Western Union Fee Calculator
See Western Union's online price by how you pay and how the money arrives (bank, wallet or card): the transfer fee, the exchange-rate markup and what your recipient gets.
Calculate Transfer Fees
Calculate Western Union's online price by how you pay and how the money arrives (bank, wallet or card)
You Send
Recipient Gets
* Western Union's fee and rate markup from its own quotes at the amounts we collected, on today's mid-market rate; between those amounts a fee is shown only where it is known. Real cost varies by corridor, amount, delivery and payment method, and promotions. Check the provider for a live quote.
Also worth checking: WiseWise says it converts at the mid-market rate and shows its whole cost as one fee. Compare what your recipient gets before you send.
See Wise’s ratePartner link: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. How we earn money
What Western Union costs by amount (2026)
Online, bank account to bank account, sending from the US. Two costs stack up: the upfront transfer fee and the exchange-rate markup baked into the rate. On most routes the fee barely moves with size, so on a large transfer almost the whole cost is the rate. A handful break that rule sharply: Argentina runs $46.99 on $1,000 and $150 on $5,000. Paying by card changes the fee again.
| You send | Transfer fee | + rate markup | Typical all-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $0.99–$1.99up to $11 (Ukraine) | 1.2%–2.2% | $2.21–$4.18 |
| $1,000 | $0.99–$1.99up to $46.99 (Argentina) | 1.2%–2.3% | $13.14–$24.89 |
| $5,000 | $0.99–$1.99up to $150 (Argentina) | 1.1%–2.3% | $55.79–$116.49 |
And what it costs by how you pay
The fee above assumes you pay from a bank account. Paying another way changes it more than the destination does, and a credit card is the one that really stings: $34.99 on $1,000 and $154.99 on $5,000.
| How you pay | Fee on $1,000 | Versus paying from a bank |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account | $0.99–$1.99 | Cheapest |
| Debit card | $2.99 | +$2 |
| Apple Pay | $2.99 | +$2 |
| Google Pay | $32.99 | +$32 |
| Credit card | $32.99–$34.99 | +$34 |
And by how your recipient collects it
A mobile wallet or a debit card usually costs the same as a bank deposit, but not everywhere, so check the dearest column. Cash pickup is not in this table: on all 169 routes we checked, Western Union quotes cash at a list rate and offers a better one when you actually send, so there is no price to state. The calculator leaves it out for the same reason.
| How they collect it | Typical fee on $1,000 | Dearest destination |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account | $0.99 | $46.99 (Argentina) |
| Mobile wallet | $0.99 | $46.99 (Argentina) |
| To a debit card | $4.99 | $27.99 (Antigua & Barbuda) |
A quote with the fee crossed out is an introductory offer; our figures are the standing price.
Western Union has a cash network in more than 200 countries and territories (about 360,000 locations were active for money transfers in 2025, per its annual report). It was founded in 1851 as a telegraph company and has offered money transfers since 1871. The catch? The price swings with the route and how you pay. But when your grandmother in a small village needs cash today and doesn't have a smartphone or bank account, a cash-pickup network is what reaches her, and Western Union is one of several large ones, with MoneyGram and Ria.
Western Union's pricing has four moving parts: how much you send, where it goes, how you pay, and how your recipient collects it. On a $1,000 bank-to-bank transfer the fee is usually $0.99–$1.99, and the exchange-rate markup adds 1.2% to 2.3% on top, so roughly $18 all-in on a typical route. Pay by credit card, or send somewhere Western Union serves thinly, and that climbs fast.
Our calculator shows what Western Union charges for your route and amount, a figure you can hold up against any other service. And if your recipient needs cash in their hands within minutes at a grocery store in rural Mexico, the Philippines, or Pakistan, Western Union delivers where digital apps can't reach, and that reach can be worth paying for.
Want to understand the full cost before you send? Read how Western Union fees work for a breakdown of the upfront fee, the hidden exchange-rate markup, and online vs agent pricing.
How Western Union Fees Are Calculated
No single price list covers it: Western Union prices each combination of the factors below on its own, so two transfers of the same amount can cost very different sums.
