They are old, they are reliable, and they can be a bit pricey! Yes, they are Western Union! This well knows financial institution has almost 200 years of experience in transferring money worldwide, so you can be sure that they will do the job properly. If you are in search of a reliable payment method that's available in almost every country, then this Western Union casinos review is the right place for you. Stay with us until the end of the article to learn everything there is to know about Western Union casinos, deposit, withdrawals, fees and many other essential things.
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Western Union – How Does It work?
Western Union is one of the oldest payment institutions in the world, dating all the way back from 1851. With that much experience, we are safe to say that they know how to get the job done. To send the money via Western Union, you'll have to get in touch with one of their branches. But don't worry, they are so widespread it's almost certain that there is one available in your town.
Their core business is moving cash from point A to point B, meaning that you can effectively send money via Western Union, but it's not fit for the quick online payments. Its much less flexible than, for example, e-wallets, because their main goal is to provide 100% safe cash transfers. That affects time and prices, but more on that in the following paragraphs.
Note that Western Union Casinos are usually not that common. The smaller operators often opt-in for the more popular payment options, so Western Union online casinos sometimes may be hard to find. But don't worry, we have come up with the list of sites that feature this payment option, so be free to check any of them. One more great thing about casinos that have Western Union is that they usually allow you to claim all or the signup casino bonuses using this payment method. So one more plus for the online casinos with Western Union!
What Do I Need to Start With Western Union?
Unlike many other payment methods, you don't necessarily need to create a separate account to start using Western Union. There are 3 ways to send money via this payment option, and we will explain all of them below.
- Telephone – Find the number of your local branch on the Western Union site and request to send the money. They will ask you for your details, as well as for the casino's details. Note that you'll have to tell your card number to finish the payment. If you don't feel comfortable disclosing your credit/debit card details over the phone, then you should probably use some of the options below.
- Online – This is the only time when you are required to register an account on Western Union site. But don't worry, it's a rather simple process. After that, enter both yours and casino's details, set up you're Visa or Master card and that's it!
- In-person – You can find the nearest branch using the finder tool on the Western Union website. Once you're in, ask for the transfer and fill in the form they gave you. Payment options are cash and credit/debit cards.
Regardless of the option you use, they will always give you a 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number, or MTSN in short. You have to provide the number to the recipient, which in this case is the online casino. The user of the funds will have to identify himself and show the MTCN code to get the money.
How to Deposit via Western Union?
At first, it may seem like depositing with Western Union is pretty complicated, but It's actually quite simple once you get the hang of it. As we mentioned, you don't need a bank account to start with this payment option, but it will be a lot simpler if you already have a Visa or MasterCard. Another option is to send a direct bank transfer, in case you have a bank account, but not the credit/debit card.
To avoid any possible misunderstandings, we have created a detailed step-by-step guide on how to deposit at any of the above listed Western Union online casinos.
- Log in with your favourite Western Union online casinos
- Enter the casino cashier
- Find the casino's payment details of ask customer support
- Send payment via Western Union, either via phone, website or in-shop
- Send MTCN code to the customer support so that they can get the payment
- Once they receive the funds, you'll be able to start playing
Western Union Withdrawals
Western Union casino withdrawals work almost in the same way as deposits. The only difference is that the casino will be sending the payment, and you will be on the receiving side. So you'll have to provide them with your details to receive the funds. After the money is on its way, the casino will send you the MTCN code. You'll use that code and the ID to confirm your identity and raise the money.
This is definitely not the most convenient way to ask for casino cash out, especially if we know that it usually takes several days to receive the payment. But if you want to use Western Union, that is how it has to be.
Pros For Using Western Unions for Online Casino Payments
Western Union is widely popular around the world, with over 500,000 physical locations and tens of millions of customers every year. So it's no surprise that it found its place in the iGaming world as well. Western is one of those old and super reliable institutions, so it's probably much more prevalent among seasoned players who are willing to sacrifice time to get the top-level service. However, that doesn't mean that the younger generation of casino lovers would not enjoy the perks of this fantastic payment option.
There is a long list of pros for playing at Western Union online casinos, but we have selected just a few main reasons why you should start with this well-known banking method.
