union vs. WorldRemit

We compare a tried-and-true company with a newer digital provider to help you learn who’s best for your next transfer overseas.

Gabi Byrnes

Updated Sep 9, 2020. What changed?

Fact checked

With both Western Union and WorldRemit offering cash transfers to many global destinations, picking between these two can be tricky. We’ve compared them on fees, exchange rates and transfer speeds to help make your decision a bit easier.

	Western Union	WorldRemit
Fees	Fees start at $5	$3.99 (for most countries)
Exchange rates	Up to 6% above the mid-market rate	Less than 1% above the mid-market rate
Speed	Varies from minutes to 5+ days	Varies from minutes to 3 days
Max Transfer Amount	Varies by method and payment	Varies by country and method of payment
	Read review	Read review

Quick verdict

Lower fees:
WorldRemit

Exchange rates:
WorldRemit

Fast transfers:
WorldRemit

Western Union and WorldRemit: How they work

Western Union and WorldRemit both offer ways to transfer your money online.

Western Union

To use Western Union, go to its site, enter how much you’re transferring and to where, and see how much you’ll pay for the exchange. (You also have the option of visiting an office, calling or using a mobile app to initiate a transfer.) Once complete, Western Union converts and delivers your money to a bank account or for cash pickup at locations worldwide.

Read review: Western Union

WorldRemit

With WorldRemit, you go to its site, enter how much money you’ll be transferring and then send your funds to WorldRemit. When creating your transfer, you provide a mobile number for both yourself and your recipient, as well as a copy of your personal ID. Once approved, WorldRemit converts your currency and sends it to your recipient, who collects it via bank transfer, cash pickup or Mobile Money.

Read review: WorldRemit

Which offers lower fees?

Western Union

Fees vary depending on how much you’re transferring, how you’re sending it and where you’re sending it to. Fees start at $5 but can soar to up to $45 when paying by credit or debit card for cash pickup in certain countries. When sending money to high-traffic countries such as Mexico or India, some agents offer fee-free transfer options.

WorldRemit

Transfer fees for WorldRemit can vary slightly depending on where you’re sending you’re money, but the fee for most countries is $3.99. The method you use to send money will depend on the country to which you’re sending.

Trophy icon
Winner: WorldRemit

Although you’re limited somewhat on how you can send and receive money using WorldRemit, it has a clear leg up on Western Union when it comes to transfer fees.

Compare other transfer services

I want to send

Min. Transfer Amount	Transfer Speed	Online Transfer Fee	Rate	Amount Received	Description	CTA	Details
GBP 1,000	1 - 2 days	USD 0.00	0.838	EUR 4,191	Exclusive: Minimum transfer of $1,000 for Finder readers (normally $5,000). For larger transfers, get no transaction fees and no maximum send limits.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount GBP 1,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Chat Available currencies AED, AUD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, RON, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
$1	Same day	USD 0.00	0.843	EUR 4,214	XE offers fast transfers with no fees and a range of foreign currency tools.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BZD, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CUC, 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, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SDG, SEK, SGD, SHP, SLL, SOS, SPL, SRD, SVC, SYP, SZL, THB, TJS, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TVD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VEF, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XDR, XOF, XPF, YER, ZAR, ZMW, ZWD, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$0	1 - 2 days	USD 1.99	0.83	EUR 4,147	Special offers like free transfers and better exchange rates available for new customers. Quick, affordable transfers around the world with both express and economy options.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 0.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies ALL, AMD, ARS, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BIF, BOB, BRL, BSD, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KZT, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MWK, MXN, MYR, NGN, NIO, NPR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SLL, SRD, SVC, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$1	1 - 2 days	USD 40.00	0.847	EUR 4,199	Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, ARS, AUD, BDT, BGN, BRL, BWP, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, GBP, GEL, GHS, HKD, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KES, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NGN, NOK, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, RON, RUB, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XOF, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review
$1	Within an hour	USD 3.99	0.843	EUR 4,212	Use promo code 3FREE to send your first 3 transfers with no fee. Send to 110+ countries for bank-to-bank deposit, cash pickup or mobile top-up.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, ALL, AMD, AOA, ARS, AUD, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BOB, BRL, BWP, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DKK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, ISK, JMD, JOD, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LKR, LRD, LSL, MAD, MDL, MGA, MRO, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RUB, RWF, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, SOS, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review

Compare up to 4 providers

Which offers better exchange rates?

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 that Western Union and WorldRemit offer compared to the mid-market rate.

Western Union

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 that goes straight into Western Union’s pocket.

We’ll use the example of a transfer to euros (EUR):

If the mid-market rate is 1 USD = 0.96 EUR
Western Union’s exchange rate might be 1 USD = 0.88 EUR

WorldRemit

WorldRemit takes a smaller margin than Western Union — sometimes less than 1% above the mid-market rate.

Using the same example of a transfer to euros (EUR):

If the mid-market rate is 1 USD = 0.96 EUR
WorldRemit’s exchange rate might be 1 USD = 0.92 EUR

Trophy icon
Winner: WorldRemit

Competitive exchange rates make WorldRemit the clear winner. Send $500 to France with WorldRemit instead of Western Union would give your recipient nearly 20 more euros to play with.

Which is faster?

Western Union

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.

WorldRemit

Sending money via bank transfer typically takes one to three business days to most banks, although a few banks offer instant transfers. Sending cash via Mobile Money or airtime top-up are available immediately.

Trophy icon
Winner: WorldRemit

While transfer speeds can vary for both Western Union and WorldRemit depending on transfer method and your recipient’s country, WorldRemit edges out Western Union in bank-to-bank transfer speeds and costs.

Which offers more options?

	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
WorldRemit	Bank account,credit or debit card	$1 minimum; maximum varies by country and method of payment	Bank transfer,cash pickup,Mobile Money,airtime top-up	Varies from minutes to 3 days	100+ countries

Bottom line

Western Union offers more flexibility in terms of transfer methods, but WorldRemit comes out on top when comparing nearly every other aspect of your money transfer. If low fees, competitive exchange rates and quick transfers are your top priorities, WorldRemit is the clear choice.

Of course, it’s can be help to compare your options to find the service that best fits your individual needs.

Frequently asked questions

What is WorldRemit’s airtime top-up?

WorldRemit offers airtime top-up as an option when sending money to a variety of different countries. When you send via airtime top-up, you essentially give your recipient money toward a prepaid phone service or, in some cases, extra data allowances.

How much does WorldRemit charge to send money?

WorldRemit transfer fees vary based on your payment method, transfer amount and delivery location. Fees typically range from $3.99 through $25 or more.

Thank you for your feedback!

Gabi Byrnes

Gabi Byrnes is Finder's group publisher for money. She has over 10 years' experience in the digital media marketing industry, having worked at Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services and, most recently, Mumbrella. Gabi is RG146-accredited to provide advice in General Insurance and Basic Deposit products. She's partway through completing an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning.

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Western Union vs. WorldRemit