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Western Union vs MoneyGram: What are the differences?

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Updated Oct 07, 2025
By RemitFinder

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Sending money abroad may seem like a difficult task at first, especially with so many choices available.

The first thing you may want to do is to rely on a reliable money transfer comparison engine. This will help you automate the search and comparison of various remittance providers, and, therefore, help you save time and money.


Western Union vs MoneyGram printed on a background with laptops and phones on a table


Of the various available choices, Western Union and MoneyGram are two of the most well known global brands when it comes to international money transfers. In this comprehensive guide, we will compare Western Union and MoneyGram money transfer services, and present a detailed evaluation of their offerings on multiple criteria.


MoneyGram vs Western Union: Overview and company information

Western Union introduction

Western Union was originally founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York. In 1856, the company changed its name to the Western Union Telegraph Company following a merger.

Over time, as telegraph and telegram related services became less prevalent, Western Union started focusing more and more on its money transfer business. Since 2006, Western Union solely focused on international money transfer.

Currently, Western Union is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and is a global giant in money transfers.

Western Union fast facts and information

  • Founded in 1851 in Rochester, New York, United States
  • Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Publicly listed company (stock ticker WU)
  • 12,000 global employees

MoneyGram introduction

MoneyGram was formed with the merger of Minneapolis-based Travelers Express and Denver-based Integrated Payment Systems Inc. MoneyGram later became independent before an acquisition by Travelers in 1998, and later became the MoneyGram International of today.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas in the United States, MoneyGram has established itself as a global remittance ecosystem with a worldwide network of agents and financial companies.

MoneyGram fast facts and information

  • Founded in 1980 with the merger of Minneapolis-based Travelers Express and Denver-based Integrated Payment Systems Inc. in the United States
  • Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Publicly listed company (stock ticker MGI)
  • 2,200 global employees

Now, we will do a head to head comparison between Western Union and MoneyGram on various criteria.


Difference between Western Union and MoneyGram

We will compare Western Union and MoneyGram on multiple parameters like corridor coverage, exchange rates and fees, transfer limits and timing of transfer, and numerous others.


Western Union vs MoneyGram depicted with logos of both companies with the word versus in the middle


For each comparison category, we will provide details of how Western Union and MoneyGram are different, and present a winner, if applicable.

Let's dive right in!


Corridor Coverage

When it comes to coverage of global countries and currencies, both Western Union and MoneyGram are worldwide players with operations in hundreds of countries.

Which countries does Western Union operate in?

Western Union operates all over the world, so you can use their services to send money from any country to another. While you can use online money transfers for many countries (like US, UK, etc.), some others (like Mexico) work through agents located throughout the country.


A map showing countries where Western Union can send money from


Western Union supports all global destinations to send money to.




Which countries does MoneyGram service?

Like Western Union, MoneyGram also services many countries worldwide. Almost all MoneyGram sending countries allow you to use their online platform to send money. You can also walk into an office or agent location to execute the transfer in person.

When it comes to destination countries, MoneyGram supports virtually every country to send money to.




MoneyGram vs Western Union: Who services more countries worldwide? Western Union 🏆

While both Western Union and MoneyGram allow you to send money to all countries worldwide, the support for sending countries is more robust in the case of Western Union.

Western Union 🏆 has better coverage of global countries and currencies as compared to MoneyGram.


Exchange Rates and Fees

Which is cheaper - Western Union or MoneyGram?

To compare Western Union vs MoneyGram exchange rates and fees, what better way than to test it out!

We did an online comparison between both companies to send USD 500 from the US to Mexico via a bank to bank transfer (both payment and delivery methods as a bank account). Below are the results (at the time of this writing).

