How to Track Western Union Money Transfers

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2022

Western Union can be a convenient way to send and receive money. People often use it to pay bills or their rent, or to pay for certain purchases without using their checkbook or debit card directly. To keep track of money you have transferred through Western Union, you can go to their tracking website, or use other convenient methods through their various customer service options.

Things You Should Know

Visit the Western Union website's tracking page at https://www.westernunion.com/es/en/track-transfer.html.
Choose if you are the sender or receiver. Enter the tracking number or sender’s phone number, select the receiver’s country, and enter the transfer amount.
Click the blue “Track Transfer” box at the bottom of the screen to complete the process.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Tracking Your Transfers Online

1
Go to the Western Union website to find the tracking page. Go to https://www.westernunion.com/es/en/track-transfer.html to access the transfer tracking homepage find out if a money transfer went through. You will need Internet access, a computer, and some basic information about the transfer to use this method.^{[1]
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2
Choose if you are the sender or receiver of the transfer. The first question on the tracking webpage asks whether you sent the money or if you are receiving the money. Click on the bubble next to the correct answer for you.^{[2]
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3
Enter either the tracking number or the sender’s phone number. The second question asks you to enter either the MTCN, or tracking number of the transfer, or the sender’s phone number. If you are the receiver of the transfer and you were picking up cash in person, the sender should have given you the MTCN when they made the transfer.^{[3]
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- If you are the sender of the money, you should have received the MTCN when you made the transfer. Or, you can enter your phone number instead.
- If you don’t have either the MTCN or the sender’s phone number, click on the blue link at the bottom of the page that says “Don’t know the MTCN or sender’s number?”
4
Choose the receiver’s country and the amount of the transfer. The third question asks you to choose the receiver’s country from a dropdown menu. If you are the receiver, choose the country where you are currently residing. If you are the sender, choose the location of the person to whom you sent the money.^{[4]
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- The fourth question asks you to enter the amount of the transfer. Type in the monetary amount of the transfer and choose the type of currency it was sent in from the dropdown menu.
5
Enter the security code. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a 6-character code consisting of letters and numbers. Type this code into the box right below it. Click the blue “Track Transfer” box at the bottom of the screen when you are finished answering all 5 questions on the page.^{[5]
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- The security code is a feature that tells the company that you are an actual person and not a hacker robot.
6
Log into your profile to see your transfer history. If you sent the transfer using the Western Union transfer webpage and created a profile, you can click on the “Log In” button in the top right corner of the webpage. On the login page, enter your email address and password to login to your account.^{[6]
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- Having an account profile will allow you to see your entire transfer history for the past 90 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Other Methods

1
Call 1-800-CALL-CASH from a phone in the U.S. to track a transfer by phone. If you’d prefer to talk to a representative on the phone and you’re in the U.S., use a phone to call the customer service number. You’ll need some information about the transfer, such as the MTCN number or the sender’s phone number, when you call.^{[7]
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2
Download the Western Union mobile app to track transfers 24/7. From your mobile device, go to the Western Union customer service page at https://corporate.westernunion.com/consumer-services.html. Scroll down to the box that says “Download Our App” under Via WU App and click on the box to set up an account through the Western Union app.^{[8]
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- You will need an Android, iPhone, or iPad device to use the mobile app feature.
3
Visit a Western Union location to track a transfer in person. To find a Western Union location near you, go to the customer service homepage. Scroll down to the box that says “Find Your Nearest Agent” and click on the box.^{[9]
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- You will be instructed to enter your country and postal code on the location finder page.
- Bring information about the money transfer that you want to track, such as the MTCN or the sender’s phone number, when you go to the Western Union location.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you track Western Union transfers?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Yes! The simplest way is to track a transfer online. Go to the Western Union website and click on the transfer link. Enter the tracking number or the sender's phone number to pull up the transfer. Complete the form and enter the security code to access the status of the transfer.
Question

How do I track my Western Union?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Go to the Western Union website and click on the tracking link. Enter the tracking number or the sender's phone number and fill out the rest of the fields on the online form. Then, click "Track Transfer" to bring up the status of the transfer. You can also call 1-800-CALL-CASH and enter the tracking number or the sender's phone number to get a status of the transfer.
Question

How long do Western Union transfers take?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Western Union cash transfers sent online, by phone, or at a Western Union location are pretty quick and usually take just a few minutes before they're ready to be picked up on the other end. A transfer from your bank account can take 1-3 days before it's ready to be picked up. If you're having trouble, check the status of the transfer.