Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can pay for your education online if you are paying for examination fees, school or university abroad. Please select beneficiary type as non-individual, provide the beneficiary/college’s details and choose education as the purpose of transfer.

Please note that you can fund the transfer only from individual savings account. Payment from current account and joint savings account is not accepted.

If you have any questions please call Western Union Customer Care toll free number at 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Indian time from Monday to Sunday (if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855), or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

please refer to “Where can I send money online through wu.com India?” for more information on the list of countries available to send money online.

A payment reference number is important to identify the sender. Once you initiate a money transfer successfully it will be displayed on your screen. The payment reference number will have to be added in the remarks/narration field while sending money online to Western Union’s account.

For example, a student paying to an overseas university will have to provide his enrollment no. or student ID for the university to reconcile his payment.

If you have any questions please call Western Union Customer Care toll free number at 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Indian time from Monday to Sunday (if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855), or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

When sending money to a company or an institution, the countries you can send money to are³:

United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Ireland and Italy.

You can send money online for the following purposes:

• Overseas education: payment to universities, institutions for college fees and entrance exams.
• Business travel and payment to overseas tour operators, hotels, travel agents.

Once your verification is completed, you will be able to send online the INR equivalent of up to 10,000 USD per transfer for education, or up to 5,000 USD per transfer for other purposes.

If you have any questions please call Western Union Customer Care toll free number at 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Indian time from Monday to Sunday (if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855), or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

This limit applies to all overseas transfers sent via Western Union or any other service used.

Yes, before making your first online money transfer, you will need to verify your identity.

Once you have successfully registered online, you will be asked to visit any Yes Bank branch near you to verify your identity in person. You can also opt for an online verification (e-KYC) by providing your Aadhaar card number online.

It will take 1-2 working days to verify your identity if you go to a Yes Bank branch to submit documents. If you opt for online verification (e-KYC), your verification will be done instantly.

Please present a valid identification document along with your PAN card at any Yes Bank branch during your verification process.

Acceptable ID documents are: passport, voter ID card, driver’s licence or Aadhaar card.

If your loved ones sent you money directly to your bank account, you don’t need to do anything, the money will be automatically deposited.⁴ If your loved ones sent you money for pick up in person, please visit the nearest agent location.

You need to present any government-issued ID⁵ to pick up money at a Western Union agent location in India. If your name has changed due to marriage or gazette notification, do not forget to bring your marriage certificate or Gazette notification indicating your change of name.

As per government requirement you can receive up to $2,500 USD (or its INR equivalent) per transfer.
Maximum cash payout for all Indian nationals is 50,000 INR; Payouts over 50,000 INR will be paid by local crossed cheque only. Under exceptional circumstances, foreign nationals with Tourist VISA could get over 50,000 INR in cash.
You can only receive a maximum of 30 transfers per year.

You can check your transfer status online. All you need is the sender’s name and the tracking number (MTCN – Money Transfer Control Number) found on the transfer’s receipt.

Western Union values its business and takes pride in delivering your funds in the quickest and most reliable way possible. However, it is important that you protect yourself from fraudsters who are out to get your money. Below are some frequently asked questions about fraud. For more information, please visit the Fraud Awareness section here.

Yes. Only use Western Union to send money to friends and family. Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Scammers sometimes encourage people to transfer money. Do not transfer money to anyone who asks you to send them money:

• For an emergency situation you haven’t confirmed
• For an online purchase
• For anti‐virus protection
• For a deposit or payment on a rental property
• To claim lottery or prize winnings
• To pay taxes
• For a donation to charity
• For a mystery shopping assignment
• For a job opportunity
• For a credit card or loan fee
• To resolve an immigration matter

If you transfer money, the person you’re sending it to gets the money quickly. After the money is paid, Western Union may not be able to give you a refund, even if you are the victim of fraud, except under limited circumstances.