For a USD 500 money transfer* from USA to Mexico, Western Union:-

  • Provided an exchange rate of 1 US Dollar to 20.3222 Mexican Pesos
  • Charged a USD 2.00 fee for the transfer
  • Yielded MXN 10,162.00 for the recipient

Send money from USA to Mexico with Western Union


For the identical bank to bank transfer of USD 500* to Mexico from the US, MoneyGram:-

  • Had an exchange rate of 20.4833 Mexican Pesos to the US Dollar
  • Charged 0 fee for a bank to bank transfer
  • Provided a final payout of 10,244.00 MXN

Send money from USA to Mexico with MoneyGram


The below table shows a side by side comparison of the above money transfer transactions.

Provider Country Pair Transfer Amount Exchange Rate* Fees* Payout
Western Union USA to Mexico USD 500 1 USD = 20.3222 MXN USD 2.00 MXN 10,162.00
MoneyGram USA to Mexico USD 500 1 USD = 20.4822 MXN USD 0.00 MXN 10,244.00

Transaction fees come into play in a more drastic way with both companies when we choose other payment and delivery methods. For the same USD 500 transfer from the US to Mexico, we noticed the differences below.

If the transfer is paid for by a Credit Card:-

  • Western Union charges a transfer fee of 17.49 USD
  • MoneyGram charges a 20.49 USD fee

For a Debit Card payment method, the fees were as below:-

  • Western Union - USD 2.00 fee
  • MoneyGram - USD 1.99 fee

At the same time, we also compared another 1000 AUD transfer* from Australia to the Philippines, and the results were as below.

  • For a Debit Card to bank transfer, Western Union provided a payout of 35,787.72 PHP with an exchange rate of 1.00 AUD = 35.7877 Philippine Peso (PHP) and 2.90 AUD fees
  • For a Debit Card to bank transfer, MoneyGram used a 35.9200 PHP exchange rate to the Australian Dollar, 2.99 AUD fee and a final 35,919.98 PHP payout

The table below captures the above Australia to Philippines transfer comparison between Western Union and Moneygram.

Provider Country Pair Transfer Amount Exchange Rate* Fees* Payout
Western Union Australia to Philippines AUD 1000 1 AUD = 35.7887 PHP AUD 2.90 PHP 35,787.72
MoneyGram Australia to Philippines AUD 1000 1 AUD = 35.9200 PHP AUD 2.99 PHP 35,919.98

Below are some additional observations for the AUD to PHP transfer.

  • If a Credit Card was used to pay for the transfer, Western Union charged an AUD 2.90 fee, while MoneGram charged a 17.99 AUD transfer fee
  • MoneyGram did not support paying for the transfer via a Bank Account, while Western Union did. If paying for the transfer with a direct bank transfer, Western Union charged 0 fee

*Exchange rates and fees as on December 25, 2021


Western Union vs MoneyGram exchange rates: which is better? MoneyGram 🏆

MoneyGram has slightly better rates than Western Union. That said, the difference in Western Union and MoneyGram exchange rates is very small, and since exchange rates fluctuate a lot, both companies are very competitive when it comes to the best rates.


Which is cheaper Western Union or MoneyGram? Western Union 🏆

When comparing Western Union vs MoneyGram fees, we found that fees are similar for Bank Account and Debit Card payment methods. However, if a Credit Card is used to pay for the transfer, Western Union fees are much lower than those of MoneyGram.

If Western Union vs MoneyGram cost is a major factor in play (for example, when sending small amounts overseas frequently), then we recommend choosing Western Union.


Overall winner for Western Union vs MoneyGram rates and fees - It's a tie!

Western Union and MoneyGram provide similar payouts. Western Union tends to provide cheaper fees while MoneyGram generally provides better exchange rates.




Money Transfer Limits

The transfer amount limit is the maximum amount you can send via your money transfer. When comparing Western Union and MoneyGram for transfer limits, a lot depends on which countries are chosen for the transfer.


How much money can I send with Western Union?

With Western Union, the maximum amount you can send** from the United States is 50,000.00 USD, while that from Australia is 50,000.00 AUD.

Corresponding sending limits from the UK and Canada are 50,000.00 GBP and 5,000.00 CAD, respectively.


