Western Union

I’ve only dealt with the Post Office, and they deal strictly in US dollars—not sure how the other guys handle it. You can't dodge the exchange rate because they just slap on that Western Union fee and call it a day. That's their whole racket. I just went back and crunched the numbers on my transfers from the last few months, and I was mostly seeing around $1.10 to $1.12 per Euro. But the one I got about ten days ago? It hit $1.15. Total rip-off.

electricbadger9 said:I’ve only dealt with the Post Office, and they deal strictly in US dollars—not sure how the other guys handle it. You can't dodge the exchange rate because they just slap on that Western Union fee and call it a day. That's their whole racket. I just went back and crunched the numbers on my transfers from the last few months, and I was mostly seeing around $1.10 to $1.12 per Euro. But the one I got about ten days ago? It hit $1.15. Total rip-off.

I highly doubt any bank here would pay out in Euros—Bank of America certainly doesn't—and regarding the rate, it seems more practical to go into a branch to collect the cash. They charge me a fee, $300 but when I factor in his fees against my specific rate, $267 the bottom line ends up being exactly the same. Honestly, I doubt anyone in the US is paying out in Euros anymore.

I’m totally lost here... are you actually taking money or sending it? Especially since you mentioned those $300 guys you'd be paying.

ironcyclist58 said:I’m totally lost here... are you actually taking money or sending it? Especially since you mentioned those $300 guys you'd be paying.

I'm receiving, though I'm still scratching my head over one thing. When I sent money through a Western Union branch previously, they asked if the recipient wanted to collect in USD or Euros—so it doesn't make sense to me how he could receive Euros when I can only send in Dollars. If I withdraw at a local branch, maybe they'll allow Euros there? Or is it strictly Dollars at the banks and the post office?

I’m not even asking about that part, I just don't get why you're bringing up those $300 fees that people like you would supposedly cover. From what I know, the sender always picks up the tab, so I have no idea why that's even being mentioned...

I’ve been receiving transfers from abroad via Western Union, and honestly, no matter where I go to pick up my cash, they insist on paying me out in US dollars... I’ve tried asking to receive the exact currency that was sent, but every single time—whether I’m at the local post office or hitting up major banks like Bank of America—they just tell me it’s impossible.

Western Union uses these absolutely predatory exchange rates that just bleed you dry...
When I finally cornered them to ask why the rates are so pathetic, the answer was basically that they need to make a profit too.😵
So yeah, they’re making their cut on the transaction fees

which means the person sending the money covers the transfer costs, but you still get screwed through that terrible exchange rate...

Hey everyone, I'm a bit of a newcomer to this discussion.

My question is pretty straightforward;
The updated forms from Western Union now require a Social Security Number, which basically means the IRS can easily track down whoever is receiving the funds.

I need to find a way to transfer 15,000 USD from abroad without getting hit by a massive tax bill...
Before anyone starts jumping down my throat about tax evasion, please, just help me out if you know a way.

If I were to process this through a standard employment contract, I'd be looking at roughly $8,600 in taxes, which honestly feels absolutely insane.

Is there a specific threshold where the IRS doesn't really care about what's coming through Western Union?
And is it even possible to pick up the cash without showing an ID, perhaps by using a different SSN?

Andrew Patel2 said:Hey everyone, I'm a bit of a newcomer to this discussion.

My question is pretty straightforward;
The updated forms from Western Union now require a Social Security Number, which basically means the IRS can easily track down whoever is receiving the funds.

I need to find a way to transfer 15,000 USD from abroad without getting hit by a massive tax bill...
Before anyone starts jumping down my throat about tax evasion, please, just help me out if you know a way.

If I were to process this through a standard employment contract, I'd be looking at roughly $8,600 in taxes, which honestly feels absolutely insane.

Is there a specific threshold where the IRS doesn't really care about what's coming through Western Union?
And is it even possible to pick up the cash without showing an ID, perhaps by using a different SSN?

