Legal company nameWestern Union Payment Services GB Limited · Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited · Western Union International Bank GmbH
Year founded1851
Headquarters / registered countryLondon, United Kingdom
Websitewww.westernunion.com/gb/en/home.html
Last checked08.10.2026
According to its official website, Western Union is a global money transfer company that has served customers since 1851; the site says it has more than 150 million retail and digital customers and offers access to hundreds of thousands of agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories and to billions of bank accounts. Money can be sent from the UK online, in the Western Union app or at agent locations; funds can go to a bank account, a cash pickup location, a mobile wallet or a card, and payment can be made by bank account, credit or debit card, Apple Pay/Google Pay or cash. Transfers are tracked with an MTCN number; the site states that the company makes money from currency exchange and that fees and rates may change. According to its global terms, the service in the UK is provided by Western Union Payment Services GB Limited, regulated by the FCA; in the EU, agent transactions are provided by CBI-authorised Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited and wu.com web and app transactions by Western Union International Bank GmbH, regulated by the Austrian FMA. Service is provided through local companies such as Western Union Financial Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (AFSL 560400) in Australia and Western Union Corretora de Câmbio S.A. in Brazil, and through licensed partners in other countries. The site shows the copyright under Western Union Holdings, Inc. This information is the company's own statement.
Account Details
ACCOUNT TYPESRetail customers · Online profile
MIN. DEPOSITNot stated
PLATFORMSWebsite · Western Union mobile app (iOS, Android) · Agent locations
PRODUCTSInternational money transfer · Cash pickup · Transfers to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cards · Mobile top-up
Licences and regulation
FCA (United Kingdom)
Licence no.FRN 816890
Licence holderWestern Union Payment Services GB Limited
ScopeListed in the FCA register as an Authorised Payment Institution under Western Union Payment Services GB Limited (FRN 816890) since 4 Apr 2019.
StatusVerified
CBI (Ireland)
Licence no.C55075
Licence holderWestern Union Payment Services Ireland Limited
ScopeListed in the CBI register under Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited (reference C55075) as a payment institution authorised under the European Union (Payment Services) Regulations 2018 (PSD2).
StatusVerified
FMA (Austria)
Licence no.Not stated
Licence holderWestern Union International Bank GmbH
ScopeThe company states that Western Union International Bank GmbH is regulated by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) for transfers made on the wu.com website and app in the EU. The record could not be verified because the FMA register could not be read.
StatusPending verification
ASIC (Australia)
Licence no.AFSL 560400
Licence holderWestern Union Financial Services (Australia) Pty Ltd
ScopeThe ASIC licence dataset lists AFS licence 560400 under WESTERN UNION FINANCIAL SERVICES (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD (since 15 Aug 2025, Sydney), covering foreign exchange contracts and non-cash payment products for retail and wholesale clients.
StatusVerified
BCB (Brazil)
Licence no.28996
Licence holderWestern Union Corretora de Câmbio S.A.
ScopeThe company states that Western Union Corretora de Câmbio S.A. is authorised to operate by the Central Bank of Brazil under number 28996. The record could not be verified because the BCB register could not be read.
StatusPending verification
User complaints
User reports found online are classified by topic. The charts show how reports are distributed; the reports are compiled from records on platforms that verify users and screen out fake reviews.
Period reviewed: December 2025 – October 2026
Withdrawal / payment: 86
Account / trading conditions: 30
Customer support: 10
Identity verification: 9
Other: 9
No. 63 for most complaints among the 532 institutions with complaint records (918 institutions listed on the site).
The complaint distribution is based on the latest 1-star reviews on Western Union's Trustpilot page (54) and Şikayetvar (90) records as of 8 October 2026; one person's reviews count once, and records about fake sites and third parties using the Western Union name are left out. Across the complaints, transfers that are delayed or never reach the recipient and slow refunds, exchange rates and fees, and transactions blocked by identity checks stand out.
Sources and verification history
Official company sourceswesternunion.com/gb — homepage; global Terms & Conditions page (entities and regulators by country); App Store app (seller The Western Union Company)
Regulator recordsFCA — Western Union Payment Services GB Limited, FRN 816890 (register.fca.org.uk) · CBI — Western Union Payment Services Ireland Limited, C55075 (registers.centralbank.ie) · ASIC — WESTERN UNION FINANCIAL SERVICES (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AFSL 560400 (ASIC licence dataset)
Company registerCompanies House — WESTERN UNION PAYMENT SERVICES GB LIMITED, company no 11326797, incorporated 24 Apr 2018
User feedback sourcesTrustpilot · Şikayetvar · WikiFX
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