Western Union: Everything you should know before sending money from Japan

This guide covers all you need to know about Western Union in Japan, including the Western Union rates and fees you’ll pay when sending money. We’ll also touch on an alternative service as a comparison - Wise for quick, cheap international transfers from Japan, which uses the mid-market exchange rate.

📝 Table of contents
Western Union Japan fees and exchange rates What is ‘hidden cost’ in exchange rates? 💡A transparent and cheap alternative: Wise How to send money from Japan with Western Union

Send money with the 'real' rate

Western Union Japan fees and exchange rates

To get started with Western Union Japan you can visit their website and model the payment you want to make¹. This will show you the services available, as well as the fees and exchange rates on offer for your specific country and currency.

You might notice that Western Union is advertising a 0 JPY fee for some transfers. However, there’s likely to be a footnote alongside the headline offer - here’s what Western Union says:

“Western Union also makes money from currency exchange. When choosing a money transmitter, carefully compare both transfer fees and exchange rates. Fees, foreign exchange rates and taxes may vary by brand, channel, and location based on a number of factors. Fees and rates subject to change without notice.”

This means that Western Union may add a markup or margin to the exchange rate they use for your transfer. This is still a fee - but it’s harder to spot.

Let’s look at an example transfer to see what this means in practice - say you’re sending 100,000 JPY to a bank account in the Philippines:

The Western Union transfer fee you’ll pay is 0 JPY. So far, so good.

However, the Western Union exchange rate for your payment is 1 JPY = 0.4565 PHP, compared to the mid-market rate (the ‘real’ rate) of 1 JPY = 0.459617 PHP.²⁺³

If you send 100,000 JPY with the Western Union exchange rate, a recipient gets 45,653.31 PHP. But with the real rate, at that time, 100,000 JPY is worth 45,961.70 PHP.

	JPY to PHP	100,000 JPY	Possible cost in the exchange rate
Mid-market rate	1 JPY = 0.459617 PHP	45,961.70 PHP	---
Western Union	1 JPY = 0.4565 PHP	45,653.31 PHP	308.39 PHP

(23:07, GMT+2, 2020 Nov 10)

The difference is because of the markup on the rate - and shows the profit Western Union makes on the payment. ‘0 JPY transfer fee’ doesn’t mean ‘no fee’.

‘Hidden cost’ in exchange rates

As you can see from our example above, banks and providers often markup their exchange rates. You are paying not just transfer fees but also a markup within the exchange rates used for your transfer.

Checking transfer fees is not enough. Always compare an exchange rate offered by banks or providers with the real rate, which you can find on Google or by using an online currency converter. If there’s a difference, that probably means the provider adds a markup to their exchange rates.

💡A transparent and cheap alternative: Wise

The good news is that not all providers add a markup to the exchange rates they use. Meet Wise.

With Wise, you can send money from Japan to 60+ countries with the mid-market exchange rate without any markup. You’ll only ever pay a simple upfront charge, so you can clearly see how much your transfer costs, and what your recipient will get in the end.

To send money with Wise,

1. Create a free account
2. Choose an amount to send
3. Add recipient’s bank details
4. Verify your identity
5. Pay for your transfer by bank transfer or debit/credit card

And that is it! You can track your transfer in your account and your recipient will also be notified when a transfer reaches them.

Sign up now

NEW: A Wise multi-currency account

Do you also receive money from abroad to Japan? You can receive money for free to a Wise multi-currency account with the UK, US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore’s bank details. Just as if you had a local bank account there. You can also hold your money in 50+ different currencies, and switch it using the mid-market rate and transparent fees whenever you want to!

