How to Send Money From Western Union to GCash (Or Find a Cheap Alternative)

GCash is one of the most popular mobile wallets in the Philippines. However, some money transfer services like Western Union are known to charge high fees and unfavourable exchange rates sometimes when sending money to GCash. 

If you want to avoid these hidden costs, we recommend using WorldRemit to send remittances to GCash. WorldRemit often ranks as the cheapest provider on average to send money to the Philippines in 2023. WorldRemit to GCash transfers usually take no more than a few minutes.

To find the best live results today, compare WorldRemit with other Western Union alternatives using Monito's real-time comparison engine below 👇

How Do I Send Money From Western Union to GCash?

To start sending money to GCash with Western Union, all you need to do is log in to your current GCash account. Western Union is an official remittance partner of GCash, so you can navigate to the Cash-In section of the GCash app and select Western Union as your desired money transfer service.

Follow these steps to receive money via Western Union on GCash:

Western Union Fees to Receive Money on GCash

There are two ways to send your remittance to your GCash account. You can either visit a branch location or use the Western Union website.

At Monito, we have analyzed search data for thousands of international money transfers from around the world to the Philippines. Western Union was the cheapest option on less than 1% of all of these comparisons done on Monito in 2022. However, as of 2023, their online pricing has been improving, and today, they're regularly one of the cheapest providers on transfers for cash pick-up or bank deposits in the Philippines, but still not for GCash deposits. Compare Western Union here.

Overall, sending money with Western Union to GCash can sometimes be expensive. If you'd like to learn more, read our full in-depth Western Union review.

Western Union to GCash International Transfer Fees

If you send a remittance from Western Union to GCash, then you will not be charged a fixed fee. Sending money to a mobile wallet, like GCash, is more cost-effective than sending cash to a pick-up location.

• Fee for Mobile Wallet: $0.00

What is costly is Western Union’s hidden exchange rate markup. To make a profit off of you, Western Union applies an exchange rate that is weaker than the live market rate. Western Union will pocket this difference.

• Exchange Rate Margin: 1.2 to 1.75% on average

What Are the Best Western Union Alternatives to Send Money to GCash?

Based on the fee schedule, we recommend using WorldRemit for sending money to GCash from Japan. It also offers competitive rates for transfers from countries such as the United States, Malaysia, Switzerland, and many more countries across the Eurozone.

Monito's years of search data suggest that WorldRemit consistently offers better rates than PayPal, regardless of the size or location of the remittance to the Philippines. In 2023, WorldRemit has been one of the top services for remittances to the Philippines on Monito, so you can trust that you are getting a good deal.

Remitly is another great option that often ranked second this year. Wise took third place.

WorldRemit

Like PayPal, WorldRemit is also a GCash partner. To send money from WorldRemit to GCash, simply use their Mobile Money transfer option to get started.

WorldRemit to GCash Transfer Fees

WorldRemit often charges zero fixed fees to transfer money to GCash in the Philippines, although this may depend on the sending country. For popular sending countries, like the United States, WorldRemit does not charge a fixed fee.

• Fixed Fee: $0.00 (may vary by sending country)

WorldRemit to GCash Exchange Rates

On average, WorldRemit applies a foreign exchange rate that is 0.2% to 2.0% weaker than the real mid-market price. WorldRemit often offers promotional pricing for first-time users, which can save you a lot of money — especially if you send in large amounts.

• Exchange Rate Margin: 0.2% to 2.0% on average

WorldRemit to GCash Transfer Limits

WorldRemit allows a maximum of PHP 50,000 per transfer to GCash. The maximum you can send monthly is PHP 100,000 (or an equivalent amount).

In summary, we generally discourage the use of Western Union to GCash as its fees are often very high, despite being a trusted GCash partner that links seamlessly to your GCash account.

Instead, we recommend using WorldRemit, another trusted GCash partner and international money transfer service to the Philippines. In 2023, it was the cheapest provider in the world for nearly 17% of Monito comparisons for transfers to the Philippines.

If you're still unsure about whether WorldRemit is the cheapest or safest option, you can use our real-time comparison engine below to compare it with other top remittance companies 👇