They ask me for my ID every single time, and it’s got my SSN right there on it...
One time I left my ID in a different wallet and they wouldn't let me touch a cent.
The only time I actually made a scene was over at Bank of America when the teller tried to photocopy my ID—like, why even bother? She was going to type all my info into the computer manually anyway. I refused to let her copy it, there was a bit of a standoff, but she eventually gave in...

As for your other questions, I honestly have no clue...

I just set up my Wu online profile, and they’re asking for a verification letter to get everything cleared—once that's done, I'll be able to send up to $5,000 a year. Is it actually okay to give my password to a friend living abroad so they can use my profile to send money to someone else via their own Visa debit card?

Andrew Patel2 said:Hey everyone, I'm a bit of a newcomer to this discussion.

My question is pretty straightforward;
The updated forms from Western Union now require a Social Security Number, which basically means the IRS can easily track down whoever is receiving the funds.

I need to find a way to transfer 15,000 USD from abroad without getting hit by a massive tax bill...
Before anyone starts jumping down my throat about tax evasion, please, just help me out if you know a way.

If I were to process this through a standard employment contract, I'd be looking at roughly $8,600 in taxes, which honestly feels absolutely insane.

Is there a specific threshold where the IRS doesn't really care about what's coming through Western Union?
And is it even possible to pick up the cash without showing an ID, perhaps by using a different SSN?

Open three different online accounts under three different names—send copies of IDs for all three family members—and withdraw $5,000 annually from each. Since the unverified limit is only $1,000, you could send $5,000 from each account, though the fees will be higher since they'll likely convert everything into USD. $2430

Carl Nguyen5 said:I just set up my Wu online profile, and they’re asking for a verification letter to get everything cleared—once that's done, I'll be able to send up to $5,000 a year. Is it actually okay to give my password to a friend living abroad so they can use my profile to send money to someone else via their own Visa debit card?

Anyone have an answer?

Sending $2,000 via Western Union online—they only charge a $5 fee—and even with a 7.25 exchange rate, they still beat the rates you'd get at any local Western Union branch here in the States.

I could use some help here. This is my first time using Western Union online to send money over to Canada.
Is it actually possible that the fee is only three dollars on a 600 Euro transfer?
The system is showing me the final amount in USD at the end. Is that the actual amount the recipient will walk away with in cash at a local branch in Canada? Or is there going to be some extra cut taken by the office there?

Thanks!

mellowstag15 said:I could use some help here. This is my first time using Western Union online to send money over to Canada.
Is it actually possible that the fee is only three dollars on a 600 Euro transfer?
The system is showing me the final amount in USD at the end. Is that the actual amount the recipient will walk away with in cash at a local branch in Canada? Or is there going to be some extra cut taken by the office there?

Thanks!

No way. Last year, when I sent 400€, the fee was closer to $67.

I've tried clicking through the link below a few times now, and it keeps showing a $3 fee🤔

I’m trying to figure out if that really is such a low amount. Is the amount of Bad being paid out actually that high, or am I missing some hidden service charge they take on their end? I was planning on just paying online using my Visa debit card.

https://www.westernunion.com/en/home.html

It’s right there in the fine print—they're warning you that your bank might hit you with a "cash advance fee" just for using the card at a terminal to grab some cash.

I gave my bank a call, and they told me they don't charge any fees whatsoever for online payments.

Is it actually true that the fee for Western Union is just about three bucks? And if so, is that amount in USD really what ends up being handed over in cash once you're in Canada??

Just finished a transaction through online Western Union. I used my Visa. Honestly, the fee was only about three bucks—nothing else tacked on. You lose a little bit on the exchange rate, but it’s nothing major. Just a heads-up: stay by your phone right after you hit submit because they’ll call you for a quick security check. They just ask a couple of questions and then you're good to go. You'll get an email once the transfer is processed and another one when the cash is actually picked up.

It's cheap and easy enough.👍

Did you actually check your bank statement to make sure that's all they pulled from your account?

I double-checked everything—they took out the exact amount listed.

Basically, it’s the amount sent plus a 3 Euro Western Union fee. Once you convert that to USD and factor in the exchange rate from Euro to Dollars, it matches what was paid out in the States perfectly. You lose a tiny bit during the currency conversion process, though.
Paid via Intel (Euro).