ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment services, today announced zero fees* on transfers to Haiti, and the Western Union Foundation pledged to contribute to disaster relief efforts to help the communities impacted as a result of the devastating impact of Hurricane Matthew.
Through October 9, Western Union is offering zero-fee* transactions to Haiti from countries in which the company operates across the globe, including the United States, Canada, France, Chile, Brazil and the Caribbean, at participating retail Western Union® Agent locations and at westernunion.com as well as the Western Union mobile app, where available.
In addition to these efforts, the Western Union Foundation will provide a grant to Mercy Corp for a total of $25,000 to help the families and communities affected by Hurricane Matthew. Support will be directed toward emergency services, such as water purification, food, shelter, hygiene and sanitation.
Also, until October 19, the Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of qualifying contributions from Western Union Agents, business customers and other business partners to NGOs providing disaster relief support in the impacted region up to $50,000. In addition, during the same time, it will match employee donations 2:1 to NGOs providing disaster relief up to $25,000.
“Western Union is committed to providing aid in times of need to the communities in which we operate,” said Mariano Dall’Orso, Western Union’s Senior Vice President and General Manager for Mexico, Canada and Caribbean. “Western Union efforts are aimed at critical relief in Haiti during this time of need,” Dall’Orso said.
“Though we are still realizing the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, we know the destruction in Haiti is significant,” said Elizabeth Roscoe, Executive Director of the Western Union Foundation. “The Western Union Foundation is committed to helping Mercy Corps mobilize to assist with critical support on the ground,” concluded Roscoe.
* Western Union also makes money from currency exchange. When choosing a money transmitter, carefully compare both transfer fees and exchange rates. Fees and foreign exchange rates may vary by brand, channel, and location based on a number of factors. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice.
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. As of June 30, 2016, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks, and included the capability to send money to billions of accounts. In 2015, The Western Union Company completed 262 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $82 billion of principal between consumers, and 508 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About The Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through its signature program, Education for Better, and with the support of The Western Union Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The Western Union Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future. Our combined social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and communities around the world. Since its inception, The Western Union Foundation has paid more than $106 million in grants and other giving. These funds have been pledged to more than 2,794 nongovernmental organizations in more than 137 countries and territories. The Western Union Foundation, is a separate §501(c)(3) recognized United States charity. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org, or Follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
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