Many Western Union customers struggle sending money through online sources. Not all customers are tech savvy or enjoy using these online services.
Many of these customers are aged, and don’t want to go through the hassle of learning a new application to send funds.
Western Union recommends these customers to send funds through their chain of retail stores all around the world. The Western Union agents at the store can guide you through the process, by taking all the necessary details and giving you MTCN number along with the receipt.
The retail stores at Western Union usually work in cash. But what if you want to pay with a debit-card at a Western Union store?
Is that allowed?
Can you pay Western Union with a debit card in-store
Yes, you can pay with a debit card in-store at a Western Union location.
Different Western Union stores can have different procedures for sending money. Some stores like Rite Aid will require you to call customer support with the store phone to initiate the transfer. In Wallmart stores you can use the Kiosk machines to put in the information yourself.
When paying with a card, the procedure stays the same. You only need to present your card instead of cash at the register.
Do all Western Union stores support debit card payments?
No, not all Western Unions will support card payments at stores. Unfortunately, Western Union’s online store finder does not give an option to filter out locations with card payments at the moment.
If you still want to confirm if a store supports card payments. You can try these workarounds:
Contact Support
You can contact support and they would be able to point out locations that support card payments in your area.
Call the Store
If you know the location you’ll be visiting to make the transfer. It doesn’t hurt to pull up their number online, and ask them if card payments are available at the store. It will definitely save you many useless trips.
How Refunds Work on these Transfers
You can claim a refund on every Western Union transfer you make, as long as it is not already picked up by the receiver.
When a refund is requested, for transfers made in stores with cash. Western Union will provide you with a new MTCN number to get your refund. This refund will be available at all Western Union stores and can be picked up with your valid government issued ID.
If you made the transfer with a debit or credit card. You would still have to collect your refund as cash at any Western Union store. The funds will not be automatically credited back to your card.
Can You Pay Western Union with a Prepaid or Gift Card?
No, you will not be able to pay a Western Union with a prepaid or gift card either at the store or online.
Prepaid and gift cards are so far not supported by Western Union. A common example of prepaid cards are cash app cards. When using these cards, Western Union app or the website will tell you there is a problem with the payment methods, and to use a different payment method.