There are many ways you can transfer money worldwide. Money transfer services like MoneyGram, RIA Money Transfer, Walmart Money Transfer, and of course Western Union money transfer enable customers to send and receive money globally. I have received so many questions about Western Union money tracking and how does sending/receiving money through Western Union work? So, I have decided to summarize the answers in four easy steps.
How to send and receive money through western union
To receive/send money through the Western Union, all the sender needs are receiver’s first and last name, sender’s first and last name and the money. The sender fills out the western union form and hands it out to the Western Union agent in any of the locations. The information filled out will be entered into the Western Union’s machine and you’ll be allowed to confirm it before the agent hit send.
Now, here are the steps you need to receive the money:
How to Pick Up a Money Transfer
1) The first and last name the sender used on the Western Union form as the sender’s name.
2) The first and last name the sender used on the Western Union form as the recipient’s name
3) The ten digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN#)/Western Union Tracking number found on the upper right-hand corner of the Western Union paper form
4) The Test question/answer and the amount.
That is it, no ID needed in some countries, but in Nigeria you will need to show proof of IDs like international passport or driver’s license
Bear in mind that the Western Union is a risky and unsecured method to send money
Western Union and MoneyGram don’t verify anything on the form the sender hands out to the agent during the time of sending the money, such as the name, home address, country, and not even the receiver’s sex, it all comes down to you literally risking your money.
The agent won’t try to check ID and will essentially hand off the money to whoever that is able to confirm the MTCN#, amount, and the question/answer. Either one of the companies will be able to tell the sender who grabbed the money, at what bank location or even in what country the money walked out of the door. Also, the company has no sort of refund policy arrangement, money sent is money gone until the end of Jupiter.
In order to make sure you receive the money sent to you, you must go to any of the banks in your country that promote Western union to verify that you have an account with the bank before the money can be handed over to you. If you don’t have an account with the bank, you will provide a guarantor, usually this is the bank’s managers.
Western Union Money Tracking
Verifying that the MTCN# is correct on the company’s website won’t guarantee that the sender has actually sent YOU money, it just confirms that some cash was sent to someone. Until you have your money in your hand, NEVER expect to receive money sent to you.
In conclusion, don’t be discouraged about using Western Union to transfer money to friends, families or relatives. You just need to be careful when using this method to send/receive money. I hope this clears the confusion on how does sending/receiving money through Western Union work?
Do you have any input about this article, let us know by leaving your comment below. Sharing is like having more, share this article on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ so that your friends will have what you know.
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who can I take as the guarantor of me if I don’t have account with the bank?
Hello Mile,
I believe you need to have someone at the bank to serve as a guarantor for you. But if you don’t have in that bank, you can find someone outside which the bank will trust or you might as well open an account with the bank. Good luck
good day sir am emmanuel by name how can ni cary out this???
What About If The Sender Only Send Me Only One Name, MTCN Number, Amount. How Can I Recieve That Money?
Hello, you will need to reach back to the sender to ask for the full name in order to receive the money. Some places require address of the sender too. So, you might want to ask for that too. Good luck
my sender said i should send address to him and i don’t understand him
Hello Manny – He might need to have your address to fill the sending form. You can ask him/her again, but in some cases you will need the address.
send me the wu bug software to my emaill tomasgray827@gmail.com thanks
What?
Can I use my voters card or national idcard
National ID card
can use voter’s card?
Hi, some banks do accept voter’s card but not all. Just to be safe go with other IDs. Thanks
Hello.
A seller in China told me he needs the MTCN number to be sure I sent money.
But he can’t receive the money unless I supply the sender’s name.
He wanted me to be sure I’m safe to buy from him using that method.
Is that true?
Hello, i wouldn’t send money through western union to buy something in China. You need to read the terms regarding Western union. I know it can’t be refunded. The best bet is through wire to have confirmation and traces. And you can do what is called charge back in case something goes wrong. Back to your question, the OP needs the sender’s name to be able to receive the money you sent. Thanks
when I want to receive money from USA to Italy does my surname appear to be the last name or my own name
Your last name is the same thing with surname name. So it is your father’s name. thanks
the name on my ID is idugboe festus how am I going to send it to the person for him or her to understand is it that idugboe is the first name and festus is the first name
Sir your company have Atm card?
My company? What are you trying to say? Please elaborate on it
Hello. Pls what is the MTCN# number means.
And what importance does it have to receive money
The Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), or tracking number, is the unique reference number assigned to your money transfer. (You may also hear this referred to as the Money Transfer Control Number.) Your receiver will need this number when they pick up their money at an agent location. This is to ensure you have communicated with the sender who provides the number to you. Thanks
What is the least amount someone can send through western union from America to Nigeria?
Hi, i believe there is no least amount but I will guess it is $10. Thanks
Sir someone just sent me money but I don’t have drivers licence or Voters card sir,can I send someone else with ID to collect it with the MTCN???
