What are Western Union’s international fees and how to avoid them?

Western Union can help you send money from the US to over 200 countries both online and in person.¹ It's an easy and convenient option, but, unfortunately, it often comes with hefty fees.

You'll have to pay a fluctuating service fee for Western Union to process your transfer as well as a sneaky exchange rate markup.¹

These fees can add up quickly, so here's everything you need to know about how Western Union international transfer fees work and how to avoid them.

How much does Western Union charge to send money internationally?

Western Union doesn't charge a flat fee for money transfers.

Instead, how much you pay depends on where you're sending money, how much you're sending, how you pay for the transfer, and how your recipient gets the money.

According to Western Union's Fee Table, here’s how much the fees will cost you when sending money to Spain:

Fees accurate at time of writing: 02/06/2025

Western Union’s fees aren't fixed. They can change based on market conditions and transfer methods. Typically, the more money you send, the more you pay in fees.

You can send money directly to someone's bank account or have them pick up cash at a Western Union location. You can fund the transfer through cash, bank transfer, or card payment.

Keep in mind that if you use a credit card, additional charges from your card issuer may apply.¹

What are Western Union’s exchange rates?

When you send money abroad through Western Union, you pay more than just the transfer fee. Western Union adds a markup to the currency exchange rate, which acts as an additional hidden fee.¹

The exchange rate you see on Google (called the mid-market rate) is what banks use when trading with each other. Western Union will give you a less favorable rate and keep the difference as profit.

For example, let's say you're sending 1,000 USD to Spain and you need to convert your money to EUR.

If we assume that the mid-market rate is 1 USD = 0.92 EUR, this means that your recipient should get 920 EUR. But Western Union will likely give you a less favorable rate. For example, they might offer you 1 USD = 0.87 EUR.

This means that your recipient will only get 870 EUR instead of 920 EUR, and Western Union will keep the 50 EUR difference as profit.

This markup is hard to spot because it's built into the exchange rate, but it can add significant costs to your transfer.

Not all money transfer services use these markups, so comparing different providers can save you money on international transfers.

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Western Union fees: full breakdown

As we've established in this guide, when you send money with Western Union, several fees apply:

• Transfer fee: Varies by amount and destination
• Exchange rate markup: Hidden cost in currency conversion
• Payment method fee: Possible extra charges for credit card payments from your card issuer

Let's say you're sending 1,000 USD to Mexico. Hypothetically speaking, here's what the fees can look like:

• Transfer fee: 40 USD²
• Exchange rate markup: ~45 USD (based on typical markup)
• Credit card issuer fee (not Western Union): depends on your issuer

In this example, Western Union international wire transfer fees end up being 85 USD, plus a credit card issuer fee.

Western Union international transfer limits

Western Union has limits on how much money you can send from the US.

You can send up to 3,000 USD without verifying your identity.

If you need to send more, you can verify your identity online or at an agent location. Once verified, you can start sending up to 50,000 USD.³

Your actual sending limit may be lower depending on which country you're sending money to and any applicable local regulations.

Western Union alternatives

If Western Union's fees seem high, you have other options for sending money internationally.

MoneyGram offers fees similar to Western Union but sometimes has better exchange rates. Wise typically charges lower transfer fees and uses the mid-market exchange rate.

Your best choice depends on where you're sending money and how much, and it's important to compare multiple providers to find the best deal for your transfer.

How to avoid international wire transfer fees

The key to saving money on international transfers is finding a provider that uses the mid-market exchange rate.

You can't completely avoid transfer fees, but the interesting thing is that exchange rate markups often cost more than the service fees themselves.

So, compare providers' exchange rates against the mid-market exchange rate to spot how much the markups are. This way, you can find a provider that charges lower exchange fees or no fees at all.

Overall, Western Union is a convenient way to send money abroad, but it can be expensive.

To avoid exchange rate markups, use Wise to send money to 160+ countries, all at the mid-market exchange rate.

Sources

1. Western Union
2. Western Union - Fee table
3. Western Union - How much can I send with Western Union?