Help and support International Money Transfer FAQs

You can send up to 799.99 GBP per transfer from the United Kingdom if your identity hasn’t been verified.

After your identity has been verified, you can send up to 4,000 GBP every three days with your credit card and 50,000 GBP through your bank.

You can pay with your credit/debit card or a bank transfer. Bank transfer is available for UK residents only. After you’ve chosen your destination country, you’ll see the types of services available to you. For more details about online payments, please call Post Office Western Union customer care at 0800 026 5756 or email PostOffice.CustomerCare@westernunion.com

Pay for your money transfer in the following ways: 

1. Card
   You can pay using your debit or credit card. Supported cards are: Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, and Visa Electron. Please contact your bank to ensure your card is enrolled for secure authentication 

2. Bank transfer on westernunion.com
   You can pay for your money transfer using your online bank account. After you have entered your transfer details, you will be redirected to your online banking via Klarna 

3. Bank transfer from your account to Western Union
   Enter your transfer details on westernunion.com and log in to your online banking to pay for your transfer

   • Select bank transfer option

   • Review and confirm your transfer. Your receipt with your transfer information, reference number, and Western Union bank details will be shown to you and sent to your email address

   • Log in to your bank website/mobile app. Use the beneficiary information on the receipt page and make the payment via bank transfer. (Please ensure the information you provide matches the information on your Western Union receipt)

   • After Western Union receives your payment, a confirmation email will be sent to your email address

After you’ve chosen your destination country, you’ll see the types of services available to you.

For more details about online payments, please call us on 0800 026 5756 or email PostOffice.CustomerCare@westernunion.com

Your debit or credit card payment may be declined due to several reasons: 

By your bank
Your bank may decline your payment due to:

• Insufficient funds in your bank account
• Unusually large payment exceeding your bank limits
• Your card may not be enrolled for secure authentication

If your bank declines a payment while making a Western Union money transfer, you need to contact your bank or log in to your online banking to resolve the issue. 

By Western Union
Western Union may decline your payment for the following reasons:

• Exceeding the transfer limit set for the country you are sending money from
• To protect you from fraud or consumer scam

This service is available for certain countries. Usually, money is deposited into the receiver’s bank account within one or two working days. Money may be deposited on the same day or in up to three working days, depending on when and where it’s sent.

After you send money, ask your receiver to contact their bank or check their bank statement to verify the deposit.

In the United Kingdom, you can send money from your bank account either with Faster Payments or SOFORT banking.

If you select Faster Payment bank transfer, you can simply pay directly through your bank’s website, so you don’t need to share any of your financial information. Please follow the payment instructions on your money transfer receipt.

If you select SOFORT Banking instant bank transfer, you simply have to follow the instructions on the screen once redirected to SOFORT Banking. You’ll need to have your online banking details ready to complete the transaction.

Please be informed that the delivery time specified on the send money page varies according to the corridor, payment method and payout method selected. It only estimates the time to deliver the money when the funds are received. It excludes the payment processing time.

A bank code is a series of numbers used to identify banks around the world. The bank code can be 3-23 digits, depending on the country and the type of code.

A bank code may be known as:

• BSB
• SWIFT code
• BIC (Bank Identification Code)
• CHIPS (Clearing House Inter-Bank Payment System) — US and Canada only
• NCC (National Clearing Code)
• BSC (Bank Sort Code)
• IFSC (Indian Financial System Code)

For some countries, you also may need an international bank account number (IBAN) in addition to the bank code.

You should obtain the bank code and IBAN (if applicable) from your receiver.

An IBAN is used in some countries to identify a customer’s bank account. The IBAN is an alphabetical country code followed by two digits and then as many 35 characters for the bank account.

You should obtain the IBAN from your receiver.

A BIC is a worldwide code for bank identification. The BIC is the same as the SWIFT code and is either eight or 11 digits.

Payouts will only be made in the local currency. Senders should ensure their receiver’s bank account is a local currency account to avoid potential service delays or additional charges from the receiver’s bank.

You can use the transfer status service to track the status of any money transfer. All you need is the tracking number (MTCN – see the ‘Tracking your transfers’ tab for more on this) and the sender’s name.

If your receiver lives in a country where we offer this service, you can send money to their mobile phone. Make sure your receiver has activated a mobile wallet with one of our partner mobile phone operators in their country.

A mobile wallet is an electronic account that’s linked to a person’s mobile phone. Money can be electronically deposited and used the same as cash. Mobile wallets are used to pay for goods, public transportation, and utilities, as well as to pay bills and withdraw cash.

