MANILA – Western Union announced the launch of a new mobile app in the Philippines, giving millions of consumers in the country the power to send funds abroad, enjoying competitive FX rates in the process, and request remittances in a new way that adds convenience and flexibility. The Philippines is the first global market where Western Union launches an app with both send and request capabilities.
Consumers who download and use the app can send funds abroad seamlessly, and through Western Union’s global financial network, gain access to billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and hundreds of thousands of retail locations for cash payout. To send funds, app users have the option to pay online securely using the national QR code payment method ‘QR Ph’. Signing up to use the app is easy and takes up only a few minutes.
Equally, consumers who use the app can request funds from senders in the U.S., Australia, Singapore, the UK, and several other global markets with large Filipino diasporas present1, simply by filling in their receiver info. Senders will then be able to complete the transaction online from the country they reside in. Receivers have multiple options to access their funds: cash withdrawal at a retail location, deposit to a bank account, or directly to a digital wallet, depending on the market. Additionally, when funds are sent by Senders from abroad to the Philippines, their Receivers will be able to redirect the funds to their preferred bank account or digital wallet². Consumers can track their transfers by entering the transaction tracking number (MTCN) in the app.
“Today’s launch marks an important milestone in our effort to serve consumers in the Philippines better and connect them to their families and loved ones across the world,” said Gregory Laurent, vice president for the Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Islands at Western Union. “For many in the country, remittances represent a life with more opportunity and hope. At the same time, an increasing number of Filipinos opt to send funds abroad. Our new app gives the opportunity to do both, with the flexibility and trust that Western Union can provide.”
According to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, remittances to the Philippines reached an all-time high of $38bn in 2024. According to the World Bank, the Philippines had the fourth-highest remittance levels among low- and middle-income countries last year. The United States was the biggest source of cash remittances in 2024, followed by Singapore.
The app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
1 Global markets available: US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Saudi Arabia
2 Applies to digital transfers from the USA, Italy, Germany and the UK.
