Western Union’s integration with Visa Direct was initially activated across Europe, allowing Western Union customers in more than 20 countries to send and/or receive funds directly to eligible Visa debit card holders.

Building on this momentum, Western Union customers in the United States can now send money in near real-time to eligible Visa debit cards in Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Philippines, Romania2 and Thailand using WU.com, the Western Union app, or from many of Western Union’s US retail locations.

“Western Union and Visa share a vision for modern money movement, one that ensures cross-border payments are reliable, efficient and transparent, with convenience and the customer’s channel of choice at the center of our customer experience,” said Gabriella Fitzgerald, President of the Americas Region, Western Union. “Our partnership with Visa underscores the benefits that collaboration brings to realizing this shared vision for our joint customers around the globe.”

“Visa is transforming cross-border payments with Visa Direct by helping to bring the ability to securely send and receive funds in near-real-time to more use cases around the world,” said Yanilsa Gonzalez-Ore, senior vice president, North America head, Visa Direct. “Through this partnership, we are using Western Union’s digital capabilities to help US customers send money to their family and friends and provide a means to help with bills, as a gift, or for an emergency.”