Western Union analysis shows that international money transfer senders, particularly recent immigrants, are as mobile-savvy and digitally motivated as the general population with nearly six out of 10 migrants owning a smartphone, moving it from a luxury device to an irreplaceable everyday necessity. Over two thirds of migrant international money transfer senders and more than 80 percent of non-migrant international money transfer senders own a smartphone.
Western Union, a leader in global payment services, today announced it will offer Apple Inc.’s technology Apple Pay™ mobile payment solution at Western Union’s flagship locations, to provide consumers yet another way to fund global money transfers and bill payments in the United States.
Consumers making Western Union transactions at kiosks in over 7,600 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide also have the ability to utilize the Apple Pay service.
“Innovative payment options are a strategic focus for Western Union, and starting to accept Apple Pay is in keeping with the company’s blueprint for the future,” said Odilon Almeida, Western Union President, Americas and European Union.
“Our customers have an expectation of using mobile technology to make money transfer service and product accessibility easier. Western Union is rising to the occasion as we harness our system with modifications to link cash and digital transfers between retail locations, mobile phones, prepaid cards, online and traditional bank accounts and ATMs,” said David Thompson, Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Technology and Chief Information Officer.
Launched at Western Union’s flagship 1440 Broadway in New York City—with more participating Western Union Agent locations to follow—customers will be able to use their iPhone 6 to fund a Western Union Money Transfer® transaction or bill payment.
To use this service, customers must register their debit card on their device and ensure their bank is a participating partner of the Apple Pay service. They can then make a payment simply by holding their phone near the contactless reader with their finger on Touch ID. Consumers’ debit card numbers are not transmitted in payment, nor are they shared with the Western Union Agent.
Western Union counts 29 transaction every second. The company uses electronic ways to transfer money. The mobile feature of Western Union has made it possible to send money from mobile to 500,000 locations, 100,000 ATMs.
Western Union has only 6% contribution from its digital business, according to Hikmet Ersek, chief executive officer of Western Union Co. Ersek said in a Bloomberg program that 80% of the customers of digital business are new customers. The cannibalization of legacy business by digital business still remains a problems for Western Union. If Apple Inc. Pay gets mass penetration, conventional payment services can get a major blow.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:
