US-based cross-border payments company Western Union has launched a new service, dubbed Digital Location, enabling its customers to transfer money with comfort and safety of their home.
The company intends to start a pilot on customers in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Oman to connect in multiple languages via a voice or video call to a money transfer personal-service assistant who will help them through the transaction.
Western Union’s new service will enable its customers to electronically complete their transaction funded by card for payout into its global network of bank accounts, wallets or agent retail locations.
Western Union president and CEO Hikmet Ersek said: “Western Union is committed to drawing on our history of innovation and our agile cross-border, cross-currency platform to serve our customers in whatever ways they require in this unprecedented environment.
“Due to limited services via retail locations in some areas impacted by restricted movement guidelines, we are seeing increased demand for our online services. We are happy to now offer another way for our customers to reach out to their loved ones with care and support.”
Western Union Digital Location service offers personalised experience for customers
Countries are implementing COVID-19 lockdowns or restricted movement and some Western Union agent locations are being closed temporarily by local authorities. The company has urged its customers to use global online services to send, monitor and payout their money transfers.
The new Digital Location service offers a personalised experience accessible from the comfort and safety of a customer’s own home, said the company.
The company’s Agent network would remain ready to serve customers in almost all parts of the world, and suggests its customers to check the Agent Locator link for the status of the nearest locations.
Ersek continued: “It is more critical than ever to enable our customers to send money to family and loved ones or help importers and exporters to pay their suppliers. Money flows are a vital source of income for many of our customers, including our business clients and partners. Amid all the current uncertainty, we are doing everything we can to keep money moving to where it is needed most.”