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Best Western Union Forex Brokers

BrokerNotes.co

Written by BrokerNotes.co

April 24, 2023

Western Union History

While money transfers are a large part of Western Union's business, the American company also provides financial and communications services for businesses and was previously the biggest telegram exchange in the U.S.A. before discontinuing that service in 2006.

In the late 1970's Western Union was losing money in their largely communications based business and took advantage of new regulations to re-invent itself as a money transfer company and quickly established itself as the major player in this new field of commerce by offering "person to person" money transfers and money orders.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 65% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Best Western Union Forex Brokers

Here are the best Western Union forex brokers.

  • IG
    - 9.9/10 Overall
  • Saxo Bank - 9.7/10 Overall
  • CMC Markets - 9.6/10 Overall
  • Interactive Brokers - 9.7/10 Overall
  • TD Ameritrade - 9.5/10 Overall
  • FOREX.com
    - 9.3/10 Overall
  • XTB - 9/10 Overall
  • City Index - 9.2/10 Overall

Overall Rating

9.9 / 10

Minimum Deposit

£250.00

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard0.86
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active0.5957
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1974
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankYes
Tier-1 Licenses7
Tier-2 Licenses2
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)19537
Forex Pairs (Total)100
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingYes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)33
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.7 / 10

Minimum Deposit

€2,000

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard0.9
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active0.7
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1992
Publicly Traded (Listed)No
BankYes
Tier-1 Licenses6
Tier-2 Licenses1
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)60000
Forex Pairs (Total)190
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingYes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)62
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.6 / 10

Minimum Deposit

$0

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard0.51
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active0.51
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1989
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankNo
Tier-1 Licenses5
Tier-2 Licenses1
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)12377
Forex Pairs (Total)158
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingYes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)84
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.7 / 10

Minimum Deposit

$0

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard0.6
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active0.6
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)No
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1977
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankNo
Tier-1 Licenses8
Tier-2 Licenses1
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)8500
Forex Pairs (Total)90
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingNo
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)128
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.5 / 10

Minimum Deposit

$0

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard1.25
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active1.25
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)No
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1955
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankYes
Tier-1 Licenses4
Tier-2 Licenses0
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)0
Forex Pairs (Total)73
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)No
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingNo
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)360
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.3 / 10

Minimum Deposit

$100

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard1.0
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active1.0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1999
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankNo
Tier-1 Licenses4
Tier-2 Licenses2
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)5500
Forex Pairs (Total)91
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)Yes
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingNo
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)203
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9 / 10

Minimum Deposit

$0

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard1.07
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active1.04
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded2002
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankNo
Tier-1 Licenses1
Tier-2 Licenses3
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)12000
Forex Pairs (Total)57
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingYes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)39
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Overall Rating

9.2 / 10

Minimum Deposit

£100.00

Trust Score Trust Score is a numerical rating (from 1 - 99) that represents a broker's overall trust. close

Highly Trusted
Cost & Fundingexpand_moreexpand_less
Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard1.0
All-in Cost EUR/USD - Active1.0
PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw)Yes
Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw)No
Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit)Yes
Regulationexpand_moreexpand_less
Year Founded1983
Publicly Traded (Listed)Yes
BankNo
Tier-1 Licenses3
Tier-2 Licenses2
Investment Optionsexpand_moreexpand_less
Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs)Yes
Mobile Trading - Forex or CFDsYes
Tradeable Symbols (Total)13500
Forex Pairs (Total)84
BitcoinYes
Trading Platformsexpand_moreexpand_less
Virtual Trading (Demo)Yes
MetaTrader 4 (MT4)Yes
MetaTrader 5 (MT5)No
Proprietary PlatformYes
Social Trading / Copy TradingYes
Charting - Indicators / Studies (Total)88
Apps & Toolsexpand_moreexpand_less
Android App
Apple iOS AppYes
Education (Forex or CFDs)Yes
Daily Market CommentaryYes
Forex News (Top-Tier Sources)Yes
Economic CalendarYes

Transferring Money With Western Union

Whether it is just a small sum to a friend on vacation or paying off a large bill, using Western Union to transfer the funds is a quick and simple solution. There are several ways to transfer money and for it to be collected by the recipient and each has its own advantages or drawbacks.

