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Western Union vs Paypal
Our recommendation: compare other options
François Briod
Guide
Western Union vs Paypal. Which one is the best for you and your needs? Which is the most affordable option if you need to send or receive money internationally? Check out our analysis of the pros and cons of each money transfer company.
On one side, we have Western Union, the most well known money transfer company, which has made a successful transition to the digital economy, with a strong digital offering.
On the other, Paypal is a pioneer in peer-to-peer money transfer and has a strong reputation and service. However, Paypal is not suitable for international money transfers as they charge super high fees in the form of hidden currency exchange rate margin and is never the cheapest option available..
We believe that other alternatives may be more interesting and cheaper than Western Union and Paypal depending on where your send money, how much and the types of pay-out method you're looking for. We recommend you to compare all your options first with our live price comparison tables.
Western Union vs PayPal
Compare Paypal, Western Union and 100+ international money transfer services
Trust & Credibility
Background check
A publicly-traded company, licensed and authorized by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
Publicly traded, PayPal is accredited and regulated by the relevant financial authorities in the countries in which it operates, though it loses points in trust due to past legal conflicts.
Security & reliability
Fully secure with top-notch security protocols, including segregated user accounts and HTTPS.
PayPal’s platforms are fully secured, making use of top-notch security protocols, such as segregated user accounts and HTTPS.
Company size
Founded in 1851, WU is arguably the biggest name in the international money transfer world.
PayPal is a well-established company, having existed in the money transfer market for over 20 years and employing over 23 thousand individuals. Serving over 435 million users, PayPal moved over $1.363 trillion in the past year alone.
Transparent pricing
Not fully transparent, around 70% of total fees are not disclosed upfront, but in the FX margin.
PayPal is not transparent about its pricing: over 86% of its fees are hidden in exchange rate margins.
Service & Quality
Opening an account
Opening an account with Western Union Online is reasonably easy on its website and mobile app.
Opening an account with PayPal is straightforward but does take a fair amount of steps.
Making a transfer
Transferring money with Western Union Online is a speedy and straightforward process for first-time and returning users alike.
Whether you are sending money to an existing or new recipient, transferring money with PayPal is an easy, fail-proof process.
Contacting support
Western Union Online provides a FAQ that's detailed and offers phone support features accessible via the mobile app.
PayPal has good customer support with an extensive FAQ section, as well as 24/7 live support via either chat or phone.
Fees & Exchange Rates
Transfers to a bank account
Great pricing when sending money to a bank account.
PayPal is a very expensive money transfer provider: it offered the best deal on only 1.24% of relevant Monito searches and ranked competitively on only 0.26% of relevant searches.
Transfers to cash pickup
Great pricing when sending money to a cash pick-up location.
PayPal does not have a score in this category.
Transfers to a mobile wallet
Seldom the cheapest for transfers to mobile wallets.
PayPal does not have a score in this category.
Customer Satisfaction
Trustpilot reviews
3.9 out of 5 stars from around 48,000 reviews on Trustpilot.
PayPal earned a 1.3/5 star rating on Trustpilot from over 25,000 reviewers.
App Store reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars from 599,000 reviews on the App Store.
PayPal earned a very high score of 4.8/5 stars on the App Store from 6.2 million reviews.
Google Play reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars from over 10,000,000 users on Google Play.
2.93 million reviews gave PayPal a 4.2/5 star rating on Google Play.
Related provider reviews
Other provider side-by-side comparisons
Why Trust Monito?
You’re probably all too familiar with the often outrageous cost of sending money abroad. After facing this frustration themselves back in 2013, co-founders François, Laurent, and Pascal launched a real-time comparison engine to compare the best money transfer services across the globe. Today, Monito’s award-winning comparisons, reviews, and guides are trusted by around 8 million people each year and our recommendations are backed by millions of pricing data points and dozens of expert tests — all allowing you to make the savviest decisions with confidence.
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Monito is trusted by 15+ million users across the globe.
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Monito's experts spend hours researching and testing services so that you don't have to.
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Our recommendations are always unbiased and independent.
