Receiving Money From Western Union: Fees, Options and Documents Required

With various pickup locations across South Africa and the option to receive money straight into your bank account,⁵ Western Union is a great way to receive money in ZA from international transfers.

New to receiving money through Western Union? This guide covers how to receive money from Western Union in South Africa, including a step-by-step process for picking up payment, which documents to take with you, and how to track your transfer online.

Also learn about Wise – that will show you how to make money transfers to South Africa at the mid-market exchange rate!

Learn more about Wise

Documents needed to collect Western Union money

Having the right documents is crucial for a smooth collection process with Western Union. South African citizens, non-residents in the country and foreign nationals must all provide a valid form of ID to pick up money from Western Union.⁶

As well as a valid ID, South African citizens and foreign nationals may also need to provide proof of address to collect money, or a temporary residence permit for South African non-residents.⁷

Acceptable forms of ID in South Africa

If you want to pick up an international transfer as a cash payment, you will need to take proof of ID. Below is a list of the forms of identification accepted by Western Union in South Africa.⁸

South African citizens

• Valid passport
• South African Green Barcoded ID

South African non-residents

• Valid passport

Foreign nationals

• Valid passport

Receiving money into a bank account in South Africa

You can also receive money from Western Union in ZA directly into your bank account. To do this, you’ll first need to provide the sender with the following details:⁹

• You first, middle and last name. This needs to match the ID you used to open your bank account
• Your email address and mobile number
• Your bank name and account number

With this information, the sender can create a registration link for an incoming money transfer. You will receive this link either as an SMS or as an email. To register with Western Union through this link, you will need to provide the following:¹⁰

• Valid South African mobile number and email address
• A clear picture of your valid ID document (South African ID, a South African Asylum document or a foreign passport)
• Personal information (first, middle and last names, date of birth, gender and nationality)

After you register, all money transfers will be deposited directly into the bank account provided. Don’t worry, you only need to register for this process once.¹¹

Western Union pick up locations in South Africa

You can pick up cash at a handful of Western Union agent locations across South Africa. To find your nearest agent, use the online agent finder map. Alternatively, the table below details the various Western Union pick up locations in South Africa.¹²

Steps to collect your Western Union transfer

Understanding how to receive money from Western Union in South Africa can make the collection process quick and easy. To collect your cash at one of the pick up locations in the country, you’ll need:¹³

• A valid form of ID (as explained earlier in the article)
• The Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). This will be given to you by the sender.

To pick up your money, follow this simple step-by-step process:¹⁴

1. Ask the sender for the relevant collection information, including the MTCN.
2. Go to an authorised pick up location and complete the TO RECEIVE form.
3. Give the teller your completed form, along with the required ID documents.
4. Receive your cash payment and receipt.

Tracking your incoming transfer

You can track your international transfer through the Western Union transfer tracker online. To track the payment, you will need either your 10-digit tracking number (MTCN) or the following details:¹⁵

• Sender’s mobile number or names of the sender and receiver
• Country of the receiver
• Amount transferred
• Date of transfer (optional)

When it comes to how many days it takes to receive money from Western Union, international transfers are known to be fast! The time it takes to receive payment depends on the country you’re in, but money is generally available for collection within minutes.¹⁶

Wise for International Transfers to South Africa at the mid-market exchange rate

If you’re a South African expat living abroad or someone wanting to send money to South Africa, Wise can help you save money¹ when making international money transfers back to South Africa.

Some banks and money transfer services use the mid-market rate when they trade between themselves, but they rarely pass it on to you. Instead, they often mark up the rate to make extra money.¹³

It is recommended to check the exchange rate offered by your bank against the mid-market rate, which is similar to the exchange rate shown on Google. Say no to hidden fees!

The mid-market exchange rate is the rate that banks use to transfer money between them and is considered the ‘fair rate’ in the market. Find out what you would pay for an international money transfer with Wise:

Wise customers don’t have to pay an additional markup fee but only a small transparent fee to make an international transaction¹. That’s because Wise uses the mid-market rate for overseas payments!

With Wise, South African expats can save money¹ on an international money transfer by providing low fees and also do away with the markup on the mid-market exchange rate when making international payments to South Africa.

Western Union fees to receive money in South Africa

There are no Western Union fees for receiving money from international senders if you are receiving the money directly into your South African bank account, rather than picking up cash.¹⁸ This is because the sender pays all transfer fees. If you choose to receive payment in another currency, or a different device or account, you may face an additional fee.

Current exchange rates

Western Union offers information on exchange rates in real-time, so senders can always see the cost of the money transfer. You can check the current exchange rates at Western Union before making an international money transfer online, through the Western Union app, or at an agent location.¹⁹

Alternatively, use the Western Union currency converter to check the exchange rate before sending money abroad. This tool also shows you the transfer fee of your transaction – which is very helpful!

Payment methods available

Generally, Western Union pays out international money transfers in South Africa with cash. But in some cases, payment can be made via money transfer or pay-out card.²⁰

Collection limits and restrictions

Sending and collection limits at Western Union vary according to where money is sent from, what currency it’s in and where it’s being sent to. For example, the maximum amount of money you can send from South Africa with Western Union is USD 8,000 per person, per day.¹⁷ You can find sending limits and restrictions online on your country-specific Western Union site.

Wise as an alternative for receiving money in South Africa

With transparent fees and no margin on the exchange rate¹, Wise is a great alternative for receiving international transfers in ZA. Unlike other payment providers, Wise always uses the mid-market exchange rate (similar to the rate you see on Google) for international payments, and also provides the total cost before you make the transfer so you know exactly how much you’re paying!

Send money to South Africa

Sources

1. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
2. Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.
3. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers identity. Wise may request additional documents to verify a customer's identity.
4. Please note that certain products or features may not be available in all regions. Please visit www.wise.com to check for availability and learn more about our offerings.
5. Receive money into bank account
6. ID and proof of address
7. ID needed for different citizens
8. Picking up payment ID
9. Details needed for sender bank account transfer
10. ID for online transfer
11. Register once for online transfers
12. Agents in South Africa
13. What you need to pick up
14. Pick up process
15. Track a transfer
16. Speed of transfer
17. Maximum send amount
18. Receiving costs
19. Cost of exchange rates
20. Payment methods available