How much money can I send with MoneyGram?

MoneyGram sending limits** from Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom are 10,500.00 AUD, 990.00 CAD, 18,000.00 USD, and 6,000.00 GBP, respectively.

**Sending limits as on February 05, 2022

From the above comparison, we can see that Western Union tends to provide higher transaction limits.


What's better Western Union or MoneyGram for sending large amounts? Western Union 🏆

Western Union has higher transfer limits compared to MoneyGram for most countries, and is a winner in this category.

Choose Western Union 🏆 if you need to send large amounts in a single money transfer.


Money Transfer Speed

The speed of your money transfer depends on various factors that include the source and destination currencies, the payment and delivery method of the transfer as well as the amount sent.

Additionally, financial institution types (global, national, regional, or local) as well as bank holidays will also play a part in determining money transfer speed.


How fast will Western Union send my money?

Money transfer speeds with Western Union depend on the service used for the transaction.

  • Bank transfers usually take 2-5 business days
  • Transfers to a mobile wallet are generally available within minutes
  • Cash Pickup at agent locations is delivered within minutes
  • Western Union Next Day payout is available next day at agent location
  • Bill Payment transaction processing depends on the speed of the merchant or the biller

How fast will MoneyGram send my money?

MoneyGram also provides expected delivery times for money transfers sent via their services.

  • Bank transfers usually complete within a few hours for many countries, and may take up to 1-2 days for others
  • Cash Pickup is usually available within minutes at agent offices

Which is faster Western Union or MoneyGram? It's a tie.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram have almost identical money transfer speeds, and there is not much to choose amongst them on this criterion.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram specialize in moving money overseas fast.


Payment Methods Accepted

A payment method is how you pay for your money transfer. Let's take a look at what your options are to pay for your Western Union and MoneyGram remittances.


What payment methods does Western Union support?

With Western Union, you can pay for your money transfer by any of the following ways.

  • Direct bank account transfer
  • Cash at a Western Union branch or agent location
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • Numerous regional payment methods in specific countries; for example, POLi in Australia and New Zealand, iDEAL in the Netherlands, Trustly in Sweden, and so on. Make sure to check the Western Union website or app in your country to see if your local payment methods are supported.

What payment methods does MoneyGram support?

MoneyGram also allows you to pay for your remittance in a multitude of ways. These include the below.

  • Direct bank transfer
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • Cash at a MoneyGram local office or money transfer agent location

Who has more payment methods Western Union or MoneyGram? Western Union 🏆

While MoneyGram supports the most prevalent payment methods as well, Western Union has a much more comprehensive coverage as it also supports numerous local payment methods. This gives you more choices to fund your international remittance.

Western Union 🏆 has better support for numerous payment methods, including local country-specific payment options.


Delivery Methods Available

A delivery method is how the recipient receives money sent via an international money transfer. Both Western Union and MoneyGram provide good coverage of payout options; let's check them below.


What delivery methods does Western Union support?

Western Union permits you to use any of the following payout options for your recipient to receive the funds.

  • Direct bank account transfer
  • Cash Pickup at a Western Union branch or agent location
  • Mobile Wallet credit (not available in all countries)
  • Direct deposit to a card (not available in all countries)

What delivery methods does MoneyGram support?

MoneyGram allows your recipient to receive money with any of the following delivery options.

  • Direct bank transfer
  • Cash Pickup at a MoneyGram local office or money transfer agent location
  • Deposit to a debit card (not available in all countries)
  • Mobile Wallet credit (not available in all countries)

Who has more delivery methods Western Union or MoneyGram? It's a tie.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram support all the popular payout options for your money transfers. This affords you and your recipient a lot of flexibility in how to receive funds.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram offer numerous choices for your recipient to receive money.


Send And Receiving Money In-Person

When choosing a money transfer service, the ability to physically handle cash and visit a local agent can be a significant differentiating factor between traditional providers and modern digital apps.


