WorldRemit vs Western Union

WorldRemit offers

WorldRemit is tailored for individuals with account services that include:

• Foreign bank transfers
• Cash pick-up
• Foreign bill payments (ie electricity, credit cards and television services)
• Pre-paid mobile credit top-ups
• Recurring / regular transfers are also supported

Note: bill payments and cash pick-up services are not available in all countries.

WorldRemit has two unique features. These are:

• Mobile money - Shop in-store, online and withdraw cash at authorised agents
• WorldRemit Wallet - Money can be received through their vast global network into a multi-currency wallet

WorldRemit does not offer

• Travel debit cards
• Access to a personal account manager (helpful when transferring large sums of money)

Western Union lets you transfer money to most countries in the world, either to bank accounts or to cash pickup locations.

What Western Union does

• International money transfers
• Cash pick-ups
• Bill payments
• Transfers to inmates
• Prepaid card

What Western Union doesn't do

• Personal account managers
• Regular transfers
• Unique local multi-currency accounts
• Digital wallets
• Currency hedging tools

WorldRemit does not provide a business service, although WorldRemit could be used for business transfers. The Mobile Wallet could be used for business, however it may not be suited for this purpose.

Western Union provides various forex services for business customers from a number of countries. 

What Western Union offers businesses

• Currency hedging tools
• Mass payments
• Incoming payments
• Multi-currency balances
• Accounting integration

What Western Union doesn’t offer businesses

• Solutions for online sellers
• Business travel cards
• Dedicated currency specialists

WorldRemit Fees

Most of the WorldRemit fees are within the exchange rate offered. The exchange rate offered can and does change depending on payment type, receiving option and the amount being transferred.

• Bank deposit - 0.5% - 2% depending on the destination country and amount
• Bill payment fee - 1% - 4%
• Cash pick up fee - 1% - 4%
• Mobile airtime top up - 1% - 4%
• Additional fee - $1 - $5 per transfer

New customers from eligible countries signing up through iCompareFX receive 3 transfers fees for free using the code 3FREE. Eligible countries for this free transfer promotion are the USA, UK, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway.

Western Union money transfer fees

Exchange rate margin fee - This can be more than 5% for exotic currencies. 

Additional fees - The transfer fee you need to pay depends on the currencies involved, the transfer amount, the payment method and the delivery method.

• Cash pickups tend to attract more fees than transfers to bank accounts.
• With payment methods, credit cards attract the highest fees.

Registration - Simple and easy through their website or mobile app.

ID verification -  If requested, it is a simple process that can be actioned through their mobile app or via email. Simply upload the requested documentation as photos from your phone. 

Transfer speed -  Speed ranges from instantaneous to up to 2 days. This depends on the country you are sending money to, and if it is a bank transfer or sending cash. 

Payment options - Uploading your funds to WordRemit is also a simple process. With in-country solutions such as Australia’s POLi or via debit card, you can instantly transfer your funds to WorldRemit. This speeds up the entire process of sending money overseas.

Mobile app - There is a WorldRemit mobile app to help manage your transfers end to end.

Sign up - Registration is easy and follows an intuitive process.

Payment options -  Bank transfers, debit cards, credit cards and cash.

Mobile apps - Available for Android and iOS

Transfer limits - Based on where you and the recipient live, the transfer method and the payment method.

Multilingual website - Get website access in local languages, depending on which Western Union website you use.

WorldRemit supported countries

WorldRemit has an impressive list of supported countries. 

• Mobile Money - 23 countries
• Cash pick up - 80 countries
• Bank transfer - 150 countries
• Bill payment -  Selected countries
• Phone support - Multiple languages
• Multilingual website
• Local settlement accounts in dozens of countries.

Customer support

There are reports on TrustPilot and through its mobile app reviews of poor wait times to talk to a customer service representative.

Supported currencies - Western Union carries out transfers in around 130 currencies.

Supported countries - You can transfer funds to more to 200 countries and territories. You can register through the Western Union website from over 70 countries.

Phone support - Provides local phone support during business hours in several countries.

• WorldRemit is regulated by multiple financial regulators globally including the FCA in the UK. 
• Their company structure is sound and customers funds are segregated from their company accounts thereby reducing the risk for their customer.
• The WorldRemit fee structure for money transfers includes a hidden fee within the offered exchange rate which reduces transparency. This is unfortunately common amongst most international money transfer companies.
• High TrustPilot rating. However, there are an increasing number of poor reviews. This will be monitored by iCompareFX. 

Where Western Union does well

Regulated - Licensed by financial regulatory bodies of different countries.

Publicly listed - Regular audits to oversee safety and compliance procedures result in increased trust surrounding customers' funds.

Western Union challenges

Exchange rate and fee transparency - The Westren Union margin on existing exchange rates can be more than 5% for exotic currencies. Some Western Union reviews on Trustpilot and Play Store mention non-transparency in fees as well.

Customer support - A number of online customer reviews highlight concerns surrounding Western Union's unresponsive customer service.