In the world of cash-transfers, few other companies come to mind as instantaneously as Western Union. If you’ve walked in a convenience store anywhere between the west and east coast of the United States, you’ve probably seen a banner for Western Union. The remittance provider is currently facing a preliminary antitrust inquiry as the EU examines allegations of Western Union intentionally driving rivals out of business.
Allegedly, Western Union is giving their retail outlet partners contracts with exclusivity contracts in them which don’t allow other cash-transfer services to operate within the stores. The businesses have chosen to remain un-named as the process to investigate Western Union is private. The investigation is also covering claims that smaller remittance services were closed because of allegations that they were used to traffic drug money or terrorist funding. Currently, the remittance operator has agreed to cooperate with the EU investigation.
Western Union, a company founded in the 1800’s and headquartered out of Colorado, has been providing financial services for well over 100 years. As a money transfer service, Western Union has been able to send funds almost instantaneously for years with nearly anonymous operations on the receiver’s end.
The fees are varied with Western Union, but they’re not cheap and similar, if not much more expensive than what traditional banks offer with international remittances. The benefit of remittance operator for most people is basically the speed of how the funds are available the anonymity afforded to those accepting the funds.
Bitcoin offers a solution to those looking to send money overseas through different means than Western Union. There’s a varying aspect of anonymity with transferring money overseas through Bitcoin, depending on which means one’s uses regarding ATM’s or online wallets. The fees are much lower, if anything at all when sending Bitcoin to another person depending […]