Can I send and receive money in-person with Western Union?

Yes, Western Union maintains a vast global network, allowing you to easily send and receive money in person by visiting one of its many agent locations worldwide. This network is a core strength of the company, providing financial access to millions of customers who prefer or require cash transactions.


How can I find Western Union near me?

The best way to find a Western Union location is by using the official Western Union website locator tool or their mobile app.

By entering your location information, the tool will provide a list of nearby agent locations. Usually, you can agent locations within supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices, and independent retailers.



An image showing how-to-find-moneygram-agent-location-nearby to find a Western Union agent location nearby



What is the best way to find a Western Union location near me?

Finding a Western Union nearby agent location is as easy as using your mobile device and checking their website's locator tool. You can use their mobile app or your browser to employ this tool.

You will have to provide your location. Then, you will see a list of those Western Union venues nearby.


What services are available at a Western Union location?

Western Union locations offer various financial services at their agent locations, including:

  • Money Transfers: Send funds across the country or worldwide, with options for cash pickup or direct deposit to bank accounts and mobile wallets.
  • Bill Payments: Pay bills, including utility, rent, and phone bills, through participating agent locations or self-service kiosks.
  • Money Orders: Purchase and cash money orders as a secure alternative to checks for payments and gifts.
  • Cash Pickup: Receive money transfers by visiting a participating location, presenting the necessary identification, and providing the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN).

The availability of specific services can vary by location.



An image showing services that are available at Western Union agent locations



What is the best way to find a Western Union payment location overseas?

The same online locator tool used to find locations domestically is also the most effective way to locate a payment location overseas.

Western Union's website allows you to search by country and city, ensuring your recipient can easily find the nearest branch to pick up their funds.


Can I send and receive money in-person with MoneyGram?

Absolutely. MoneyGram also operates a large network of agent locations globally. These locations include major retailers like Walmart, local banks, credit unions, and independent stores.

This extensive presence ensures a high degree of accessibility for sending and receiving cash payments.


How can I find MoneyGram near me?

To find a nearby MoneyGram location, you should use the official location finder tool available on their website or via the MoneyGram mobile app.

The search tool is the most accurate way to filter and view all available partner locations in your area.



An image showing how to find a MoneyGram agent location nearby



What is the best way to find a MoneyGram location near me?

The best way to find a MoneyGram location near you is to use the MoneyGram store locator tool on their official website. You can search by your address, city, state, or ZIP code, or even use the "Use my location" feature to find the nearest agent locations.


What services are available at a MoneyGram location?

MoneyGram agents offer a comprehensive range of financial services beyond basic money transfer and include the below:

  • Money Transfers: At a location, you can send and receive money (for cash pickup or direct deposit to bank accounts/mobile wallets).
  • Bill Payments: You can pay bills for various utilities and other services.
  • Money Orders: You can also purchase and cash money orders.
  • Expedited Transfers: You can pre-fill transaction details in-store kiosks to speed up the process at the counter.


An image showing details of money order services available at MoneyGram agent locations



What is the best way to find a MoneyGram payment location overseas?

Similar to Western Union, the most reliable method for finding an overseas payment location is by utilizing the company's online location finder tool. This feature provides real-time details about local agents, including banks, credit unions, and retail partners in the recipient's country.


Western Union vs MoneyGram: Who is better for sending and receiving money in-person? It's a tie!

Is in-person cash handling your primary need? If so, both Western Union and MoneyGram are excellent and viable choices. They far surpass digital-only competitors.

That said, MoneyGram outperforms Western Union by offering a wider variety of supplementary financial services at its agent locations. These services include bill payment, money orders, and in-store kiosks.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram have an extensive network of agent locations and partners. Both companies are fairly evenly matched when it comes to sending and receiving money in-person.

Whilst Western Union focuses more on money transfers, MoneyGram offers a more comprehensive suite of retail financial tools, making it a slightly more versatile destination for the cash-dependent consumer.