  • Person to Person: Call into one of Western Union's 500,000 worldwide locations and opt for either the "Money in Minutes" or "Next Day" service. Your name, address and identification (usually a passport or driving license) will be required as well as the recipient's details and the Western Union branch to which the funds will be sent. Pay the required amount to cover the transfer and fees incurred. You will receive a Money Transfer Control Number (or MTCN) which should be forwarded to the recipient. Usually the recipient will be paid in cash after providing ID and the MTCN but it can be a cheque for larger amounts.
  • Bank Transfer: Money can also be transferred into a bank account but you will need all of the recipient's banking details (BIC and IBAN) and possibly further information for some countries.
  • Mobile Phone: Money can be transferred via Western Union's mobile app but you must register first to access this service as you will need an e-wallet, as will the recipient.
  • Western Union Website: If you have a Western Union account (registration is free) you can send money via the web by clicking on the "Send Money" link. Payment is through your debit/credit card or bank account and the money can be collected in cash or lodged to a bank account.

Receiving Money With Western Union

As is the case with Western Union money transfers there are also a few methods for receiving payment.

  • In Person: Present the MTCN and photo ID at the designated Western Union branch for payment in cash or cheque.
  • Bank Deposit: This should be pre-arranged with the sender who should be provided with the necessary banking details to transfer directly into your account. This facility is not available in certain countries.
  • Mobile Phone: Not available everywhere but some countries now allow funds to be transferred directly via mobile phone. A Western Union account is required to set up a mobile or e-wallet.
  • Prepaid Card: Funds received can be transferred onto a Western Union prepaid card. Input the MTCN on your online account and the money can be switched onto the card which can then be used like a debit card. This can also be done by phone.

Western Union Advantages

  • Fast: Transferred funds can be collected within minutes of being sent if required.
  • Accessible: Available in 200 countries and over 130 currencies.
  • Convenient: Money can be sent or collected in person, via a bank account or mobile phone.

Western Union Disadvantages

  • Fees: Commission is charged on all transactions and can mount up depending on how and where you are transferring the money
  • Availability: Not every town has a Western Union branch and opening hours are dependent upon the business hours of the premises in which they are located.
  • Low Transfer Limit: Although the maximum transfer limit is usually up to US$2,500 it can be as low as $300 which can be inconvenient.

Security Issues

Although Western Union transfers are secure for the most part, the company itself warns clients not to use the service for internet purchases. Western Union has had problems in the past with internet fraud which have now been largely resolved although eBay still refuse payments through Western Union. That one issue aside, Western Union is otherwise a safe and secure way for sending small amounts of money that need to be processed quickly.

Top Western Union Alternatives

Popular alternatives to Western Union include:

BrokerNotes.co 2023 Overall Rankings

To recap, here are our top forex brokers for 2023, sorted by Overall ranking.