No, the person has to be the receiver. You can call back the sender to change the name of the receiver to the person who has ID. So, that the person can be able to receive the money and give to you. Make sure it is someone you trust who will give you the money once he/she receives it. I have done this so many times – Sender should call Western Union to make the change. Thanks
I’m afraid you assertion are wrong, you can not do a western union or moneygram money transfer from Nigeria in a bank you don’t have an account. Furthermore in some banks in Nigeria you can only receive NO “outward bound western union or Moneygram transfer” i.e Gtbank, Sterlinbank etc
That’s correct. It used to be without having bank account with the bank, but now you must have an account with the bank before you can carry out the transactions. Thanks
Pls how will i know that the money is ready to pick up?
It takes minutes/at least 10 minutes to receive the money. Once the sender provides the confirmation with MCTN number, you should head to the bank to collect the money.
Thanks
Please can I used the address I used to open my account in the bank, which I operate my western union or my national I’d card address..plz?
It does not matter. You can use any of the addresses. Thanks
please I want to know, will they ask you to provide your bank details together with the name and surname? If not how do they know the Bank to send it. Thank you
No,they will ask for receiver’so name and address. You don’t need bank information to send the money. Any bank that operates western union should be able to hand out the money to the receiver if the info matches what’s on the sender’form. Thanks
Hello,pls I dont get ,you mean with me sending my bank account no and details the money will still get to me?.
So all the sender needs is my name and address to send the money?
Please don’t send your bank account to anyone. All you need is the control number and name of the sender for the receiver to collect the money. And of course the address of the sender and the amount you’re receiving. Thanks
please sir my national id is a tempory one i mean with only a papper
can the bank accept it
Can I recall my money if I felt I don’t want to send money to the person again?
And when I only gave the supposed receiver ONLY the MTCN number, BUT NOT the sender name?
Thanks
Someone want to send me money. And the person is already asking of the agent details. So am I going to give the person my name written on my ID? And how can I collect the money in bank without no problem? Please help me out
You give the person your full name, address and phone number. If this is through Western Union or Money gram. Other means might need the bank details. Good luck
I don’t have national ID or driver’s licence and voters card. can I use students ID card, I’m a student
Hi,
You could try using student ID, but keep in mind that some banks do not accept it. Good luck
I want to receive money from Nigeria in Benin republic but the person that wants to send the money keeps telling me they don’t send to this country which is Benin republic. where can the money be sent to me
What are you using to send the money? You could try other means like Money gram or RIA etc. Just check for the enterprise that can send money to your country
A friend of mine want to send me money from China and is asking me of my Bank details and I send account name, account number,and bank name to him but is want to use western Union to send it, would I be able to receive it in Nigeria here with that information, please answer thanks
Yes, you can. Simply go to any bank that operates in Western Union.. Ghhhh
Must I send the country am in to be able to receive money through Western Union from American? Am in Nigeria.! Like what I have red here, you mentioned (MTCN), name of sender, sender address and amount that was sent…. Wanted to know if there’s any other thing they will need for me to receive it. Thanks!!!
Hi,
The sender is usually the one asked for the country of the receiver – which in this case should be Nigeria. You don’t need to tell the sender since both of you would have communicated about the money. You will need to get the MTCN, name of the sender,sender’s address and amount in order to receive the money in Nigeria. That’s all you need.
What if areceiver give you only surname and adress can it be possible to send money
Yes, though you have to provide a valid ID that shows that is you.
Comment Text* pls is zip code needed in the address I need to give my sender
If you’re in a place that has zip code, that should complete your full address and should be provided to the sender. An example is US address
Hi i have only Voters card and the name in the card Is Mpiegblam Judge, and someone sent me money from USA with the name Mpiegblam Amarachi. can i be able to use the card and cash the money? Note: the Judge is is my first name and Amarachi my second name but the ID card has only Mpiegblam Judge on it.. and the issuer of ID card made a mistake by using Judge in place of George. plz reply to me now, Thank you.
Yes, you can use that ID to pick up the money provided it has your image or picture on the ID card. But this is the problem, I don’t think Nigerian banks accept voter’s ID anymore. Right now, you need to have an account with the bank you are collecting or picking up the money. Sometimes you can present someone who knows you and can be a cosigner to receive the money. Good luck
thanks sir, wow i like this page.. OK i got account with the UBA so i can proceed to any Branch of UBA to receive the cash right?
Yes, that is correct.
please can I use voter card to collect money ,my brother want to send me money from China, and na the name on the voter card I used to opened my first bank account, please reply me
Is it possible for me to collect money with another name given to the sender,like I told the sender that I’m oladele Moses,after he send the money i go to the bank with another name like Olubayo john,but I no the MTCN number I’m i be able to receive the money from bank or not.
No, the name must match what the sender has entered during the time of sending it. Also, the identity you will present must match the name also. Good luck
I gave a man an address to send money to the address in united states, the man that send the money is in united state,the address I gave to him is united states address, he sent the money now but the receiver is not willing to pick up the money
how can I pick the money here in Nigeria through online transfer, the sender cannot go back to western union to change the address or anything, please do help me
Hi,
Ask the sender to call up Western Union to cancel the transaction so that he/she can receive the payment back through the means (store location, card payment etc) he/she sent the money. Normally, you can change the name of a receiver, but you can’t change the location – instead you have to cancel the transaction, get your money back and resend it to the correct location/person. If this is yahoo/deals/runs – I don’t think you can get the money back – wonders why the sender can’t go back to the western Union:)
Please I have a question, what details would I give to the sender, I’m from Nigeria and the person wants to See Me some money, So what details would I give to her?
