Western Union vs Ria

Take a look at well-known Western Union and growing international money transfer service Ria side by side.

Western Union is a well-known, established money transfer service with an extensive network across the globe. Meanwhile, Ria is a relative newcomer to the market but offers competitive rates to save you money. We compare what the two look like next to each other in terms of delivery speed, fees and exchange rates.

Compare Western Union vs Ria

Product AUFMT Filter Values Fastest Transfer Speed Fees (Pay by Bank Transfer)
Western Union logo
Within minutes
From $0
Get Western Union's best exchange rate and $0 fee on your first online transfer.
Western Union sends money online to 200+ countries, with competitive rates for new customers.
View details
Ria logo
Within minutes
$2.89
$0 fee for new customers with code ‘HelloRia’. T&Cs apply.
Ria lets you send money to 165+ countries with cash pick-up at 507,000 locations.
View details
loading

How they work

Western Union and Ria work in similar ways. They both offer diverse money transfer options including bank transfers and sending money for cash pickup. Western Union is the more established of the two, so can offer an extensive network and fast delivery speeds. But Ria is not far behind, with agent locations in over 165 countries.

The fees and rates used in this comparison are accurate as of 18 November 2024.

Which has lower fees?

Western Union

Western Union's fees vary depending on how much you're transferring, how you're sending it and where you're sending it to. Agent location fees aren't typically posted online, but Western Union's online fees are different for nearly every country it sends to. You can use its "Price Estimator" tool on its website to check the exchange rate and fee for your specific transaction.

Ria

For new customers, transfers are fee-free. If you are already a customer, Ria charges a flat $2.89 fee for online transfers to any country, any amount. However, keep in mind that fees vary between online and agent locations.

Trophy icon
Winner: Ria

With its flat transfer fee for any country, Ria's fees are generally cheaper across the board.

Let's crunch the numbers: Sending $300 and $4,000 to New Zealand

Let's look at an example to put this into context better. We're going to go through what two different transfers look like with Ria and Western Union. In this scenario, we're going to pay with a credit card (which means higher fees than with a bank transfer), and we're going to send the money to a cash pick-up location.

Keep in mind that other currencies will have different fees and transfer times.

Sending $300 to New Zealand
Western UnionRia
Transfer fee
$1.99
$2.89
Exchange rate
AUD$1 = NZD$1.1186
AUD$1 = NZD$1.10
Transfer speed
Instant
15 mins - 3 hours
Total dollars received
NZD$333.59
NZD$326.88
Receiver gets
NZD$6.71 more
NZD$6.71 less
Sending $4,000 to New Zealand
Western UnionRia
Transfer fee
$3.99
$2.89
Exchange rate
AUD$1 = NZD$1.1186
AUD$1 = NZD$1.10
Transfer speed
Instant
Instant
Total dollars received
NZD$4,470.41
NZD$4,394.01
Receiver gets
NZD$76.4 more
NZD$76.4 less

For both of these transfers, you end up with more money at the end with Western Union.

Which offers better exchange rates?

Western Union

Depending on the country you're sending money to, a typical exchange rate at Western Union can be up to 6% above the mid-market rate. This means that if you're sending a large amount overseas, you're losing out on hundreds of dollars.

For example:

  • Mid-market rate: AUD$1 = PHP38.4570
  • Western Union's exchange rate: AUD$1 = PHP39.6008

This is a margin of 0.23%.

Ria

Ria also adds a margin to the exchange rate, ranging between 0.3% and 4%. The same example of sending money to Singapore looks like this:

  • Mid-market rate: AUD$1 = PHP38.18
  • Ria's exchange rate: AUD$1 = PHP39.11

This is a margin of 0.39%.

Trophy icon
Winner: Tie

It depends on which currency you are sending as to what exchange rate markup you can expect. In our example above, both providers are pretty evenly matched.

Which is faster?

Western Union

Western Union's delivery speeds vary, depending on your transfer options. At an agent location or by phone, your transfer could be delivered in minutes (at higher costs). Your cheapest options could take five days or longer, depending on the country.

Ria

Ria's transfer speeds also depend on how you want to send the money. When you use your credit or debit card, or pay by PayID, your money should arrive within 15 minutes. Cheaper transfers from your bank account can take up to four days.

Trophy icon
Winner: Ria

Both Ria and Western Union offer a fast transfer option as well as a slower, cheaper option. Western Union generally processes domestic transactions within a day, while international transfers can take several days.

Ria on the other hand will take between 15 minutes and 4 hours.

General features

Payment methodsReceiving optionsMinimum and maximum transfersTransfer speedsCurrencies
Western Union
  • Bank transfer
  • Cash
  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • Bank account
  • Cash pickup location
  • Mobile wallet
Minimum: $1

Maximum: $50,000

Within minutes
130+ currencies
Ria
  • Bank transfer
  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • PayID
  • Bank account
  • Cash pickup location
  • Home delivery
Minimum: $1

Maximum: $20,000

Within minutes
95 currencies

Western Union

To transfer money online with Western Union, visit its site, enter the amount you're transferring and to where, and then confirm how much you need to pay for the exchange. Once complete, Western Union converts and delivers your money to a bank account, mobile wallet or for cash pickup at locations worldwide.

Ria

To transfer money online with Ria, go to its site, enter the amount you'd like to transfer and to which country, and choose your payment and payout methods. On the same page, you'll see the exchange rate and transfer fee for your particular exchange.

Is Ria better than Western Union?

Western Union and Ria are pretty evenly matched, and it will depend how much money you are sending and where as to which ones is the best option.

In this case, make sure you use both Western Union and Ria calculators before going ahead with a transfer.

Looking for more options?

Rosie Russell's headshot
Written by

Writer

Rosie Russell is a money transfers producer at Finder. She is on a mission to make personal finance easier to understand. Rosie has a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Technology Sydney. See full bio

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

More guides on Finder

Go to site