Additionally, consumers in six countries are allowed to access Western Union’s website to send funds online to recipients located in the Philippines; this service is available using a credit or debit card directly to Smart Communications or Globe Telecom subscribers mobile wallets, or accounts tied to their mobile phones.
Philippines-based telecommunications company Globe Telecom currently has 24 million subscribers, of which 1 million are enrolled in its GCASH mobile wallet service, whereas local mobile services provider Smart Communications has over 45 million, of which 8 million are enrolled in Smart Money.
How it works
To send a Western Union mobile money transfer to a Globe GCASH or Smart Money accountholder, consumers are set to visit either Western Union’s locations in 27 countries, or a Western Union website in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK or the US. Furthermore, the transaction is set to be completed like a traditional money transfer, except that the sender provides the receivers mobile phone number and the funds are received in the receivers mobile wallet, unlike cash payment services.
Western Union also offers the mobile money transfer service in Kenya, in partnership with local mobile network operator Safaricom; in Malaysia with local Communication and internet technology provider Maxis; and in South Africa in partnership with local financial institution Absa.
More recently, Western Union has announced a partnership with Canadian m-commerce company EnStream for local consumers. The company has also inked other agreements with Middle East mobile telecommunications provider Zain and Egyptian mobile services operator Orascom, as well as financial services provider State Bank of India and the Bank of Commerce & Development (BoCD) in Libya.
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