Your full name. That is all
pls, the sender mistakenly interchange my first name to last name, can i still receive the money with my valid id card?
He needs to amend it or cancel it entirely and resend with correction. Thanks
how can i check my mtcn number online maybe is not fake
It can’t be fake if that was given to you or the sender. Each one is system generated. You can also check on western union website and find out if it is fake or money has been picked up. Good luck
Good day. a friend of mine in Canada wants to send money to me here in Nigeria. he wants to send it through online western union. I’m just curious, does he have to do it online or go to the bank?
Either way will work. You can do it online or go to any of the western union locations to send the money to you. Good luck
Hello, I really love this articles and some answered to questions which is not clear to me before… Kudos to you. Please can I also pick up a money sent to US address and other names here in Nigeria with the MTCN number, the sender’s information and the security questions directly into my Wema or Gtbank affiliated to Western Money on Quickteller platform? Your experience is highly needed, thanks for your concern.
No, the money has to be received in the addressed destination. You can send money to US and receive it in Nigeria. Even though you have all the details needed for the pick-up, it has to be where the money was sent to…
Please I’ll like you to understand my questions, it’s all about freelancers and kindly enlighten me more on it.
Hi, You can receive your freelancer money through PayPal (Foreign opened) and move the money your Payoneer and then withdraw the money through skrill.
How can i receive up to 20,000 Dollars sending direct to Nigeria?
Hi Kate, I can help you receive the money if you need Acc. If it is clean, the sender should just send it to Nigeria and you can claim it. I have receive more than that in Naija. Good luck
Which Bank in Nigeria can help me send money from Nigeria to macedonia and How much will i pay the bank to help me send the money
Would they help me send the money if i don’t have account with them.
Hi,
Currently, for you to send money through any bank in Nigeria you need to have an account with them. The same applies to receiving money from a foreign country like western union, Money gram etc.
Someone in USA want to send me 150$ to westernunion and i don’t have an account there.. He told me i should just present only my id card when i get to any western union.. That he will send me the pictures of filling of forms through whatsapp which he use to send the money..now that i don’t have account with western union, what will i do?
Hi Timmy,
You simply need to visit any bank in Nigeria that operates western union and present your ID card, name of the sender, location/address, amount and of course MCT# (Money tracking or control number), answer to the text question (if any) and you should be able to pick you the money. Mind you need to have an account with the bank before you can collect the money from that bank that operates western union. Thanks
Sir how much is it cost to send money from Nigeria to macedonia and send money through wester union in Nigeria
Hi,
Please reach out to any bank that operates western union in Nigeria. I don’t have an exact amount to give you now. Thanks
Can I use my voters card to collect money from western union in Nigeria since I don’t av international passport or national Id?
Hi,
I don’t know if that is allowed now. No harm in trying with that ID. Give it a shot:)
hello can i send money from Kenya to Macedonia and which banks can use?
hello can i send money from Kenya to Macedonia…..if yes which banks should I go to?
Hello,
Any of the big banks in Nigeria should work or you can use Money gram to send it. Good luck
hi, I would like to know if I can receive over 10,000 dollars via western union or is there a limit
Hi,
Please call western union to find out their limit. You can also try money gram or send me email i will help you and receive the money:)
How much will it take to open a western union account?
Nothing..free to open one
Wow i love this site, nice work bro @SEO Guru
Thank you for visiting
Hello,please someone want to send me money from us using walmart moneygram and told me in the form they need receivers phone number is it compulsory
Hi, it is not compulsory for the phone number, although some locations might need it during the sending of money. You can just give him your number or anyone else number – they will never call you. Thanks
Please can i be able to send money from Canada to Nigeria through walmart please i need an urgent reply
You can’t because Nigeria is not included in Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart money transfer
What details are mine to send to person who wants to send money to me
I greet you Guru, plz bro I want to know if I can use my expired international passport here in Nigeria to receive money sent to me from US at money gram…thanks
Hello, it depends on the center and they should accept it since it has your image in it. But most places would check the expiration date on the passport. I would suggest you try it out. Thanks
good morning sir.please i want to know if its possible to transfer money sent to me from Gambia to us.into my Nigeria bank account through quickteller western union transfer.
Yes you can do that through western union by giving them your bank details.
Hi,
My friend is a foreigner on a work trip in Nigeria and he does not have bank account or western union account in Nigeria. Therefore, is it possible for him to visit the nearest Western Union branch to pick up cash with the MTCN# & his Passport ID? Or he needs to use someone’s bank account to receive the money?
Kindly advice. Thanks.
Hello, normally the bank has to determine he can pick up the money without having an account with the bank where you have western union. He can find someone in a bank who can cosign for him or someone that works in that bank or another bank that knows him very well. Good luck
Comment Text*will the sender not going to ask for your state zip code?
Not really, name only and ID
Lovely content