Even though there are many different payment methods across online bingo sites which players can use, both innovative and traditional, many players still opt for the most convenient one, the money transfer service Western Union. Being present in the online gambling industry since the very beginning, this money transfer provider is one of the leading ones, providing players with the unrivalled security and convenience they need. Why use Western Union as your online bingo payment method?
About Western Union
Money transfer service providers are plenty, but none is as efficient and popular as Western Union. This is a service provider that has been catering to people all across the globe for years, and has gained their trust and earned a spotless reputation.
If there are any of you who don’t recognize it, which is highly unlikely, Western Union is one of the oldest money transfer services the world knows of. Its story goes way back to 1851, when two rival companies, The Western Union Telegraph Company and the New York & Western Union Telegraph Company were going against each other for four years until they decided to join forces in 1855 and create a joint company, called only Western Union.
By 1871, the company was on fire. As a money transfer service, it had made great profits, and as a financial institution, it managed to become independent of banks and that’s how its WU network increased, with the telegraph service going strong, as well. By 1943, the company had over 500 competitors, which significantly deprived its market share. However, it managed to stay on top and today, it has branch offices in 200 countries and territories, all across the world. In 2006, however, it had to shut down the telegraph service and send the last telegram ever, since it had barely 20,000 telegrams sent that year due to the huge interest in sending SMS texts, emails and letters.
Focusing on the cash transfer business instead, in 2013, it had processed a total of $79 billion across 432 million business and 231 million consumers’ payments. Five years later, over $300 billion were transacted, in the most used currencies in the world. In the 200 countries and territories, WU has over 550,000 branch offices, which means it is one of the biggest, most stable and most well-reputed money transfer services out there.
When it comes to its availability across online bingo sites, you should not be surprised to learn that it is accepted in most, if not all, websites that offer online bingo. The solution has proved quite useful, considering it keeps on evolving and improving its services and keeps on delivering an extraordinary online banking experience to players. So, with no further ado, let’s review all you need to know about it to get started with it and use it for your online bingo gaming.
Getting Started with Western Union
As mentioned, Western Union keeps on improving its services, keeping up with the latest trends and keeping track of the latest changes and developments in the world of online banking. While previously, the only way you could send money via it was to visit one of its branch offices and provide the clerk cash, today, you have several other, more modern and convenient ways to send money all across the world.
Now, in-person transactions are still a thing, and when you visit its official website, you can find the agent locator tool, where you can enter your country of residence, zip code and city, and the nearest offices will be generated for you. So, you’ll need to visit the office, bring cash, and share your own and the recipient’s personal info. WU will take it from there and ensure the money arrives safely.
But, you also have the online option. Again, you can visit its website and on the homepage, you’ll immediately see the “Send Money” field, where you can select in which country you’ll send money to and how much. You’ll need to click on the “Send Now” button, and then specify how you’d like to pay, either via Klarna, bank transfer, credit/debit card, depending on your country of residence and the available options and how will the receiver want the money, in cash, on their bank account, mobile wallet, prepaid card or any other available option, depending on their country of residence. After that, you’ll need to provide the necessary payment and personal details to complete the transfer.
But you should know that you can also send money by phone and via the WU app. Just call the toll-free number 1-800-CALL-CASH to complete the transfer by phone, or download its app through Apple App Store or Google Play Store, depending on whether you have an iOS or Android-powered device, and continue following the intuitive steps to send the money. Worth knowing, the app is super cool, as it suits the modern fast-paced lifestyle, since not only can you make transfers with it but you can also see status updates, track your transactions and have your transaction history with you all the time, while on the go, as long as your device is connected to the internet.
How to Deposit at an Online Bingo Site with Western Union?
Assuming the getting started process is all clear to you, the next step would be finding an online bingo site that accepts Western Union. As mentioned earlier, the money transfer provider is available across most, if not all, online bingo sites, so you shouldn't have a problem finding one that suits you to join. Just register an account with that site, by clicking on the Sign-Up or Join Us button and providing the necessary personal details.
You might be asked upon registration to choose your deposit method, but if not, do the following:
- Join the online bingo site and head over to the Cashier/Banking section.
- From the list of offered methods, find WU’s logo and click or tap on it.
- Enter the amount of money you’d like to deposit on your online bingo site balance.
- Get in touch with Customer Support to check how the bingo site would like to receive the money.
- Choose the way you’d like to send the money, from the four ways mentioned above, and go through the corresponding procedures, as explained.
- As soon as you pay for the transaction, you’ll receive the MTCN (tracking code, which you need to enter in the designated field or share with the appointed Customer Support agent.
- Confirm the transaction and the money will soon arrive.
How to Make a Withdrawal with It?
Rarely do online bingo sites accept Western Union as a withdrawal method. Mainly, this is due to legal obstacles and the nature of the service, impeding online bingo sites to send money to players.
Therefore, if you intended to make both deposits and withdrawals with it before you join the bingo site, make sure you contact its Customer Support service to check whether withdrawals are an option. If not, you either look further to find a bingo site that does or choose an alternative withdrawal method.
Should you find a site that does accept it, you will see that the procedure will be similar, only done the other way around, since this time you’ll be the receiver and the bingo site the sender.
Allowed Countries
Western Union, as said in the beginning, is a payment solution available across over 200 countries and territories globally.
Therefore, you are probably playing from a country where the service is available, and probably where many branch offices exist. In terms of its availability and your eligibility to use it, you should have no problems at all. Whether you’re from the UK, the US, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany or Greece, among others, you can rest assured that WU would be an option for you.
Fees
Fees do apply when using Western Union to make your money transfer. The fee varies depending on the sending and receiving country, and the sending and receiving method used.
For instance, if a UK player wanting to send £200 to a US-based online bingo site, the bingo site will get $280, but you’ll need to pay an additional fee from £1.90 up to £9.90, depending on the methods used. This is just one example, so before you request any payment via WU, make sure you find out more about the fees involved.
Accepted Currencies
WU can process transactions in many currencies, around 20 of the world’s most popularly used currencies.
Indian rupees, Russian ruble, Mexican pesos, US dollars, UK pound/sterling, Brazilian real and Canadian dollars are just some of the accepted currencies you can use.
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Western Union Bingo Sites FAQs
Are there any transaction limits I should know of?
Yes, as a matter of fact, there are. If we take the example explained above, if you’re sending money from the UK to the US, you can send up to £50,000. But the limits vary, depending on the payment methods involved and the sending/receiving countries involved. You would need to check with the service to find out how much you can send/receive with it.
How do I contact WU’s Customer Support service?
There are many ways to get in touch with the Customer Support agents, including the on-site Send query option and the overseas phone number +32-(0)2 639 7103. There’s also a thorough Help page that you can explore to find an answer there. But the company has a dedicated Customer Support team in each country it operates, with phone numbers available as soon as you load its official website from the country you’re residing. You’ll get the available contact options designed specifically for the customers in your country.
How does the online bingo site know that I sent the money?
As the receiver, the bingo site can check its transfer status by entering the MTCN number. You, as the sender, can see whether the transfer is in motion by checking your profile’s history.
Is the online bingo site charged currency conversion fees?
No, even though you send the money in UK pounds, for instance, to a US-based bingo site, the site will receive the money in its local currency, the US dollar, without needing to pay currency conversion fees.
Will my profile be valid on a site in a different country?
No, not really. If, say, you created your WU profile on the UK website, your profile login credentials will only be valid on that website.
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