Western Union money transfer

Earlier this afternoon my sister-in-law sent $350 USD via Western Union from a Walgreen's in Illinois. I set up the transfer on line (as a guest) this morning to lock in the rate of $77.83. The fee was $7, so the net rate was $76.30. If there is a pick up fee in Argentina that will reduce the rate slightly.

It was not necessary to provide either her ID# or mine when setting up the transfer, but I made sure to enter my full name as it appears on my DNI. As Stan indicated, it is not necessary for the recipient to set up the transfer in advance. Will update after I have the $ in hand.
 
For Pensador....if a hamburger has gone from $2.50 to $10.00 and the peso from 4 to 60/dollar.....the hamburger at anything under $37.50 is a win....I'll take a bag of them please.
 
About the WU transfer at $76....that is astounding to me. Why in world do they do that? Aren't we talking about free money?
 
For Pensador....if a hamburger has gone from $2.50 to $10.00 and the peso from 4 to 60/dollar.....the hamburger at anything under $37.50 is a win....I'll take a bag of them please.

If you're going quote people at least do so accurately, I posted "Burger fries and beer" where, what kind of burger, what brand of beer. Thank you for taking the time to read posts correctly and quote people correctly in the future.
 
For those expats from Australia...

I created a Western Union Australia account yesterday. I had to provide a 'current' Australian address and if I had lived there < 3 years my previous address. Also required to provide ID docs such as drivers license (Australia) and passport (Australian). I've just moved here so my details are still valid.

As of writing the offical AUDARS FX rate is approx 41.73. To get the AUS WU 'miracle rate' of 51.80 (25% higher) you have to receive the money into a local bank account (which I don't have yet). Selecting 'cash at agent location' yields a rate of 47.8 and is what I chose. For either option you can use Poli to pay instantly and the fee's scale nicely and are better then their Western Union US equivalent. The best combination is send to local bank account and pay via Poli, it gives the cheapest fee's + best rate (as of now).

When I attempted my first transaction I got an email saying I had to call a number to verify details of the transfer. It turns out for compliance reasons you need to provide a copy of bank statement from the bank account you sent the funds from. The bank statement does not have to show the transfer you just completed but must be from within the last 3 months. Must have your name, address and official 'bank logo' on it. This is a one off task.

I woke up this morning to find that the transaction had been cancelled, I figure because of the compliance department not reviewing my bank statement in time. I tried another transfer today and it was processed immediately and says I am able to pick the funds up tomorrow.

For the recipient details I used my Australian address (which is on my Australian license), full name and current Argentinian mobile number.

N.B It seems the Australian Western Union determines the rate at payout, not when the order is made. You will see this at the bottom of the Australian Western Union page when you make a transfer.

14 The actual exchange rate and your total amount will be determined at the time of payout.

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My AUS WU normal rate should be about equal to a USD rate of 68.83. If I had a local bank account and used the 'miracle rate' it would be around a USD rate of 74.59. Not quite as good as a US WU 'miracle rate' but a good option for us Ozzies and it's just above the blue dollar rate. You can also do all the transfers yourself from your computer/phone (paying via Poli from your Australian bank account). No need to get someone back home to a Western Union branch and no visit to the cuevas. Will also update tomorrow to let you know how I go.

FYI for Ozzies. The closest thing we have to a Charles Scwab card to reimburse fees is an ING Orange Everyday card. You might want to get one if you haven't already.

 
For those expats from Australia...

I created a Western Union Australia account yesterday. I had to provide a 'current' Australian address and if I had lived there < 3 years my previous address. Also required to provide ID docs such as drivers license (Australia) and passport (Australian). I've just moved here so my details are still valid.

As of writing the offical AUDARS FX rate is approx 41.73. To get the AUS WU 'miracle rate' of 51.80 (25% higher) you have to receive the money into a local bank account (which I don't have yet). Selecting 'cash at agent location' yields a rate of 47.8 and is what I chose. For either option you can use Poli to pay instantly and the fee's scale nicely and are better then their Western Union US equivalent. The best combination is send to local bank account and pay via Poli, it gives the cheapest fee's + best rate (as of now).

When I attempted my first transaction I got an email saying I had to call a number to verify details of the transfer. It turns out for compliance reasons you need to provide a copy of bank statement from the bank account you sent the funds from. The bank statement does not have to show the transfer you just completed but must be from within the last 3 months. Must have your name, address and official 'bank logo' on it. This is a one off task.

I woke up this morning to find that the transaction had been cancelled, I figure because of the compliance department not reviewing my bank statement in time. I tried another transfer today and it was processed immediately and says I am able to pick the funds up tomorrow.

For the recipient details I used my Australian address (which is on my Australian license), full name and current Argentinian mobile number.

N.B It seems the Australian Western Union determines the rate at payout, not when the order is made. You will see this at the bottom of the Australian Western Union page when you make a transfer.

14 The actual exchange rate and your total amount will be determined at the time of payout.

-------------

My AUS WU normal rate should be about equal to a USD rate of 68.83. If I had a local bank account and used the 'miracle rate' it would be around a USD rate of 74.59. Not quite as good as a US WU 'miracle rate' but a good option for us Ozzies and it's just above the blue dollar rate. You can also do all the transfers yourself from your computer/phone (paying via Poli from your Australian bank account). No need to get someone back home to a Western Union branch and no visit to the cuevas. Will also update tomorrow to let you know how I go.

FYI for Ozzies. The closest thing we have to a Charles Scwab card to reimburse fees is an ING Orange Everyday card. You might want to get one if you haven't already.
 
For Pensador......For Pensador....if a (dog biscuit) has gone from $2.50 to $10.00 and the peso from 4 to 60/dollar.....the (dog biscuit) at anything under $37.50 is a win....I'll take a bag of them please...dog biscuits
 
For Pensador......For Pensador....if a (dog biscuit) has gone from $2.50 to $10.00 and the peso from 4 to 60/dollar.....the (dog biscuit) at anything under $37.50 is a win....I'll take a bag of them please...dog biscuits

That's better thank you!
 
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