How to Cancel a Western Union Money Transfer

This article was co-authored by Michael R. Lewis. Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin.

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You've successfully sent a money transfer using Western Union and now you wish to cancel your transaction? Some simple steps are helpful in doing so.

Part 1 of 3:

Gathering Information

If you believe that you are a victim of fraud, immediately call your customer service number (number found on your national Western Union website). This will ensure that your money cannot be picked up and will be made available for you to receive as a full refund of principal send amount and charges.

You will need to have the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), senders name, and address, receivers name, origin country, expected payout country, and the total amount sent.
If available, it is helpful to have the original "to send" money form, as this already has all of the information included on it.
You will also need a copy of the same form of identification that you used to send money.

If the transaction took place at a sending agency, find the location and hours of operation, so you can visit that location.
If the transaction took place online, find your national email or consumer line phone number. The easiest way to find this is to access your national Western Union website and click on "contact" in the top right hand corner of the website. The email address for your country is as follows: COUNTRYNAME.customer@westernunion.COUNTRY (e.g, if you're in Germany, the email address would be Germany.customer@westernunion.de).

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Contacting the Place of Purchase

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If the transaction took place at a sending agency, you will need to visit that agency's physical location.
If the transaction took placed online, you will need to send an email or call the consumer line phone number.

You will need to explain that you are requesting a cancellation and provide an explanation for your request. This is to help avoid or report any potential fraud.
Provide verifying information. In order to verify your request, you will need to provide the following information: Your name, your address, MTCN number, Sender's name, amount sent and the expected payout country. If any of these do not match the information, Western Union will be unable to proceed with your request.

Answer any additional questions. The sending agency or Western Union may ask follow-up questions to ensure proper privacy and security. Answer any required information in a timely manner.

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Completing the Cancellation

Pay any required fees. Depending on the type of original transaction (cash, check, credit card, etc.) and other factors, you may be required to pay a fee for cancelling the money transfer. Note that it may be possible for the fee to be deducted from your refunded money.

If you are visiting a sending agency, simply wait for the agent to call one of the Western Union offices, wait a few minutes and then collect your money in cash. Refund requests made on the same day will always include the charges as well as the principal send amount. However, if your refund request is not made on the same day you will lose the charges (unless there was an error on Western Union's side or you were a victim of fraud, in which case you will receive a full refund).
If you contacted Western Union via email, you will receive a confirmation email once your request has been processed.

Retain the cancellation information. Keep copies of any receipts, emails, or confirmation numbers you may receive from the sending agency or Western Union.

Expert Q&A

How can I get money back from a cancelled transfer? Michael R. Lewis
Business Advisor

Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin.

Business Advisor Expert Answer

Complete a Tracking request to ensure that the transaction has not been completed. The amount of funds returned and the speed of the refund depends initially upon whether the Money Transfer has been completed, the presence of the original receipt (or the Money Transfer/Order) for the purchase of the Transfer, and the reason for the cancellation. In all likelihood, you will be charged a minimum fee for the cancellation.

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How long will it take Western Union to refund my cancellation back to my card? Michael R. Lewis
Business Advisor

Business Advisor Expert Answer

If the transfer has not been completed, you can cancel or stop a transfer at any time. Depending upon the source of funds being transferred (credit card, bank account, cash), funds are usually credited or available no later than the following business day.

Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Advertisement Review the terms and conditions before making any Western Union transaction. [1] X Research source

Keeping the "to send" money form is the easiest way to verify a transaction when making changes or cancelling a transaction sent from an agency.

Money transfers can be changed (receiver name and payout country) a maximum of two times before they need to be cancelled. It may be worthwhile to have your money transfer adjusted rather than refunded if the error is only marginal.

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Western Union services are not designed for the purchase of any products. Western Union does not offer any form of payment protection and is meant only for the quick transfer for of funds to people you know. As once the money is paid out, there is no possibility for a refund, knowing your receiver is your responsibility.

Note that you will not be able to cancel a money transfer if the recipient has already picked up the money. [2] X Research source