Western Union, Viber in cross-border money transfer deal
SAN FRANCISCO, February 5, 2016
The Western Union Company, a leader in global payment services, and Viber, a leading mobile messaging app, has signed an agreement to offer a fast and simple way to send money to friends and family virtually anywhere in the world from the convenience of the Viber app.
Leveraging the recently released WU ConnectSM platform, the collaboration between Western Union and Viber will focus on three key areas - send money around the world, a user experience for the messaging world and integrated solutions.
Viber users in the US will be able to send up to $499 for pickup at more than 500,000 Western Union agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories, said a statement.
Western Union and Viber have created a money transfer experience that will start and complete within the messaging screen of Viber users, it said.
The solution will leverage robust technology, foreign exchange conversion, data management, as well as regulatory, compliance and anti-money laundering infrastructure, to expedite efficient and timely money movement almost anywhere in the world.
Hikmet Ersek, president and chief executive officer, Western Union, said: “Through this alliance with Viber we continue our positive momentum to increase the number of ways to move funds into our global FinTech cross-border platform, expanding our digital omni-channel network."
Michael Shmilow, chief operating officer, Viber, said: “Our users are already using Viber to stay in touch with friends and families worldwide, so the ability to send money to loved ones through the app is a natural next step.
“Viber’s alliance with Western Union is our first step into this direction and it gives our users a new way to quickly and conveniently send money to friends and family.”
Launched last year, the new, innovative API-based WU Connect platform enables third-party digital platforms to integrate with Western Union in order to provide a seamlessly integrated global money transfer experience to their users. - TradeArabia News Service
