Wise vs Western Union

Not sure whether to use Wise or Western Union for your next international payment?

Check out this full Wise Vs Western Union review to help you decide. We’ll cover all you need to know, including:

• A full side by side feature comparison

• Which provider is cheaper?

• Which is faster?

• Which is safer?

• Which gets better customer reviews?

Summary:

Wise (formerly known as TransferWise) is a specialist in international payments to bank accounts, which can be made online and through the Wise app, often with lower fees than using a regular bank. To learn more about fees, read our full guide on Wise Fees.

Currently, Wise does not support money transfers from INR. If you already have a Wise account, don’t worry, you can continue using it normally. Wise money transfers can still be sent to India from abroad. For more information, you can check out Wise Help Center.

Western Union is a global payment company which operates online and through an app for payments originating in India. Western Union also has agent locations in India where you can receive payments in cash. In our comparison, for payments to a bank account, Wise is more transparent, but which provider wins for you will really come down to the currency being sent and the value of the specific payment.

Both Wise and Western Union operate with partner banks, under the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, and are regulated globally by the relevant authorities in each country they work in.

Wise Vs Western Union: side by side

So, to summarise:

• Both Western Union and Wise allow payments made from India online and through an app

• Western Union supports payouts to more countries compared to Wise

• Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate for currency conversion - Western Union does not

• Western Union  offers payouts for cash collection in India from overseas - Wise does not

• Both providers operate legally and under the relevant regulators in each country they work in

If you’re choosing between Western Union and Wise, you’ll want to look at the overall costs of each provider to see which is the best option. Wise uses the real exchange rate with transparent upfront fees, while Western Union often offers transfers for low fees - or even with no upfront fee at all - but does add an exchange rate markup which pushes up costs. If you’re making a payment direct to a bank account, and Wise covers your destination country, you’ll find they offer more transparent overall fees and a better exchange rate.

The important bits

Rates: Wise uses the mid-market rate, whereas Western Union adds a markup to the exchange rates used

Fees: Both providers have variable fees which are based on the destination country.

Speed: Western Union cash collection payments may be ready in minutes - bank transfers depend on destination and may take up to 5 days. Wise payments can be instant, with 80% arriving in 24 hours.

Service: Both providers offer multilingual service in a range of languages, online, in-app and by phone. Western Union also has a broad agent network for in-person support.

Safety: Both providers are fully licensed and regulated.

Reviews: Wise scores an Excellent review rating on Trustpilot, Western Union has a lower, Average rating, with fewer posted reviews.

Pros and cons

Send money with Wise

Wise  Vs Western Union : The verdict

Whether Western Union or Wise is best for you will depend on the country you’re sending to, and the value of your payment.

Western Union’s overall costs for transfers to bank accounts can be less transparent compared to competitors because a variable markup will be added to the exchange rate available.

Wise international transfers come with better rates and more transparent overall costs compared to Western Union.

About Wise  and Western Union 

Wise was launched as TransferWise back in 2011 as a low-cost international payment provider. These days, Wise has upwards of 10 million customers.

With Wise you can send payments to 40+ countries from India.

Western Union has been in business since 1861. 150 million personal and business customers trust Western Union to make international payments.

Western Union allows transfers to 50+ countries from India.

How do they work?

Wise international transfers are made through Wise’s network of local bank accounts. That’s cheap and efficient because no money actually moves across borders.

Here’s how it works. When you want to pay for your transfer in INR you’ll use a bank transfer to get the money to Wise’s local Indian account. Wise will then make a payment of the equivalent amount in your preferred currency, from their account in the destination country.

Here’s how to make payments easily online and in the Wise app:

1. Log into your account

2. Type in how much you want to transfer, or how much you need the recipient to get

3. Enter the recipient’s details - bank account number or email

4. Check over the details

5. Fund your payment using a card or bank transfer

6. Confirm and your money will be on the move

To send a payment using Western Union online or in the mobile app you’ll need to follow the onscreen prompts to add the amount you want to send and the recipient’s details. Exactly what details you need will vary depending on the country you’re sending to, but usually include:

• Your receiver’s bank name and code

• Their account name and number

If you’re sending a payment through Western Union the delivery time will depend on the destination country and the recipient’s own bank’s processes.

Wise vs Western Union Fees

Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden costs. Instead, the amount you pay for a Wise international transfer will depend on the value of your payment and the way you pay for it. Wise uses a variable fee which depends on the value of your transfer, and which is clearly shown when you calculate your payment.

Western Union fees can include an exchange rate markup and a charge based on the way you fund the transfer. Exchange rate markups vary according to the currencies involved, and can be the most expensive fee you pay - even though they’re not always obvious.

You’ll always see the transfer fee before you confirm your Western Union payment. You’ll also be shown the exchange rate you’ll get - but to see the markup that’s added here you’d need to compare it to the mid-market rate yourself.

Wise vs Western Union: which is cheaper? 

International payment providers are usually cheaper than using a traditional bank for your crossborder payment. However, the overall costs, and the exchange rates you can access do vary from one service to the next, so it’s still worth shopping around.

Here are a few examples so you can see how Wise and Western Union payments measure up. Here we’re assuming you’re making a transfer from your bank account, direct to a bank account overseas, in USD and EUR. The table shows the cost in INR to fund several different payment values:

*Rates and fees correct at time of research - 11 July 2022

As you can see, in this comparison, Western Union came out on top. However, it’s still a good idea to compare providers before you make your transfer - whether Wise or Western Union are best for your payment will depend on the destination and amount being sent.

Wise Vs Western Union: which is faster?

Wise payments can arrive in seconds on some currency routes, and most transfers arrive within a day. You’ll see the estimated delivery time when you set up your transfer, and can always track it online or in the Wise app.

Western Union also provides an estimated delivery time when you set up your payment. If you want to send a payment to a bank account this can take around 24 hours on major routes, and up to 5 days to other destination countries.

Safety

Both Wise and Western Union operate with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India - often using partner banks in India. They also hold the required licenses in other countries they operate in.

Read our full safety guide about Wise: Is Wise Safe?

Ease of use

• Creating an account: Wise and Western Union accounts can be set up online, or in the provider app.

• Making a transfer:  Wise and Western Union payments can be made online or in the app.

• Ways to send money:  Wise and Western Union transfers can be funded by bank transfer.

• Languages:  Wise offers global support in a range of languages, online, using the app, and by phone. Western Union has phone and online support.

• Minimum & maximum amounts:  Wise customers can send up to 650,000 INR for education, or 325,000 INR for other reasons. Western Union allows customers to send up to the equivalent of 10,000 USD for education purposes, or 5,000 USD for other eligible reasons.

Supported currencies

With Wise you can send money to 40 countries from India.

Western Union transfers can be made to 50+ countries from India.

Conclusion

Wise and Western Union both offer similar services for payments originating in India, with online and in-app payments to a range of countries, which you can pay for using a bank transfer. To see which is best for your specific transfer you’ll need to compare both the fees and exchange rates provided by each.

Visit our comparison page to compare provides to send money internationally: Send Money Overseas Online