Manage 50+ currencies Get local bank account details for UK, US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore Send money to 80+ countries with the mid-market rate

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How to send money from Japan with Western Union

Let’s take a look at your options for sending money from Japan through Western Union.⁴

Online

• Create your account and have your ID verified (more on that in a moment)
• Start your transfer, entering your destination country and the amount you want to send
• Confirm if you want to pay using a bank transfer or via an ATM. You can also start your transfer online and pay in store if you’d prefer
• Select the payout method you want to use - this could be cash collection, direct to a bank account or delivery to a mobile wallet for example
• Enter your recipient’s details, following the prompts on screen
• Confirm and pay

Western Union branches

• Find your local Western Union Japan location using the online location finder tool, or Google maps
• Visit the branch in person, taking your government issued ID document for verification purposes
• Tell the agent the details for your recipient, including full name, location and the amount to send, and confirm the delivery method
• Pay for the transfer in cash

FamilyMart stores

• To use Western Union Family Mart you’ll need to pre-register, by completing a form online and printing it, or requesting a printed form to be mailed to your home address⁵
• Once you have registered you can visit a FamilyMart branch to arrange an international payment, and pay in cash at the cash register

Seven bank (Seven Eleven)

• You can use Seven Bank Western Union if you have a Seven Bank account with an active overseas money transfer service contract⁶
• If you’re eligible for this service, you can send money via an ATM or using online banking services

What you need to send money from Japan with Western Union

Online

To send money online for the first time, you’ll need to have your identity verified.⁷

• Create an account profile online
• Follow the steps to input the required information including your name, address, date of birth, and nationality
• Upload a scan of your ID documents:
  • For Japanese residents: Japanese passport and My Number card are required.
  • For foreign residents, Residence card and My Number card are required. Juminhyo with My Number can be used, too.

Once your identity has been checked you can make the first money transfer. However, for the second transfer you’ll need to verify your address, too. To do this:

• Check your physical mail for a letter from Western Union containing a 4 digit PIN
• Use this PIN to log into your Western Union account
• Verify your account again using the PIN provided

After verifying your address your account will be up and running and ready to make more regular payments.

Western Union branches

To send money using Western Union Japan in person at an agent location, you’ll need the following:⁸

• Your government issued photo ID
  • For Japanese nationals: Japanese driving license, Passport (with current address), or My Number card
  • For foreign residents: Residence card
  • For non-residents: Passport
• The full name of your recipient
• The total amount you want to send - as well as the fees applied
• Details of the country you’re sending to
• Recipient’s bank details for payments which are sent directly to their bank account

Western Union branches: locations and working hours

You can find your most convenient branch or agent for Western Union Japan using the Western Union location finder tool. Search using the service function and address field, to make sure you can find an agent which offers the services you need.

How to track Western Union money transfers

When you set up an Western Union money transfer, you’ll receive a Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). You’ll need to give this number to your recipient if they are going to collect the payment in cash. This number can also be used by both you and the recipient to track the payment online.

To see how your payment is doing, head to Western Union’s transfer tracking page[6]. Enter the MTCN and the sender's name, you’ll get an update on the expected delivery time for your transfer.

Contact Western Union Japan Customer Service

You can get in touch with Western Union Japan in the following ways:⁹

• Call into your local branch to ask for advice in person
• Email Western Union using the online form available on their website
• Phone Western Union on 0034-800-400-733 (from Japan) or +61-2-9226-9554 (from outside Japan). English customer service is available 24/7

If you decide to send money with Western Union, don’t forget to take a look at the true overall costs including the exchange rate markups applied for your payment. Check out an alternative provider like Wise, which always gives you the mid-market rate and fair, upfront transfer fees.

See if you can save with Wise👀

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Sources

1. Western Union -Send money from Japan
2. Western Union - Send money from Japan (23:07, GMT+2, 2020 Nov 10)
3. XE Currency Converter - Convert JPY/PHP (23:07, GMT+2, 2020 Nov 10)
4. Western Union - Send Money Online or In-Person
5. Western Union International Money Transfer Service via Convenience Stores - For new registrations
6. Seven Bank - International Money Transfer Service
7. Western Union - Frequently Asked Questions FAQ Send Money Online - How do I verify my profile or complete my identity verification?
8. Western Union - Frequently Asked Questions What documents can I use to send money in person in Japan? - What documents can I use to send money in person in Japan?
9. Western Union - Contact Us