Western Union
Walmart2Walmart is a service powered by Ria that lets you transfer money within the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico almost instantly — but you’ll have to pick up the cash in a Walmart store and you can’t send an international transfer.
While Western Union allows for online transfers to anywhere in the world, Walmart2Walmart is mostly a domestic service that transfers money from store to store only.
To transfer money online with Western Union, you visit its site and enter how much you’re transferring and to which country. You’re able to see the exchange rate and select a transfer options and associated fees.
Once you confirm, Western Union converts and delivers your money to a bank account or makes it available for cash pickup at locations worldwide. You also have the option of initiating a transfer by phone or in person at an agent location.
Walmart has been in the international money transfer business since 1999 through a partnership with MoneyGram. But Walmart2Walmart is an entirely separate service with the backing of Ria money transfers service. With Walmart2Walmart, you send money from one Walmart location to another and Bodega Aurrera stores.
That’s right: You walk into your local Walmart, specify the amount you’d like to send and to which US state, and hand over your cash or debit card for payment. Within minutes, it’s available for pickup at any Walmart store within the state you’ve specified. You can also use Walmart’s app to pay your bills to over 3,000 merchants or to send money internationally through its Walmart2World service.
How much you’ll pay varies by how much you’re transferring, how you’re sending it and the country you’re sending it to. Fees start at $5 but can soar to up to $45 or higher when paying by credit or debit card for cash pickup in specific countries. To send $100 from bank account to bank account in the US carries a fee of $14.
Walmart2Walmart offers a fee structure with two transparent pricing tiers:
Winner: Varies
Ultimately, who’s best depends on your circumstances. Given its clear pricing structure, you’ll definitely save with Walmart2Walmart. But you’re limited to in-person store-to-store transfers of $2,500 or less. With Western Union, you’ll pay more — though how much more depends on many factors, but you can send money online and worldwide.
To understand who offers better exchange rates, you’ll need to first look at the mid-market rate. This is the true exchange rate that averages the buying and selling rate of a global currency — and the rate banks and transfer services use when they trade among themselves. We’ll look at the rates Western Union offer compared to the mid-market rate.
Depending on the country you’re sending money to, a typical exchange rate at Western Union could be up to 6% above the mid-market rate. If you’re sending a large amount overseas, this means hundreds of dollars goes straight into Western Union’s pocket.
Let’s use the example of a transfer to euros (EUR):
With Walmart2Walmart, there are no worries about exchange rates — because you can only send domestically.
Winner: Western Union
Walmart2Walmart does not send money abroad, so Western Union is your only option for money transfers into foreign currencies.
Delivery speed varies with transfer options. At an agent location or by phone, your transfer could be delivered in minutes (at higher costs). Your cheapest options could take five days or longer, depending on the country.
No matter how you pay, your transfer is delivered from your Walmart to any Walmart in your recipient’s state in minutes.
Winner: Walmart2Walmart
While both Western Union and Walmart2Walmart offer instant delivery for certain situations, Walmart2Walmart will get your money where it needs to go faster than Western Union every time.
| Payment Methods | Minimum and maximum transfers | Delivery methods | Transfer speeds | Countries and currencies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Union | Bank account, credit or debit card, cash | $1 minimum. Maximum varies by method and payment | Bank transfer, cash pickup, e-wallet | Varies from minutes to 5+ days | 200+ countries |
| Walmart2Walmart | Cash or debit card | $1 minimum; $2,500 maximum | Walmart and Bodega Aurrera store pickup | In minutes | 3 countries |
WorldRemit: First Transfer FREE
Walmart2Walmart can save you time and money with transfers in minutes, but you’re limited to sending to Walmart and Bodega Aurrera store locations in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Western Union will send your money to any of its more than 500,000 agent locations globally.
Ultimately, you’ll want to compare your options to find a service that’s right for your situation.
Whether products shown are available to you is subject to individual provider sole approval and discretion in accordance with the eligibility criteria and T&Cs on the provider website.
Are you visiting from outside the US?
The Federal Reserve is launching its own instant-payment system called FedNow, advertising a staggering delivery speed of seconds.
Using international money orders to send money overseas? Learn about better options.
Transfer agents, mobile wallets and online credit card payments don’t necessarily require a bank account.
Instarem offers no-margin, mid-market rates for some of your money transfers.
Comprehensive guide on receiving money sent via a wire transfer.
Every money transfer service has different requirements for signing up and initiating a transfer. Find out what information is required to send money overseas.
We cover the different wire transfers fees you could pay with 10 of the top US banks when sending money internationally.
Looking for higher transfer limits and lower fees? Explore these WorldRemit alternatives to find a good deal.
Western Union’s extensive global network comes with high fees and weak exchange rates, use these alternatives to look for a better deal.
Compare MoneyGram with competitive alternatives to find the best deal for your transfer.
Greetings…
will someone be able to receive money from another country, where He/She resides; which is another country? (Western Union).
Hi Clivence,
Thank you for leaving a questions. If we are checking on Western Union – yes they will be able to receive the money if you send the money via Western Union by advising the receiver to visit the closest Western Union branch. Western Union converts and delivers your money to a bank account or for cash pickup at locations worldwide. You also have the option of initiating a transfer by phone or in person at an agent location.
This may also depend on which country your receiver is residing at. You may ask them to check first for the nearest Western Union branch.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Val
Any chance you can call ahead to confirm that the money has been sent?
Say if I had money being sent to me, can I call give them my name and they can let me know yes it’s there now I can make the drive?
why woukd walmart 2 walmart refuse to complete a transaction. returning money to sender.
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
If you are the sender, I strongly suggest that you speak with Walmart directly on why your transaction was declined since they rarely do it. If you are receiver, you can check with the sender on why it was declined. Sorry to hear about what happened. I hope this gets resolved soon.
Cheers,
Joel
Hi Tina,
Thanks for leaving a question on finder.
If your friend sent you a transfer via Western union, you can visit their website and select Track Transfer. You’ll need the name of the person who sent you the money and the tracking number. Same goes for Walmart who is powered by Moneygram. You will need to go to their website and use the tracking tool from there. There is no option to call you but Western Union can send an SMS to the sender to notify them if the money is ready for pick up and if it has been already picked up. You can coordinate this with the sender and ask them to inform you when the money is ready to be picked up.
Cheers,
Joel
Do you have to be 18 to receive money?
Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
Yes, you have must be at least 18 years old to send or receive money with Western Union, Walmart or any other money transfer companies. The law requires a person to 18 to send or receive a wire transfer as it is a legal contract.
If you pick up the money in person, you also need to present a valid government-issued ID, tracking/reference number, and your sender details to receive it.
Best regards,
Rench
If someone does Walmart to Walmart can I pick up at any western union
Hi Shamere,
Thanks for reaching out.
With Walmart to Walmart, you can send money from one Walmart to another Walmart ONLY. That would mean when you walk into your local Walmart, you specify the amount you’d like to send and to which Walmart store, then hand over your cash, credit card or debit card for payment. Within minutes, funds would be available for pickup at the Walmart store you’ve specified.
Cheers,
Joanne
Does the sender have to name a specific store for the recipient to receive it at?
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please note that we are not affiliated with Walmart or any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
If you are referring to Western Union or Walmart-2-Walmart money transfer, there’s no need to name a specific store on where you can receipt the money transfer. As long as you have the tracking number and the personal details of the money transfer, you should be able to receive the money by providing those information at a Western Union / Walmart-2-Walmart branch. May sure also that you have a valid ID with you to present.
Cheers,
Rench