Best known for its money transfers, Western Union is a US based financial services and communications company with a number of divisions and products, including person-to-person fund transfer, money orders, and other services. They discontinued their telegraphing services in 2006 after providing them for over 150 years. Western Union now operates in more than 240 countries and have over 350,000 locations worldwide.
Western Union now offers a prepaid Visa card that gives card holders the convenience of a credit card with the power to control their spending more effectively. It is free to sign up and you can use it anywhere that Visa is accepted. To apply for one you need only provide your name, address, phone number, date of birth and social security number. There is no credit check required, since the funds are being provided by you. You can sign up online. Although cards can not be loaded up online, you can add funds to your Western Union credit card at any participating Western Union agent location. There is a $4.95 fee per load. You can load a minimum of $30 to a maximum of $950. The total balance on the Visa can not exceed $5000 at any given time.
Making a Western Union Credit Card Payment
While it is not currently possible to make a Western Union credit card payment online, you can have your pay check deposited directly in to your account.
- To do so, you must print out the Direct Deposit form from the Western Union website, then fill it out completely.
- Both completed forms should be returned to the employer for authorization.
- Direct Deposit funds are usually available by 11:30 am on the day the deposit is credited to your account.
- Only employers can make Direct Deposit contributions.
Although making purchases with a Western Union credit card does not improve your credit rating, it is more secure than carrying cash. Lost or stolen cards that are used for unauthorized transactions are replaced by Western Union. Just be sure you contact Western Union within two days after the loss of the card, in order to be relieved of responsibility for any fraudulent purchases made. $10 will be charged to replace the card after the original account is closed.
Even though you are not afforded the convenience of making a Western Union credit card payment online, having one issued to you is a good alternative for people who might not otherwise qualify for a credit card. It is considerably safer to use a credit card for purchases, particularly larger ones, when carrying around large sums of cash can be hazardous. The Western Union credit card also gives you the freedom to withdraw cash from any participating ATM location should you need it. You can use debit or credit when shopping, both on site and online, and offers a good amount of flexibility to the average shopper.