Company Overall Rating Minimum Deposit Average Spread EUR/USD - Standard Trust Score Tradeable Symbols (Total) Read Review Visit Site
IG logoIG 9.9 £250.00 0.86 99 19537 IG Review Visit Site
Saxo Bank logoSaxo Bank 9.7 €2,000 0.9 99 60000 Saxo Bank Review
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers 9.7 $0 0.6 99 8500 Interactive Brokers Review
CMC Markets logoCMC Markets 9.6 $0 0.51 99 12377 CMC Markets Review
TD Ameritrade logoTD Ameritrade 9.5 $0 1.25 99 0 TD Ameritrade Review
FOREX.com logoFOREX.com 9.3 $100 1.0 99 5500 FOREX.com Review Visit Site
City Index logoCity Index 9.2 £100.00 1.0 99 13500 City Index Review
XTB logoXTB 9 $0 1.07 95 12000 XTB Group Review
eToro logoeToro 8.8 $10-$10,000 1 93 3458 eToro Review
Swissquote logoSwissquote 8.7 $1000 N/A 99 466 Swissquote Review
AvaTrade logoAvaTrade 8.6 $100 0.92 93 1260 AvaTrade Review
FXCM logoFXCM 8.5 Starts from $50 1.38 96 440 FXCM Review Visit Site
Plus500 logoPlus500 8.5 €100 0.8 98 2800 Plus500 Review
Capital.com logoCapital.com 8.4 $20 0.65 85 3152 Capital.com Review
XM Group logoXM Group 8.4 $5 1.6 90 1429 XM Group Review
Pepperstone logoPepperstone 8.4 $200 0.77 93 2342 Pepperstone Review
OANDA logoOANDA 8.4 $0 1.26 92 124 OANDA Review
Admiral Markets logoAdmiral Markets 8.3 $100 0.8 88 6942 Admiral Markets Review
FP Markets logoFP Markets 8.3 $100 AUD 1.2 86 10000 FP Markets Review
IC Markets logoIC Markets 8.2 $200 0.62 86 3583 IC Markets Review
Markets.com logoMarkets.com 8.2 $100 1.9 98 2179 Markets.com Review
FxPro logoFxPro 8.1 $100 1.51 90 2249 FxPro Review
Tickmill logoTickmill 8.0 $100 0.51 82 725 Tickmill Review
Fineco Bank logoFineco Bank 8.0 $0 N/A 92 126 Fineco Bank Review
BlackBull Markets logoBlackBull Markets 7.9 $0 0.827 74 26000 BlackBull Markets Review
DooPrime logoDooPrime 7.8 $100 N/A 84 10000 DooPrime Review
Vantage logoVantage 7.8 $50 1.30 89 1000 Vantage Review
BDSwiss logoBDSwiss 7.8 $100-$5000 1.6 83 1081 BDSwiss Review
TMGM logoTMGM 7.8 $100 0.96 79 12000 TMGM Review
HFM logoHFM 7.8 $0 1.2 85 3500 HFM Review
FlowBank logoFlowBank 7.7 $0.00 N/A 77 408600 FlowBank Review
HYCM (Henyep) logoHYCM (Henyep) 7.7 $100 0.6 86 362 HYCM Review
Trading 212 logoTrading 212 7.6 EUR 10 N/A 77 1785 Trading 212 Review
Eightcap logoEightcap 7.6 $100 1.0 87 736 Eightcap Review
Trade Nation logoTrade Nation 7.5 $0 0.6 83 601 Trade Nation Review
Moneta Markets logoMoneta Markets 7.5 $50 1.27 71 965 Moneta Markets Review
ThinkMarkets logoThinkMarkets 7.4 $250.00 N/A 86 1674 ThinkMarkets Review
VT Markets logoVT Markets 7.4 $200 1.2 71 168 VT Markets Review
ACY Securities logoACY Securities 7.4 $50 1.2 75 1600 ACY Securities Review
easyMarkets logoeasyMarkets 7.3 $100 0.9 84 199 a href="/reviews/easymarkets">easyMarkets Review
RoboForex (RoboMarkets) logoRoboForex (RoboMarkets) 7.3 $100 1.4 69 12000 Roboforex (RoboMarkets) Review
IronFX logoIronFX 7.2 $50 1.2 84 340 IronFX Review
Exness logoExness 7.2 $1 0.9 74 112 Exness Review
Spreadex logoSpreadex 7.2 $0 N/A 70 2000 Spreadex Review
Trade360 logoTrade360 7.1 $250 N/A 75 1062 Trade360 Review
AxiTrader logoAxiTrader 7.1 0 N/A 83 175 Axitrader Review
GKFX logoGKFX 7.1 $0 N/A 66 354 GKFX Review
Vestle logoVestle 7.1 -1 N/A 79 750 Vestle Review
OctaFX logoOctaFX 7 $25 0.9 69 229 OctaFX Review
FXOpen logoFXOpen 7 $100 N/A 80 87 FXOpen Review
TeleTrade logoTeleTrade 7 $100 N/A 67 500 Teletrade Review
FXPrimus logoFXPrimus 6.9 $100 N/A 69 140 FXPrimus Review Visit Site
Forex4you logoForex4you 6.9 $0 N/A 62 150 Forex4you Review
LegacyFX logoLegacyFX 6.9 $500 N/A 66 425 LegacyFX Review
GBE brokers logoGBE brokers 6.8 $500 N/A 69 500 GBE Brokers Review
Alpari logoAlpari 6.8 $20 N/A 67 105 Alpari Review
TopFX logoTopFX 6.7 Depends on payment method N/A 67 655 TopFX Review
Libertex (Forex Club) logoLibertex (Forex Club) 6.7 $10 N/A 72 300 Libertex Review
ATFX logoATFX 6.6 $500 N/A 70 150 ATFX Review
UFX logoUFX 6.6 $100 3 67 619 UFX Review
Xtrade logoXtrade 6.5 $250 N/A 80 142 Xtrade Review
Tradeo logoTradeo 6.4 $200 N/A 67 256 Tradeo Review
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There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Learn more about foreign exchange risk.

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