Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the Western Union “direct to bank account” service is an easy and convenient way to send funds directly to a receiver’s bank account in selected countries.

For more information, please contact a Western Union agent

To send money directly to a bank account, just select the direct to bank account service when sending funds online or at an agent location.

What you need to provide when selecting this service changes from country to country, but usually include:

• Your receiver’s bank name and code.
• The receiver’s bank account name and number.

For more information, please contact a Western Union agent

A bank code is a series of numbers used to identify banks around the world. They can have between 3 and 23 digits depending on the bank and the country.

A bank code could be called:

• BSB
• SWIFT Code
• BIC (Bank Identification Code)
• CHIPS (Clearing House Inter-bank Payment System) – US and Canada only
• NCC (National Clearing Code)
• BSC (Bank Sort Code)
• IFSC (Indian Financial System Code)

For some countries you may need an International Bank Account Number (IBAN) in addition to the bank code.
Ask your receiver for the bank code and IBAN (if applicable). You can refer to our direct to bank account country information tool to find out more details.

A Bank Identification Code (BIC) is used to identify banks worldwide. BIC is the same as a SWIFT code, and it will be 8 or 11 digits long. Ask your receiver if BIC is required in their country, for more information, please contact a Western Union agent

An International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is a code used in some countries to identify a customer’s bank account. The IBAN has a letter to identify the country followed by 2 digits, and then up to 35 characters for the bank account number. For more information, please contact a Western Union agent

Direct to Bank Account money transfers can change from country to country and can take up to five days¹. For more information, please contact a Western Union agent