Personal Finance Money transfer

Can you transfer money from Western Union to Cash App?

Adam Rozsa

21.08.23 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 2 minutes

Need to send money abroad? There are lots of services available for making fast, convenient transfers. This includes established names like Western Union, right through to innovative newcomers like Cash App.

But do they work together, and can you transfer money from Western Union to Cash App? Read on to find out.

We’ll also touch on a great alternative for international payments, Wise.

Western Union and Cash App - an overview

Before we look at whether WU and Cash App work together, it’s useful to know a little about each service.

Western Union is an international money transfer specialist, with a history dating back to 1861 when it was one of the first telegraph companies. It offers cash pickup and payment as well as transfers through bank accounts, cards and other methods. Find out how much WU transfers cost here.

Cash App is a payment app, designed to make it easy to send money to friends and family.

It works by linking your account to an existing bank account, and you use this balance to fund payments. You can also get a debit card for spending. It only works within your home country, though, so you can’t use Cash App internationally.

Can you transfer money from Western Union to Cash App?

No, it isn’t currently possible to send money directly from Western Union to a Cash App account.

The only way to do it involves a few steps. You’d need to:

Transfer money from Western Union to your bank account

Link your bank account to Cash App

Use the new funds in your bank account to pay for Cash App transactions.

Can you transfer money from Cash App to Western Union?

Now, how about the other way round - is it possible to send money from Cash App directly to Western Union?

Unfortunately, the answer to this is also no. The two are separate services, both involved in money transfers but in quite different ways. It isn’t possible to send money from Cash App to or through Western Union.

Need to make international payments? Give Wise a try

Services like Cash App don’t work internationally, so you can’t use it to send money overseas. The good news is that there are alternatives available, such as the Wise Account.

Wise is a money service business, which offers an online multi-currency account and debit card.

With a Wise account, you can:

Send money to 70+ countries for low, transparent fees - starting from just 0.43%
Get the mid-market exchange rate on currency conversions
Hold and convert between 40 currencies at once
Get a Wise debit card for spending in 174 countries.

And because Wise uses margin-free exchange rates for converting currency, it could even work out cheaper than services like Western Union.

See how much you may save with Wise

The true cost of sending USD to EUR

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

Bottom line

So unfortunately, it’s not possible to use Western Union and Cash App together. You’ll need to complete a few extra steps if you want to use a recently received WU transfer to fund Cash App payments.

And if you need to make an international payment, consider using Wise to send money outside the US. It’s a great Western Union alternative, and it could save you a bundle.

Learn more about Wise

Frequently asked questions

Can Western Union put money on Cash App?

No, it’s not currently possible to use Western Union to make a direct transfer to Cash App. You’ll need to send money to your bank account first, then link this account to Cash App.

Can you transfer money from Western Union to a debit card?

While Western Union does offer the option to send money to a recipient’s debit card in some countries, it isn’t currently available in the US.¹

How does Western Union cash app work?

Find out everything you need to know about how to use Western Union here in our handy guide.

How do I cash out a Western Union transfer?

If someone has sent you money through Western Union for cash pickup, all you need to do is go along to the chosen WU agent location. Take your ID and the tracking number provided by the sender, and you can get your cash.

Sources used for this article:

Western Union - Home

Sources checked on 13-Jul-2023.

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.