Western Union adopts an omnichannel approach

The Western Union Company’s global digital money-moving capabilities are making significant headway across the Middle East, with seven countries now offering online services, connecting customers with their families and loved ones around the world digitally with the choice to pay for transactions online or in person.

The UAE was enhanced with the latest generation of Western Union’s omnichannel platform, joining Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar. The company launched the Western Union mobile app and relaunched the Westernunion.com website. Customers in the UAE now have the choice to pay for transactions online or within the app via direct transfers from their bank accounts set up in the UAE.

“Our commitment to the Middle East is a step forward to a more prosperous and globally connected future. Our digital services support a globally-integrated living without leaving anyone behind. We use cutting-edge technology to simplify money transfer. Our systems automatically handle complexities from compliance to volatile currency exchanges so users can transfer money 24/7 to nearly every country across the world, with the touch of a few buttons,” says Western Union president and CEO, Hikmet Ersek. “Our systems are also designed to allow customers at any level of financial experience to use any channel they like, be it digital or cash, online or offline.”

Currently, Western Union offers digital service via WU.com in over 60 countries, plus territories, with mobile apps in 35 countries. Moreover, its entire network is a combination of retail agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories, account payout in nearly 100 countries and wallet payout in a dozen countries.

“The ability to smoothly and fluidly transfer money internationally by the latest digital means elevates our relevance to our customers across the world,” adds Alexandru Badulescu, Western Union general manager and RVP for Middle East and Africa. Western Union’s customers are multi-cultural, multi-generational with diverse financial and technological savviness. Our omnichannel approach is about servicing the widest group of customers by catering to their specific money transfers needs.”