If you receive an email from anyone claiming to be from Western Union and you are unsure about it, do not click on any links in the mail. This may be a phishing attempt to acquire sensitive information from you. Instead, immediately forward the suspicious mail to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com Western Union will never send you e-mails to ask for your user ID, password, or credit card details.

Registration is required for sending money abroad online from WU.com. Complete the profile registration form on wu.com and follow these steps:

• You will be asked to provide your full name, your complete Indian address (the same as on your government-issued ID), a phone number, email address, country of birth, date of birth, annual income, occupation, nationality and PAN card number.
• Visit any Yes Bank branch near you with your PAN card and a proof of address to complete your one-time profile verification. You can also opt for an online verification (e-KYC) by providing your Aadhaar card number online.
• Once your profile is successfully confirmed, you will be able to send money online to a receiver’s bank account.

If you have any questions while registering, please call Western Union Customer Care toll free number at 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Indian time from Monday to Sunday (if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855), or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

Anyone who meet the following criteria can send money online through wu.com in India:

• Residents with a valid PAN card and address proof.
• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must accept our terms and conditions.
• You must have a valid email address.
• You must have a valid phone number.
• You must have a bank account in India.

Your username is your email address.

If you forgot your password, you can select the Forgot password option and a new password will be sent to your email.

If you repeatedly entered your details incorrectly and your profile gets locked, please try log back in to your profile after 30 minutes or contact Western Union Customer Care toll free number at 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Indian time from Monday to Sunday (if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855), or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

You can change your password on the Profile Overview page after logging in. Please select Edit profile from the right-side menu and choose the change your password option.

• A 5% TCS is applicable for all international money transfers under LRS more than INR 7,00,000 in a financial year including educational payments without loans.

• A 0.5% TCS is applicable if a loan is obtained from a financial institute for educational purpose as defined under section 80E. However, YES Bank charges 5% TCS on all international money transfers more than INR 7,00,000 in a financial year, including on a loan obtained from a financial institution for educational purpose.

• Thus, irrespective of the purpose of transfer or the source of funds, TCS is applicable and will be collected and remitted by Yes Bank on all international money transfers exceeding INR 7,00,000 in a financial year under section 260C of the LRS of RBI.

• A 10% TCS is applicable on international money transfers if PAN card is not provided. Please note, Western Union does not process any money transfer without a PAN card.

Yes, there are the following exemptions from TCS:
• Money transfers sent via Western Union and other YES Bank channels, or international payments via YES Bank debit card less than INR 7,00,000 in a financial year are exempted from TCS.

Finding an agent location in India is easy, just select our agent locator tool.

Money transfers will generally be paid in cash. Other restrictions may apply. Please contact a Western Union agent to get more information about restrictions or call Western Union’s Customer Care toll free number 1-800-102-7111 available from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm IST from Monday to Sunday, if calling from outside India, please dial +91-73-148-19855, or send an email to wu-indiacsc@westernunion.com.

• Yes, we continue to serve our customers and operate globally. Given the current situation, we encourage those in affected areas to send or receive money using our mobile app, or westernunion.com.
• Please note that our agent locations in areas with a high concentration of COVID-19 outbreaks may close their businesses temporarily or may have updated operating hours. Be sure to check our agent locator for current hours of operation. You should also consider calling before visiting to confirm availability of services and open hours.

We are sorry for the inconvenience. Given the ever-changing situation, we recommend those experiencing local restrictions due to COVID-19 visit westernunion.com or use our mobile app to send transfers for payout directly to a bank account or a digital wallet.

Please be aware of the risk of fraud and phishing, especially during this time, and take extra caution when sending money:

• Don’t send money for loan or credit card fees, customs, or shipping fees.
• Don’t send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
• Be suspicious of businesses without a verified street address.
• Don’t pay for an item or service with a money transfer to an individual.
• Be suspicious about transferring money for charity and ask a representative for an ID.
• Think twice before sharing your financial information.