Western Union Fee Factors:
- Transfer Method: Online vs. agent location
- Payment Type: Bank transfer vs. card vs. cash
- Delivery Method: Bank deposit vs. cash pickup
- Destination: Popular vs. remote locations
- Transfer Speed: Next-day vs. instant pickup
- Amount Size: Larger amounts may have lower rates
Western Union's exchange rates typically include a 1.2% to 2.3% markup above the mid-market rate on bank transfers, and considerably more on thin routes, which is how they generate additional revenue beyond transfer fees. This markup varies by currency pair and can significantly impact the total cost, especially for large transfers. Always compare the total amount your recipient will receive, not just the upfront transfer fee.
Example: $1,000 Transfer Comparison
Online Transfer (Bank Deposit):
- • Transfer amount: $1,000
- • Transfer fee: $0.99–$1.99 (paying from a bank account)
- • Exchange rate markup: ~1.7% on a typical route
- • Total cost: about $18, fee and markup together
- • Speed: 0-4 business days
Same Transfer, Paid by Credit Card:
- • Transfer amount: $1,000
- • Transfer fee: $34.99 on a typical route
- • Exchange rate markup: identical, ~1.7%
- • Total cost: about $52, fee and markup together
- • Speed: can be minutes, but the fee is $34 more than paying from a bank
Using the Western Union Fee Calculator
Our Western Union fees calculator prices from Western Union's own quotes at the amounts we collected, dated on the result. Switch the way you pay or the way your recipient collects and the result updates, which is the quickest way to see what a card or a wallet payout adds on your own route.
Important Note:
Western Union's prices move between our collections and can differ at an agent location. Always check the exact fees on Western Union's website or at an agent location before sending money. Our calculator provides a baseline for comparison, not a guaranteed price.
Comparing Western Union with Other Options
Set against the app-based services, the answer changes from one destination to the next. On $1,000 sent from the US, paid from a bank account and delivered to a bank account, across popular routes we track: Remitly was cheaper on 5 of the 7 routes where both had a standing price, Western Union on 2; Wise was cheaper on 3 of the 3 routes where both had a standing price, Western Union on 0, in quotes collected October 28–30, 2026. Wise’s prices from the US are for paying it from a connected US bank account (ACH). Wise also takes payment by wire transfer, at a different fee. For cash pickup, though, the fair test is the other big cash networks: our MoneyGram fee calculator and Ria fee calculator price a transfer with each of them.
Western Union vs Digital Services:
Western Union Advantages:
- • Cash network in 200+ countries and territories (about 360,000 locations active in 2025)
- • Cash pickup in remote areas
- • No smartphone or bank account required
- • Cash pickup often ready within minutes
- • Trusted brand recognition worldwide
Digital Service Advantages:
- • Some say they convert at the mid-market rate (e.g. Wise)
- • Convenient online/app transfers
- • Faster bank-to-bank transfers
Choose Western Union when: your recipient needs cash pickup, you're sending to a remote area not served by digital providers, or you need the security of an established global network. Choose digital alternatives when: your recipient has a bank account, a digital service prices your route lower, or you're sending to well-connected destinations with good banking infrastructure.
Tips to Save on Western Union Fees
Choose the Right Channel:
- • Compare online/app and agent prices
- • Compare bank deposit and cash pickup
- • Check what paying by card adds
Transfer Strategy:
- • Send once a month rather than every week, where the fee is flat
- • Plan ahead to avoid urgent transfer fees
Alternative Considerations:
- • Compare with Wise, Remitly, or MoneyGram
- • Check if recipient can receive bank transfers
- • Consider mobile money where available
Before You Send:
- • Price your exact route and amount
- • Check the dearest-destination column
- • Confirm the price with Western Union
Reality Check:
These tips can help reduce Western Union fees, but compare digital alternatives too. If your recipient can receive bank transfers, price the same transfer with services like Wise or Remitly.
Some destinations add a step that no fee table shows. When money reaches South Africa as an international payment, the recipient's bank asks them for the reason, and if they haven't answered within 30 days the payment goes back to you; our guide to sending money to South Africa explains which code to choose. In Poland, a large gift to family can raise a tax question on the Polish side, depending on how the money arrives, which the guide to sending money to Poland covers before you send.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Western Union charge for money transfers?
How you pay matters more than how much you send. From a bank account the fee is usually $0.99–$1.99 on $1,000; a debit card or Apple Pay adds $2. Paying by credit card, the fee is $34.99 on $1,000 and $154.99 on $5,000, about 3.4% of the amount on top of the bank fee. Google Pay is priced close to a credit card, at $32.99 on $1,000. Then there is the exchange-rate markup, about 1.7% on a typical bank deposit and the larger cost on any sizeable transfer.
