How to Send Money through Western Union Money Transfer

Many Nigerians have family members who are based abroad, and before now sending money to them was a major challenge until the advent of Western Union Money Transfer.

This means you can send money to your children studying aboard and also receive money from your uncles who live outside the borders of Nigeria without evening opening accounts.

You can easily send money across to loved ones abroad for vacation, hospital bills, feeding, accommodation, school fees, etc through Western Union money Transfer.

In this piece, I will show you step-by-step procedure on how to send money through Western Union to loved ones outside the shores of Nigeria.

Related: How to do Ria Money Transfer in Nigeria

 

Procedures for Western Union Money Transfer 

To send money through Western Union to loved ones outside Nigeria, you do not need to open an account with the bank.

All you need do is to identify a bank that has Western Union Money Transfer logo on their branch or website and simply walk in.

Before I go into the steps, let us look at the requirements for such transfers.

The basic requirements are:
1. The location of the receiver
2. Your identification
3. Money to be sent

Steps on how to send money through Western Union Money Transfer

These steps are listed and explained below.

1. Visit any Western Union Point: These points are usually banks with the Western Union Money Transfer logo on their signposts indicating that such transfers can take place at the branch.

Banks like Access, Diamond, EcoBank, First City Monument Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, Skye Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Sterling, Wema, Unity, UBA, and Zenith Banks are all members.

Read Also: How to Open Bank Account in Nigeria Fast: Savings, Currents, Corporate and Fixed Deposit Accounts

 

2. Demand and fill out the transfer form: When you have walked into the bank, just ask for the Western Union transfer form and they will give it to you.

Fill out the required details carefully and in block letters, too.

3. Present an ID Card and completed form: Present a valid ID to the teller to clear you. ID cards like International Passport, driver’s license, national ID card and voter’s card are easily accepted.

They may have to photocopy it and later return it to you. Submit the money, form and your ID card to the bank teller.

4. Collect Receipt of Transaction
Ensure you collect your copy of the transfer receipt before leaving the bank. This will serve as proof in case the receiver didn’t get the money as expected which never happens.

Also, ensure you save your receipt with Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) because some countries require it.
Step 4 is the final step.

You have to keep in touch with the receiver to pick up the money at any Western Union point in the country where he or she is.

Central Bank of Nigerian policy says that the Bank must be informed if money above $10,000 is being transferred.

When Nigerian currency is being transferred, the Western Union agent/bank will do the necessary conversion, but these kinds of transactions often involve dollars.

This means you don’t have to go to any Bureau de Change to change naira to dollars before you transfer, NO! The bank will tell you the naira equivalent of the money you wish to send across, and that is all.

Red Also: How to Access Bank Account of Deceased Person In Nigeria even if You are the Next of Kin or Not

Western Union has helped in no small measures to make money transfer within and outside Nigeria easy. It is a criminal offense for any banker to transfer money above $10,000 without due knowledge of the Apex Bank.

That is one of the many rules guiding Outbound Money Transfer given by CBN. The system most Nigerians are used to is receiving money from loved ones abroad, but don’t forget that foreigners working in Nigeria send money back home to their loved ones, too.

Also, rich parents who can afford to send their wards abroad for schooling use this medium to send money to their wards not necessarily paying school fees.

This piece on how to send money through Western Union is concise and tailored to meet the demands of Nigerians who have not tried it for the first time.

Perhaps you wouldn’t be a novice anymore after reading this piece and understanding the 4-staged process. Go and give it a try!

14 thoughts on “How to Send Money through Western Union Money Transfer”

  1. Pls,some1 wants 2 send money 2 me 4m abroad via mobile using firstbank,but after fillin in username n password,it (CPT?)

    Reply
  2. I wanted to send money today via western union, and the bank said I can’t because CBN have put a stop to money transfers out of Nigeria

    Reply
    • Hi Caroline, Sorry for your experience. I think this is a unilateral decision taken by separate banks.
      Individual banks due to their capacity to settle forex payments have either cut off or reduced the limits you can spend on a daily basis. So while some banks have no limit, others have reduced theirs to zero or as small as $100/day.

      Some banks such as UBA and Stanbic IBTC, to our knowledge do not have restrictions as they have sufficient forex to handle international settlements. So, try them and let’s us know.

      Success!

      Reply
  3. Please I need to send some money to the us bit I have the same problem. Banks I do to tell me they can’t do western union transfer becos of CBN. Please advice me on a prices bank to go do. Thanks

    Reply
  4. I have a product to buy in china, hand set to be precised it cost is only fourty dollars,for the past three months now i could not send the money the western union says cbn did not allow bank to send both naira or dollars ouside nigeria, please advise me what to do

    Reply
    • Hi Obalade,

      I am a bit surprised that you say the bank refused to send your money across. I conducted a transfer yesterday and was one of many people yesterday who engaged in foreign fund transfers.

      If you can provide a valid ID (Passport, Driver’s license, National ID card e t.c) please, proceed to any of the banks listed in the article and make your transfer. Go straight to the Western Union counter to ask your questions; many of the guards and even the Customer Service Officers give wrong information to customers.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply

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