Western Union, Australia Post Team Up For Money Transfers

Denver-based Western Union said on Thursday (June 10) that it has added the Australian Postal Corp. to its roster of national postal services worldwide. The company said in a press release that it continues to make “significant headway in expanding its digital platform” internationally.”

Australia Post will now offer Western Union digital money transfers, enabling customers to send money worldwide, online, around the clock. The release said the new setup builds on a 17-year relationship between the post office and Western Union, which began offering retail services for Australia Post in 2004.

Western Union is focused on “enhancing our platform and expanding our reach,” said Jean Claude Farah, president, global network, Western Union. “With the expansion of our relationship with Australia Post, we are continuing our recent momentum powering retail players to succeed in the digital space and unlock new growth opportunities.”

In addition to Australia Post, four other national postal services already offer Western Union’s digital money transfer services, including France’s La Banque Postale, Italy’s Postepay, Russia’s Post Bank and the UK Post Office.

Western Union handles cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. It operates in more than 200 countries and territories and over 130 currencies.

Last month, Walmart and Western Union rolled out the money transfer company’s services at the retail giant’s nearly 4,700 stores across the U.S. Farah said at the time that “reaching new customers and expanding choice and convenience for the customers we share” is a good deal for all parties.

The federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report that looked at what services might make sense for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to add. The study was noncommittal.

“Based on studies we reviewed and interviews with representatives from consumer groups, there may be demand for certain offerings at retail facilities, such as check cashing and payday loan services, particularly if offered at a lower price than competitors,” the report said.