Deals, Promotions and Offers

When it comes to coupons and promotions, both Western Union and MoneyGram provide offers from time to time. These are sometimes ongoing, or seasonal around major holidays like Christmas and New Year.

Below are a couple examples of currently active Western Union and MoneyGram promotions active for RemitFinder customers.


Pay 0 fee when sending money from Australia with Western Union

Western Union promotion to send money from Australia with 0 fees when using POLi bank account transfer



Get 50% off the transfer fee when sending money from Canada

MoneyGram coupon code to get 50% off the transfer fee when sending money from Canada


Since offers and promotions can change anytime, we encourage you to frequently check our dedicated Western Union and MoneyGram pages so you do not miss out on any promotions.

Additionally, you can also sign up for our free exchange rate alert which will keep you updated about ongoing deals and promotions from various money transfer operators.




Who has better promotions and offers Western Union or MoneyGram? It's a tie.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram add coupons and promotions from time to time. Such deals help you further maximize the value of your money transfers.

Be sure to check the latest rates and deals for both these providers to make sure you do not miss out on any good offers.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram add coupons and promotions from time to time.


Security and Compliance

When it comes to sending your hard earned money overseas, nothing is more important than the safety of your funds. Equally important is the sanctity of your private and confidential information.

Let's see how Western Union and MoneyGram compare on this important characteristic.


Is Western Union safe?

Western Union wants to ensure you can send money confidently without worrying about security issues. Below are some best practices they use to ensure this.

  • Using photo ID based verification to ensure it's really you who is sending the money and not someone else
  • Using photo ID and tracking verification to ensure money is picked up by the intended recipient
  • Employing security protocols in website as well as mobile apps
  • Advising customers of ways to prevent fraud
  • Educating agents and partners about security and fraud prevention

Western Union is a licensed money transfer operator in all the markets it operates in. See below for some examples.

  • In the US, Western Union is licensed as Money Transmitters by the New York State Department of Financial Services
  • In the UK, Western Union is regulated by the Austrian Financial Market Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority we well as by the Prudential Regulation Authority
  • To operate in many European countries, Western Union is licensed by the Financial Markets Authority in Austria

Be sure to check the Western Union offering in your country to see local licensing and regulatory status.


Is MoneyGram safe?

Like Western Union, MoneyGram also takes the security of your funds, identity and other protected information very seriously. Below are some measures MoneyGram has put in place to ensure safety.

MoneyGram is also licensed and authorized to operate in all of their target markets. As an example:-

  • In the US, MoneyGram is an authorized money transmitter and is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services (Seller License # CS0025, Foreign Transmittal License # FT89432, NMLS # 898432). Additionally, MoneyGram is also licensed by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance ( NMLS #898432)
  • In the UK, MoneyGram is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration no. 502639) and is registered with UK Companies House (registration no. 03287157)
  • For its European operations, MoneyGram is registered with the National Bank of Belgium (registration no. 0671.690.653)

You can double check MoneyGram's regulatory and licensing information for your country by looking at this info (generally available in the footer) on their website for your country.


Who is safer, Western Union or MoneyGram? It's a tie!

Western Union and MoneyGram are trusted and well known global brands when it comes to international money transfers. It is, therefore, no surprise that both companies take security and compliance very seriously.

When it comes to security, you can trust either of them with your money.

Both Western Union and MoneyGram implement numerous security measures to keep your money and information secure.

As a consumer, you should ensure that you also follow best practices to ensure the safety and protection of your account at all times.


Customer Ratings and Reviews

Ratings and reviews are an important factor you would want to consider when choosing between Western Union and MoneyGram. Below, we present various customer ratings on both these providers.


Western Union reviews

We checked Western Union reviews^ on various platforms, and below is a summary of how customers rate their services.


MoneyGram reviews

In the case of MoneyGram, the following reviews and ratings^ exist on the aforementioned systems.

