If you find yourself frequently transferring money internationally to loved ones, family or friends, then you’re probably frequently searching for different options and the cheapest way to send money overseas. Your bank may not be ideal, as it’s often quite expensive and timely to do so, but there are other options available to you.
One of those options is Walmart, as many may not know they’ve developed a financial division that offers a credit card with MasterCard, insurance, protection on valuables and money transfers. As with any financial institution, you’ll find both positives and negatives that come with using Walmart for your money transfers, and that’s what this guide is for. We’ll walk you through the pros and cons, helping you decide if Walmart may be the money transfer option is for you.
Walmart has teamed up with Western Union for their money transfer service, and the process starts by going to your local Walmart location and going up to the customer service desk to start the process. Going in it’s important to know how much you plan on transferring, as you’ll need to bring identification if you’re transferring an amount greater than $300.
Once you’ve started the process, you’ll need to give the details of the recipient, including their first name, last name and location. The country, state/province and city are all necessary. This will allow the recipient to be properly identified so that no one else can receive the funds but them.
Next you’ll need to give them the amount of money you’re looking to send. Consider the exchange rate they’re offering, as it will different from your bank or other financial institutions based on their markup. While you could choose an amount in Canadian dollars, it might be better to select the amount you want to send in your recipient’s local currency so that you know the amount they’ll receive. The option is yours, but the fees and exchange rates are important to consider before going into the transfer.
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The last step is to finalize the transfer. They’ll confirm the fees and exchange rate with you, allowing you to confirm the amount you’re happy with before you pay. Once the transfer is complete, your recipient can go to their local Walmart and pickup the funds (usually in cash).
For the primary fees, you can expect about a $5 cost for transfers up to $50 and about a $10 for transfers up to $900. The other primary fee to consider is the exchange rate, as we’ve noted early. While they won’t disclose it until you’re at the desk and have started the process, it’s the most important fee to consider, especially for larger transfers.
Depending on when you initiate the transfer, and your recipient’s location it may take as little as a few minutes for the funds to be available at another Walmart location, but it would be fair not to expect more than 3-5 business days for the longest of transfer times.
Sources:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/financial-services/support-centre#WU_MoneyTransfers
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