Mobile money transfers can only be sent to mobile phones that belong to mobile phone operators that work with Western Union.

Senders need to provide identification to send money to a mobile wallet. Transactions comply with the regulations of the sender’s country and with those for cross-border remittances. Mobile phone operators secure their customers’ mobile wallets with a PIN and other security methods. Please check with your service provider for more information.

If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile operator and they will freeze or suspend your mobile wallet account for your protection.

You can transfer up to 50,000 GBP when sending from your bank account directly to the receiver’s bank account. The limit may not be available for all receiver countries and is subject to restrictions based on various factors.

You can send and receive large amount money transfers online on wu.com or the Western Union app at your convenience 24/7.

To send a large amount money transfer, simply follow the steps to fill in the required money transfer details, such as destination country, your receiver’s name, send amount, and select the payment method.

To meet our regulatory and compliance obligations, we may sometimes collect additional information and/or documents, which will include documents to validate your occupation and the source of funds.

There are no limits to sending multiple large amount money transfers over any time frame. However, Western Union policy defines certain thresholds to monitor the customer’s total money transfer activity during a respective period. If a customer exceeds these thresholds, we may ask for additional information to comply with internal policies and regulations. These thresholds may vary depending on the sending customer’s country of residence and the country where the money is sent.

Western Union uses the latest technology to ensure convenient and reliable online money transfers. We operate according to the local and international regulations and compliance programs to protect our customers.

For the best experience when using Western Union, we recommend our customers make sure their contact information is up to date on their online banking and Western Union profile.

To find out the estimated fee and currency exchange rates for your online money transfers, click send money and fill in the required fields, such as your receiver’s country and send amount.

The delivery time varies, depending on the sending and receiving countries, payment, and payout methods selected.

To create a better service for you while complying with local and international regulations, each money transfer goes through different layers of security, and you may receive a call from us requesting further information and/or documentation.

See the terms and conditions for more information.

Identity verification is independent of large amount money transfers. A customer can only send a large amount money transfer if they have already been verified by Western Union.

At certain threshold, before you can send a large amount of money transfer, we need to request additional documentation to verify the source of your funds. It is required to meet our regulatory obligations and internal policies, which allow us to serve you better, speed up the transfer process and protect your money.

You don’t need to send any documents in advance. If Western Union asks you to provide any additional documents (such as proof of source of your funds), you will be provided with directions at that time.

Please make sure the documents aren’t damaged, illegible, or expired and letters, numbers, signs, and security features are clear. When taking a digital photo of your document, please ensure that all four corners are visible and that there is no glare or other obstruction, the lighting is sufficient, and the letters are not blurred or too faint.

We will let you know which documents need to be provided to prove the source of your funds and validate its legitimacy.

Once Western Union asks you for specific documents during a call or via email, please make sure to provide the required document(s) only.

Providing accurate documents that validate the legitimacy of the funds you intend to transfer in a timely manner helps us to speed up the verification process.

We will send you an email requesting additional documents and directions on how to send them. You need to provide the correct documentation within the stipulated time, or your money transfer will be cancelled.

We use organizational, technical, and administrative safeguards to secure your personal information. All information sent to us via email or uploaded online is stored electronically and password-protected and is only accessible by authorized personnel.

Once we receive the required documents from you, they will be processed within 30 minutes.

You can expect a call or an email from Western Union within 30 minutes of initiating a large amount money transfer.

If you miss our call, we will send you an email asking you to call us back within 24 hours. Always make sure to check your email after initiating a large amount money transfer.

If you’re the sender, you can check any time after sending in your profile’s history. If you’re the receiver, you can check your transfer status online. All you need is the tracking number (MTCN) available on the receipt.

Your transfer is complete when your receiver picks up the money from an agent location or when the transfer amount is credited to your receiver’s bank account, credit or debit card, or mobile wallet.

Your online receipt will show after your transfer is approved. If we need more information before we can complete it, we’ll let you know. When the transfer is complete, you’ll get an email with your tracking number (MTCN).

We need to double-check a few details before we send your transfer. This is a standard process, and sometimes takes longer than usual.

If necessary, we’ll reach out to you. Otherwise, no further action is needed.

For online transfers, we’ll notify you when your transfer status has changed.

For transfers at agent locations, you’ll need to check your transfer status after some time for any updates.

In case your transfer status shows In Progress for more than 48 hours, contact us.

To learn more on your transfer, just go to Track a Transfer and enter your 10-digit tracking number (MTCN).

Don’t have your MTCN? You can still know your transfer status in these easy steps:

1. Go to Track a Transfer and select Don’t know the MTCN?
2. Enter Sender’s phone number or Sender and receiver’s names
3. Enter the date of money transfer and select Continue

• In progress: Your transfer has been processed and your money is on its way
• Available: Your transfer is ready for pickup. Your receiver needs to visit an agent location with their government-issued ID and tracking number (MTCN)
• Received: The money has been picked up by your receiver at an agent location
• Paid: The transfer is complete, and the money has been credited to your receiver’s mobile wallet or bank account
• Delivered: The transfer is complete, and the money has been credited to your receiver’s bank account
• On hold: It’s taking us longer than usual because we are verifying a few things
• Cancelled: Reasons can be self-cancellation or a cancellation from our end. Money is usually refunded with seven business days
• Refunded: Your money has been refunded in your original form of payment

Your transfer status is typically updated within two hours.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused. If you were charged, we’ll refund you the money in your original form of payment within five to seven business days from the date the refund was processed.

You’ll be notified when your refund is credited to your bank account, credit or debit card, or when it is ready for pickup.

Your transfer may have been cancelled because of one of the following:

• We couldn’t confirm your identity from the information you provided
• You sent money to a business account instead of a personal account
• There were insufficient funds in your bank account, debit card, or credit card
• There was a technical issue at your bank’s end
• You provided incorrect receiver’s details, including bank details and name
• Your receiver didn’t pick up the money within 42 days

If your transfer is cancelled, you can always start another online.

While we try our best to make every transfer seamless, sometimes it might be put on hold or get delayed. It could be because of the following:

• We’re verifying your identity
• We’re double-checking a few other details
• Your bank is reviewing your transfer
• We’re waiting for more information from you

To avoid any further delay, you may contact us with your tracking number (MTCN). If need be, we may contact you.

For a better transfer experience going forward, please provide the following details accurately:

• Your receiver’s name as it appears on their government-issued ID
• Your and your receiver’s bank, credit or debit card, or wallet details
• Your contact details such as phone number and email address
• Your ID details

Sometimes it takes us longer than usual to process your transfer because we need to double-check a few details.

No action is needed from your end at this time. If necessary, we’ll reach out to you. After we’re done, we’ll notify you.

In case your transfer status shows ‘In Progress’ for more than 48 hours, please contact us.

It typically takes up to one to two business days after the transfer is processed, for the money to be ready for pickup at an agent location or to be credited to your receiver’s bank account or credit or debit card.

The duration may, however, vary depending on the receiving country and transfer amount.

A Money transfer control number (MTCN) is a unique 10-digit tracking number assigned to your transfer. The MTCN or the tracking number can be used to track your transfer in just a few minutes.

You can find the MTCN on your transfer receipt. You can also find it in your transfer History page.

Please do not share your MTCN with anyone except your receiver or a Western Union representative.

To register online for a Post Office International Money Transfer profile:

1. Select "Register" 
2. Enter the required information and continue. Please make sure you type your name exactly as it appears on your ID. Providing the correct information will help us process your transfer quickly and reliably 
3. Enter your valid email address and you will receive a confirmation email that your registration is successful. Also keep in mind that after each transfer you’ve made on westernunion.com you’ll receive a transfer receipt on the email you’ve registered with 

Make sure you change your password regularly to maintain the security of your profile. To update your password, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to your profile
2. Select your name from the menu section
3. Go to the "Password" option
4. Enter your current password and the new password and choose "Save"

If you’ve forgotten your password, please use the reset your password option.

You can update the email address on your profile by going to logging into your profile and following these steps:

1. Select your name next to the menu at the top
2. Click on the pencil button near your email address and enter a new one. Select "Save" to confirm the changes. You will be asked to enter your profile password to confirm the email change
3. Confirm your new email address as soon as possible. The verification PIN in your email will be valid for 72 hours only

Once you’ve successfully changed your email address, you will use this to log in to your profile.

In case you’d like to change the phone number listed on your profile, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to your profile
2. Select your name from the menu options at the top
3. Click on the pencil button near your phone number and enter a new one. Select "Save" to confirm the changes

You can update your postal address by following these steps:

1. Log in to your profile

2. Select your name from the menu options on top

3. Click on the pencil button near your postal address and enter a new one. Select "Save" to confirm the changes