How to Send Money From PayPal to Western Union? (In 2024)

Last Updated on December, 2024

PayPal and Western Union do not allow you any easy way of sending money from a PayPal account to a Western Union Account. But it’s not impossible to do that. So, how to send money from PayPal to Western Union through the loopholes is the right question. 

Full Disclosure: You may feel like you sent a butler to take your money to a different country.

No one blames you for looking for the plain and simple route. Link PayPal with Western Union, and done! The money transfers would just go back and forth easily. But it’s not like that. 

Transferring money from PayPal to Western Union Transfer means that the limitations will line up as well. First and foremost is the wait. Your bank account will receive the amount in 3-4 business days. There are better options if you have an emergency.

Quick Summary

There is no direct way to send money from PayPal to Western Union and one must find alternative methods or “loopholes” to do so.

Alternative methods include linking a bank account, using a PayPal debit card, or using a Western Union prepaid card. Each method has different costs and transfer times.

Other options outside of Western Union and PayPal, such as Wise, Revolut, WorldRemit, and OFX, may offer lower fees and faster transactions for international money transfers. These companies also offer different options, such as cash pickups or bill payments.

How to Send Money From PayPal to Western Union?

transfering money from paypal to western union

The good thing is you stumbled upon just the right place to find out the nitty-gritty details of the matter at hand.

There is no direct way to send money from PayPal to Western Union. Although you can use alternate ways to send money. One way of doing this is to Link Your PayPal to a Bank Account.

You can withdraw money to this Linked Bank Account and then Transfer Money to Your Western Union account.

Options to Send Money From a PayPal Account to a Western Union Account

  • Using a Bank Account
  • Using a PayPal Debit Card 
  • Using Western Union Netspend Prepaid Card

Using a Bank Account

You have to have a Bank Account linked to receive PayPal funds. Transferring money through a linked bank account is not a complicated task, but you have to wait for a week. 

All that you have to do is:

  • Open “wallet” in your Paypal Account
  • Tap the option “Link a Payment Method” and then click “Bank Account” to choose the type of Account. 
  • After entering all details, tap “Confirm”

Your bank may support PayPal instant confirmation of the bank account linked. If not, it will be verified in 5-6 days. After it’s verified, 

  • You can now withdraw money or send money abroad with ease via this Account. 

Using PayPal Debit Mastercard

PayPal card allows you to send money from Paypal to Western Union much easier than with a bank account. Whether you are sending or receiving from PayPal and Western Union, you only have to be residing in the US. 

If you do, PayPal funds transfer is as easy as:

  • Swipe your card at the ATM
  • After entering ‘PIN’ choose ‘Checking Account’ 
  • Enter your desired Amount (Withdrawl limit is 400$)

Using a PayPal credit or debit card for money transfer is convenient as you can access the ATM anywhere you go once you have verified with the tracking number. 

Once you have access to your PayPal Funds, you can use them to fund your Western Union Account. 

Using Western Union Prepaid Card

Western Union prepaid card is also called Netspend Debit Card. It is another pretty easy way of money transfer without a linked bank account. 

The best part is that this is the simplest way of sending money abroad or receiving money from a PayPal account. 

To get a Western Union card, you can apply for it and check the card payment to use PayPal funds before getting it from the Western Union website.

To withdraw money, you just have to link your Western Union card to your PayPal account and verify it. Your WU card will be ready to be used at any ATM to withdraw PayPal funds.

What Are the Extra Costs, and How Long Does it Take?

a person using paypal and western union app to transfer money

Extra costs are no fun wherever they pop up. The extra fee here means the transaction fee and some margins on the mid-market exchange rate. 

When you add in a transfer fee and currency conversion fee with the wait for 3 to 4 business days, it’d rightfully feel like a curse’ncy fee.

To make it more clear for your ease, here’s a look at all these things. We hope it doesn’t scare you away altogether from sending any money at all!

Method UsedAll Costs of TransfersTransfer Time (Considering you already have the Debit Cards)
With a Bank Account Electronic funds Transfer Fee (depends on the bank) + transaction Fee (1.5%) + 5% of the amount for international transaction fee + 3-4% Currency Conversion2-3 Days
With Paypal Debit Card5% + 2.90% for Foreign Transactions + Fixed fee based on what currency you receiveInstant 
With Western Union CardAll of the Above + 9.95 USD Card FeeFew Hours

I know I know, All at once this structure flies over your head. But as you see in the table, there are three options that Western Union and PayPal offer. These options are indirect, but they work. 

To access these options, read on because this is the simplest possible way to explain it to you. 

Western Union Transfer & PayPal vs Money Transfer Via Wise

paypal and western union vs wise

Multiple Currency Exchange

Here is an idea: You have a magic wallet. Maybe not magic, but a wallet in your phone that has 50+ pockets. You can change any foreign currency back and forth and move money in bank accounts. Multiple foreign currency transactions with just an app?

Save Money With Mid-Market Exchange Rate and No Hidden Costs

So, how is it better than Western Union Transfer or PayPal?

The exchange rates are ever-changing, but it doesn’t mean that different banks should make you pay hidden fees. Alternative methods like Wise help you dodge these while you make international transfers. 

Moving money from wherever you are to your destination country, without a few extra steps, makes it easy to send cash. You simply enter the recipient’s information, and you can even use a WU card to withdraw money. 

Bank Transfers through Wise are the option with the least amount of transfer fees. 

Best part? What you pay (0.61% Avg) for the fee is upfront and visible on the screen. Their mid-market exchange rates will give you the most out of your transactions.

Why Explore Alternate Methods to Send Money?

alternative payment methods to send money

Because you pay Western Union to access your PayPal money, you can send money internationally or receive money without paying all that. 

Western Union and even PayPal are the traditional bank transfer methods now. You can transfer money using less traditional, lower fees, and faster transactions, providing companies like Wise. 

Revolut

  • All fees to send money from PayPal will be shown instead of mixing them in with other costs. 
  • Revolut even lets you add budgets and save vaults 
  • However, does not have the option of cash pickup.

WorldRemit

  • This one has so many varieties of payouts, such as sending cash, paying bills, and Bank transfers to any bank account. 
  • WorldRemit also offers cash pickups with instant transfers.

OFX

  • In the battlefield of exchange rates, this one takes the most wins.
  • OFX, like Western Union, has physical offices all over the globe.
  • It also has a WIDE range of currencies for transactions. 

Relevant guides:

FAQs

No, there is currently no direct way to link the two accounts.

Unfortunately, PayPal has a fee for all international transactions. However, you may be able to avoid it if you send money domestically and the receiver also has a bank account linked. 

A PayPal Account is good for smaller transactions but still depends on where you are sending. Western Union is better for the larger amount of money.

Bottom Line

Considering that sending money is an incredibly serious matter, it’s best to do your research thoroughly. Check out our Review for PayPal to go in-depth with what kind of conversion system they have. 

Depending on your individual needs, choose a good alternative like Wise to transfer funds to any country with the lowest cost on exchange rates. Because in the sea of money-transferring-champions, you are the real winner. 

Because you have the money and resources to choose the best tool for your financial journey.

BEST FOR INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFER
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WISE
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Author
Allen Morning
I'm Allen Morning, with a background spanning over 15 years in international finance and education from Harvard and Stanford. I founded Currenciap with a vision to demystify and streamline global financial transactions. My journey in finance has fueled my commitment to creating a platform that is both user-friendly and efficient, making international finance accessible to everyone. You can find more about me here.

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