ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment services, today announced that it has introduced a new app that will allow anyone in the U.S. to send a Western Union money transfer directly from a mobile phone.
The free, multifunctional app is now available for iPhone, iPad and iTouch and can be downloaded via the Apple App Store. Western Union plans to offer the app for BlackBerry and Android devices in the near future.
“This is a significant development that allows Western Union to do something that no other company can do,” said Hikmet Ersek, Western Union President and CEO. “Any customer with an iPhone, iTouch or iPad can send money anytime, anywhere, which can be picked up in minutes at any of our 400,000 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. This technological innovation not only allows a customer to easily move money from one location to another, but opens our money-transfer services to a whole new generation of customers.”
Once downloaded, the app will allow consumers to send a Western Union Money Transfer transaction directly from their mobile phones using a credit or debit card. The funds are available for pickup generally within minutes at more than 400,000 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories, including within the United States. Transactions are paid out in cash and can be paid in local currency where available.
“Our research has shown that our consumers want the convenience of sending money with a mobile phone,” said David Yates, Western Union’s Executive Vice President, Business Development & Innovation. “This mobile app makes it easy and convenient for them to send money, no matter where they are, no matter what time.”
In addition, users who prefer to use cash to send money transfers can start transactions using the mobile app (similar to a pre-printed boarding pass) and quickly send cash later at a participating Western Union Agent location in the U.S. The app also can direct the user to the nearest Western Union Agent location.
In addition to sending a money transfer for cash payout in 200 countries, users also can use their phones to send money transfers to mobile “wallets” in the Philippines, Kenya and other mobile wallet providers in select countries.
The app will debut first in the U.S., but Western Union expects to offer the app in additional markets and will expand the services offered in the future.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions-branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. The Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta-branded services are offered through a combined network of 455,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2010, The Western Union Company completed 214 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $76 billion of principal between consumers, and 405 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
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