Western Union money transfer

[PatriotsFan]

I'm visiting another province and left my passport in Buenos Aires. Does Western Union accept U.S. drivers license as a valid form of identification or does it have to be a passport?

I have used a copy of my passport that is on my phone a couple of times and since using your phone for many other types of transactions is common, I have not run into any problems, but of course there is never a guarantee that the agent will accept this. It is worth the shot. Hopefully you have this.

 

[malandro]

That is a USA prepaid card. One of the many you have to choose from. Perhaps advantage for you when residing in USA, though really it is a scam against people who do not qualify for regular banking in USA. Which is basically the entire WU business model.

Plus a big NO advantage here in Argentina. 4% international transactions surcharge.

If you have a DNI then get Ualá or Brubank or other Argentina debit card to transfer WU and other international transfers.

Thanks. But to send me money here (in pesos of course) that is a debt from a third party owed in US/USD it seems to work. The info I have is that there is no 4% transaction surcharge however, but 1.5% of 1000USD.

 

[Shane]

Inflation is down from normal, but still at least 10% per month this year. Yet, the WU rate is basically stuck around the same rate, so we are now truly feeling the inflation squeeze. I personally feel like I'm spending at least 50% more in dollars since the start of the year. I wonder if this will continue to be the trend this year?

 

[AdrianB]

Inflation is down from normal, but still at least 10% per month this year. Yet, the WU rate is basically stuck around the same rate, so we are now truly feeling the inflation squeeze. I personally feel like I'm spending at least 50% more in dollars since the start of the year. I wonder if this will continue to be the trend this year?

If this continues soon BA will be the most expensive city in the world in dollar terms.

 

[Rich One]

If this continues soon BA will be the most expensive city in the world in dollar terms.

Once again...!

 

[carride]

Thanks. But to send me money here (in pesos of course) that is a debt from a third party owed in US/USD it seems to work. The info I have is that there is no 4% transaction surcharge however, but 1.5% of 1000USD.

The 1.5% fee you are talking about is the WU fee to handle the transfer.

The card you asked about is a WU Netspend pre-paid Mastercard which is a USA card. It is not associated with Argentina. If you send dollars to that card it will not be converted to ARS pesos. When you spend money with that card anywhere outside the USA there is a 4% transaction fee on the cost of your purchase. It is the same as the many other USA prepaid cards, except there are other USA cards with 0% transaction fee.

If you want to send USD to be converted to ARS pesos, you need to send to a bank/card that is an Argentina financial institution, or retrieve ARS cash at a location.

 

[AdrianB]

The 1.5% fee you are talking about is the WU fee to handle the transfer.

The card you asked about is a WU Netspend pre-paid Mastercard which is a USA card. It is not associated with Argentina. If you send dollars to that card it will not be converted to ARS pesos. When you spend money with that card anywhere outside the USA there is a 4% transaction fee on the cost of your purchase. It is the same as the many other USA prepaid cards, except there are other USA cards with 0% transaction fee.

If you want to send USD to be converted to ARS pesos, you need to send to a bank/card that is an Argentina financial institution, or retrieve ARS cash at a location.

Weren't they talking about using the card to send money to WU and pickup cash?

 

[carride]

Weren't they talking about using the card to send money to WU and pickup cash?

If so, then yes ignore my previous comments. Though why phrase the question in regards to “WU Netspend pre-paid Mastercard”, when the answer is the same regardless of brand of card. I also understood the question as though @malandro is not yet an owner of that card, so I will clarify that card is not special in any way, and is designed to take advantage of people who do not yet have a bank in USA. The cost of owning that card, and all fees are ridiculous. There are much better cards that are just as easy to obtain. Since sending from PayPal is also the question, then just get a PayPal prepaid Mastercard. Go to NerdWallet or other trustworthy sites who compare cards.

Netspend’s prepaid debit cards are expensive alternatives to a checking account. They're easy to get, and there’s no banking history or credit check required to open, but

Netspend Prepaid Debit Card Review - NerdWallet

The Netspend prepaid card offers basic debit card features, plus an option to save and earn interest. Fees can get steep if you're not careful how you use it.

www.nerdwallet.com

 

[Macanudo]

WU = 1168.50

 

[Stephano]

WU = 1168.50

Just for reference: today Remitly is 1229.9 (with a flat 4.99 fee)