^Ratings on various platforms as on December 25, 2021


Who has better reviews Western Union or MoneyGram? MoneyGram 🏆

MoneyGram is the winner in this category as they have much better customer ratings on TrustPilot as compared to Western Union. On other platforms, MoneyGram is rated similar to Western Union.

That said, Western Union does have more reviews across the board, which could be due to more usage and app downloads for their money transfer services.

MoneyGram 🏆 has higher ratings on TrustPilot, while Western Union has more overall reviews.

We have summarized the above differences between Western Union vs MoneyGram in a detailed infographic as well. This can help as a handy reference to quickly compare both companies.



A detailed infographic that summarizes Western Union vs MoneyGram comparison on various criteria


We have also captured the gist of this detailed Western Union vs MoneyGram comparison in a short video. Check it out below for a quick summary of what sets apart Western Union and MoneyGram from each other.





Now that we have compared Western Union and MoneyGram on various important criteria, it's time to summarize our overall findings and recommendations.


Who's better Western Union vs MoneyGram: Summary

Both Western Union and MoneyGram have their distinct advantages when it comes to sending money abroad. In the following sections, we will capture scenarios where it may be better to use Western Union or MoneyGram.


When to use Western Union to send money?

In our analysis, we find Western Union to be strong in the below areas as compared to MoneyGram.

  • Western Union has a very wide coverage of global countries and currencies
  • Western Union is a cheaper way to send money overseas
  • Western Union allows sending large amounts abroad
  • Western Union has a comprehensive support for many local payment methods, many of which entail 0 or low fees in the local market

RemitFinder likes Western Union for charging lower fees, allowing sending higher amounts, worldwide coverage and support for local payment methods.

Due to the above strengths of Western Union money transfer, we recommend Western Union for the following scenarios.

  • If you send smaller amounts of money frequently, choose Western Union as they tend to have lower fees. This will help you minimize your overall fee payments over a large time period. For example, if you send a portion of your income back home on a weekly or monthly basis, Western Union could be a good choice as you will pay less in fees over several months and years.
  • Since Western Union generally allows sending higher amounts, it would be a good choice if you need to send more money in a single transaction.
  • Western Union's comprehensive payment method support makes it an attractive choice to fund your money transfers in your local payment options. Using a local payment method (vs a credit or debit card) generally affords lower (sometimes 0) fees.



When to use MoneyGram to send money?

The biggest areas where MoneyGram tends to do better than Western Union are:-

  • exchange rates
  • better customer feedback as demonstrated by higher ratings

While the exchange rate between any two currencies fluctuates rapidly, in general, MoneyGram's rate tends to be slightly higher than that provided by Western Union.

RemitFinder likes MoneyGram for providing better exchange rates and having better customer ratings. Keep an eye on money transfer fees to maximize payout.

That said, you would want to look at fees, where MoneyGram tends to be less cost effective than Western Union. This is important as the payout the receiver gets is calculated using the amount you send, exchange rate offered and associated fees applicable.

We recommend MoneyGram for sending money if you can utilize payment and delivery method combinations with low (or ideally 0) fees. For example, bank to bank transfers are generally free, and would be a great way to tap into MoneyGram's generally better exchange rates.




What's better Western Union or MoneyGram: Our Recommendation

Both Western Union and MoneyGram are globally trusted and well established remittance service providers, and there is no clear winner amongst the two. While there are certainly key differences in their service offerings, there is no major disadvantage to using one over the other.

You cannot go wrong with either Western Union and MoneyGram as both companies have very good money transfer services.

This concludes our detailed head to head comparison between Western Union and MoneyGram. We hope you have enjoyed reading and are now more aware of how to choose between these two global money transfer companies.


Alternatives to Western Union and MoneyGram

Looking for more money transfer providers in addition to Western Union and MoneyGram? Use RemitFinder's online money transfer comparison platform to easily compare many remittance providers and choose the best one for your next money transfer.




Other money transfer comparison guides


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