Please visit our Fraud awareness page to learn more and check current Coronavirus-related online scams.

We have no reason to believe that banknotes are more likely to spread viruses like Coronavirus than any other surface. The guidance from the World Health Organization remains that basic hygiene is the best possible defense against Coronavirus.

Western Union and the Western Union Foundation launched a $1M USD global appeal and is accepting donations through May 15^th Western Union and the Western Union Foundation will match up to $500,000 USD in donations to go toward supplies, equipment, and frontline medical aid. Donate here.

To protect our customers, we review every money transfer to make sure it’s safe. For a variety of reasons, we may ask you to provide us with more information before we can allow you to continue using our services.

We need additional information to understand why you use Western Union and the relationship between you and the person or entities you’re transacting with. The more information you provide, the quicker we’ll be able to complete your request.

To have access to our services again, follow the steps below:

1. Gather the required documents. Please note that these will vary depending on your reason for using Western Union and your relationship to the person or entities you’re transacting with. At minimum you must be prepared with your government-issued photo ID, documents that relate to your purpose for using Western Union, proof of the source of the funds, and any additional documents that may provide support for the answers provided on the questionnaire. For more information, go to Help section at westernunion.com.
2. Go to westernunion.com/gcr and start the customer questionnaire.
3. Complete the customer questionnaire:

• Personal information:
  – Provide your first, middle (optional) and last names as they appear on your ID.
  – Share your current email, physical address and mobile number. Please make sure you provide an active email address for communication purposes.
  – Specify your country of birth.
  – Select your occupation and provide additional clarification if needed.
  – Enter a recent tracking number (MTCN) if available.
  – Upload a copy of your valid government-issued photo ID.
• Relationships:
  – List people or entities you’ve transacted with using Western Union.
  – For each person or entity, enter the full name, relationship, purpose of transaction and upload supporting documents.
• Source of funds:
  – Choose the source of funds from the drop-down list and upload supporting documents.
• Third party details (if you are transacting on behalf of someone else) (if applicable):
  – Explain the purpose of transaction(s) and your relationship to the third party.
  – Provide the details related to the third party.
• Fraud (if applicable):
  – Indicate if you’ve been a victim of fraud or scam.
  – If yes, share a brief description of what happened.

4. Review the accuracy of the information you provided.
5. Select Submit questionnaire to complete the process.

a. Valid government-issued photo ID is needed to verify your identity.

• Examples: passport, driver’s license, national ID.

b. Source of funds is needed to make sure that the money transfers are not related to illegal acts and correspond to the nature of your activity.

• Examples: at least the latest 3 months of bank statements, at least the latest 3 months of pay slips, employment contract with salary, loan papers, sale agreement, winning receipt, tax return statement, etc.

c. Purpose of money transfer or intended use of money is needed to understand the basis for making the payment and the type of relations between the sender and the payee.

• Examples:
  • Personal remittance/family support – the following documents are suitable to prove relationship: pictures with persons you transacted with, marriage certificate, counterparty’s birth certificate, counterparty’s government issued ID, etc.
  • Business remittance/payment for goods/services – bills, receipts, sale or purchase agreements, etc.
  • Education – evidence of tuition fees, etc.
  • Medical expenses – hospital bills, pharmacy receipts, health insurance premiums, etc.
  • Charity support – written acknowledgment from the charity, etc.
  • Purchase home – purchase agreement, mortgage documents, etc.
  • Gift – receipts, etc.
  • Travel expenses – travel tickets, hotel bookings, etc.

d. Third party activity (sending or receiving money on behalf of individual or business) information is needed to understand the purpose and nature of your relationship with Western Union.

• Examples: business registration documents, letter of authorization by the company or notary, bank statement showing access to third party funds, etc.

After we’ve received your completed questionnaire and required documentation, we’ll email you a response within 3 business days.

In case we have additional questions, we may contact you via the email address provided in the questionnaire.