How much does Western Union charge to send $5,000?
At $5,000 the bank-funded fee is still $0.99–$1.99 on most corridors, though the priciest route, Argentina, reaches $150. By how you pay:
- Online bank transfer to bank account: $0.99–$1.99
- Debit card or Apple Pay: $2 more
- Credit card: $154.99; Google Pay: $152.99
Paying from a bank account, nearly all of the cost sits in the rate: at 1.1% to 2.3% the markup runs roughly $55–$115 on $5,000, which dwarfs the fee unless you pay by card.
Is Western Union more expensive than other services?
Against Remitly and Wise, for a transfer between bank accounts, it usually is. In our latest $1,000 quotes from the US, paid from a bank account and delivered to one, Western Union's own price came in below Remitly's only to Mexico and Guatemala, and never below Wise's; on the other routes where both had a price, it cost more. Cash changes the picture: Wise doesn't offer cash pickup, so when your recipient will collect the money over a counter, the comparison that matters is with the other cash-pickup services, Remitly included on many routes.
What payment methods does Western Union accept?
Online: a bank account, a debit or credit card, and on some routes Apple Pay or Google Pay; in person: cash (or a debit card at some agents). Each way of paying is priced separately, and online and in-person prices can differ; the table by how you pay, above, shows what each adds online. Since January 1, 2026 a 1% federal tax applies to US remittances paid in cash, a money order or a cashier's check.
How fast are Western Union transfers?
Cash pickup is often ready within minutes. Bank deposits can arrive in minutes, but Western Union says some take up to four business days; the quote shows the estimate.
How much does Western Union charge to send $100?
From a bank account, the upfront fee is usually $0.99–$1.99, and the exchange-rate markup on $100 is about 1.7%, so a typical route comes to roughly $2.69. Paying by credit card changes that completely: $7.99 on a $100 transfer, $7 more than from a bank. A flat fee weighs heaviest on a small transfer, so sending a larger sum less often costs less overall.
How much does Western Union charge to send $500?
We collect Western Union's prices at $100, $1,000 and $5,000, and on most routes the bank-funded fee is the same at both ends of that range ($0.99–$1.99 at $100 and at $1,000), so it is the same at $500 too. The rate markup runs about 1.7% at $100 and 1.7% at $1,000. Destination moves the markup far more than the fee: about 0.5% to India against 7.8% to Ghana. The calculator shows a fee between collected amounts only where Western Union's own quotes agree on it.
How much does Western Union charge to send $1,000?
A $1,000 online bank-to-bank transfer, funded from a bank account, typically runs $0.99–$1.99 upfront on most routes, up to $46.99 to Argentina, plus a rate markup of about 1.7%, for a typical total near $18. The markup is the part most people miss, because it is hidden in the exchange rate rather than shown as a separate fee, and it is where the destination really tells: $5 on India against $78 on Ghana for the same $1,000.
How much does Western Union charge to send money?
There is no single number: the cost depends on the amount, the destination, how you pay (bank, debit or credit card) and how the recipient collects it (bank, mobile wallet, card or cash). From one bank account to another, the exchange-rate markup alone comes to roughly $12–$23 on $1,000, depending on the destination, and the fee adds little to that unless you pay by card or send to one of the few dear routes such as Argentina. Use the calculator above for your exact route.
What percentage does Western Union take?
Beyond the upfront transfer fee, Western Union builds a markup into the exchange rate. On a bank transfer to most countries that markup runs 1.2% to 2.3%, but the spread is wide: Ghana costs around 7.8%, and the dearest route we price 15.2%. That margin is not shown as a line-item fee; it is the gap between the rate you are quoted and the real mid-market rate, and on an international transfer it is usually the larger of the two costs.
Does Western Union charge a fee to receive money?
The recipient does not pay a separate Western Union fee. The sender covers the transfer fee, and the exchange-rate markup is already built into the amount that arrives. The recipient's bank or mobile-wallet provider may charge its own fees, and foreign taxes can apply, so the amount received can be lower.
Last Updated: Pricing collected October 30, 2026. Western Union fees vary by corridor, amount and payment method; always confirm the live quote on the official Western Union site before sending. How we check figures
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