Western Union fees, rates and limits (2026)
Western Union is the cash network — an agent-pickup reach no app matches, so the right choice when cash collection is the only answer: a recipient with no bank, no smartphone, or in a rural area. It's rarely the cheapest on a mainstream wallet route (a zero-fee app usually beats it there), and its pricing varies a lot by funding and payout — so run the estimator and compare. Uniquely, it can also send FROM several African countries.
Where Western Union sends: the routes we cover
Coverage is checked route by route from each provider's own site — see the "will Western Union work for your route?" check below.
How much does Western Union cost? The fee anatomy
Western Union prices per route with a fee plus an exchange-rate margin, and the total varies with the funding method (bank vs card vs cash), the payout type (cash vs bank vs wallet) and the location — so there is no single "WU fee." Run WU's own estimator for your exact route (one concrete published example: sending from Kenya for cash pickup carries a 1% fee capped at Ksh 500). Margins move daily; compare the app's quote to the live mid-market rate above before sending — the gap is the real cost.
See what the recipient gets (🇳🇬 Nigeria → 🇷🇼 Rwanda):
Western Union delivery & speed
Cash pickup is often ready in minutes at agent locations; bank deposit and mobile-money payout take longer and vary by country. Its agent footprint is the widest in the industry, which is the whole reason to choose it.
Western Union limits & KYC
Send limits are tiered by verification and market, with higher tiers and source-of-funds documents unlocking larger transfers. Check your route's cap in the app or in-branch.
Is Western Union safe? Regulation & trust
Is Western Union safe? Western Union is a long-established, publicly-listed, globally-licensed money-transfer company (a registered money services business / money transmitter across its markets). It is not a bank; customer funds are handled under its money-transmission licences rather than deposit insurance.
Will Western Union work for your route?
Works if : you're sending FROM almost anywhere TO cash pickup at a vast agent network (plus wallets and bank) — unmatched reach when cash collection is the constraint. see the routes above →
- Sending on a mainstream wallet route where price is all that matters? A zero-fee app usually nets the recipient more — WU's advantage is reach, not price. A zero-fee app usually nets more there →
- Want one headline price? WU has none — the cost varies by funding, payout and location, so run the estimator for your exact route. Compare your exact route →
- Doing a plain wallet-to-wallet send? WU's best value is cash pickup — for a wallet send, cheaper specialists exist. For a plain wallet send, a specialist is cheaper →
Frequently asked questions
Is Western Union expensive?
It can be on wallet routes, where zero-fee apps often beat it. Its value is the cash-pickup network. Run its estimator and compare the received amount to the mid-market rate.
Can I send money from Africa with Western Union?
Yes — unlike the diaspora apps, WU supports origin sends from several African countries (e.g. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria), online and at agents.
When should I use Western Union?
When cash pickup is the only workable option — the recipient has no bank, no smartphone, or is rural. For a wallet-to-wallet send, compare a cheaper specialist first.