- Highly secure - As we mentioned above, Western Union is one of the longest-lasting financial companies in the world, with tremendous experience in money transfers. Therefore, you don't have to worry about your funds safely landing where they should.
- Available worldwide - Western Union is literally everywhere. With over half of million physical locations around the world, it's almost certain that there is one located in your neighbourhood as well.
- Send money in several ways - Western Union offers a range of ways to safely transfer money. You can do so online, over the phone or directly in one of their many shops. If you decide to do it in person, you won't even be needing a credit card. Just pay with cash, and that's it.
Western Union Downsides
Everything has its downsides, including Western Union. It may be super safe and reliable, but there are several things to look after before depositing with this payment method. Most of the things are just details some players may find annoying. But there are a few major issues as well. We will focus only on the bigger things, as they may cause real problems if players are not familiar with them. Scroll down to learn more about some of the most significant downsides of using Western Union for online casino payments.
- Slow - If you are looking for instant deposits and withdrawals, this isn't the place for you. Western Union transactions usually take at least a couple of days to complete. But hey, that is the price of being super safe.
- Expensive - Using Western Union comes with a price tag. They are way more costly than most of the other payment options, charging 14% to 18% fees in most cases. This is definitely something to look after.
- Complicated to use - Western Union isn't the most straightforward payment option. You'll have to contact them directly, then pass security MTCN code to the customer support and so on. This can be overwhelming for some players, so naturally, they gravitate towards more straightforward banking methods.
Western Union Fees – It Isn’t a Cheap One
Western Union provides top-tier service and guarantees the safety of your payments, but that all costs money! To be exact, it costs around 14% to 18% per transaction, which is a lot by any standards. It means that if you want to deposit R/R10,000 it will cost you up to R/R12,000 to pull off that transaction via Western Union. We believe that it's too much, especially if we know that most of the other payment methods have 3% of 4% fees, with some of them even being free of charge.
Also, note one more thing - this isn't definitive numbers, as fees may defer from country to country. So before making a Western Union casino deposit, always check for the actual fees on their website or in one of the shops.
Western Union Alternatives - What Are the Other Payment Options?
We believe that payment methods are one of the most important parts of every online casino. Each player must choose a banking option that best suits his needs, as it would dramatically improve the overall gambling experience. This is especially important if we know that most of the online casinos force you to use the same method for both withdrawals and deposits. So if you choose the option you don't like at the beginning, it will mess you up on the other end as well. That's why we have decided to give you a list of alternatives, in case you didn't like what Western Union has on offer. Scroll down and take a look!
Trustly
In case you don't want to wait several days for payments to reach the destination, and at the same moment want a cheap payment method, then we have fantastic news for you. Trustly is one of the most convenient ways to deposit or withdrawal at online casinos because it's fast and charges no fees at all! It's not the like the other payment processors, like Skrill or PayPal, where you first have to transfer money to the separate account. Trustly connects your bank account with the casino's account and transfers the money directly. So something like the old fashioned bank transfers, just much faster and easier. If you want to learn more on how to use this awesome payment method, don't miss to check out our Trustly Casinos review.
PayPal
Unless you are entirely new to the online casinos, you have most probably head how awesome PayPal is for both deposits and withdrawals. This e-wallet has emerged as one of the most convenient casino payment methods on the market, so it's no wonder players like it so much. PayPal is very simple to use, just register an account, top it up with your credit/debit card, and you'll be good to go. Fees are moderate, but the service is first-class! Payments are mostly instant and very easy to pull out. So if you want to start with some of the e-wallets, don't sleep on PayPal. It's that good!
Bank Transfer
Bank transfer one more option for the players who like to keep it extra safe. It's not nearly as fast as e-wallets or discrete as prepaid cards, but it has its perks. There is no more reliable way to send or receive money than over a classic bank transfer. Not only that banks will carry on the transaction, but you won't have to share your personal details with any third-party apps. It means that chances of your identity or banking details being stolen are almost non-existing. This, of course, affects the waiting times, making the bank transfer probably the slowest payment method on the market.
