How to transfer money on your mobile

United Kingdom By Liudmila Simakova Aug 26, 2022

Save time when you send money by phone

As technology continues to evolve, it’s easier than ever to send money all over the world with a mobile phone. With Western Union, it’s incredibly simple for you to get money to loved ones when they need it most. Whether they’re travelling remote corners of the globe or needing a cash injection to cover their rent, you can transfer money by phone using the Western Union mobile app to help them out.
The best part about mobile money transfers is that you can complete them anywhere, at any time. We will show you just how simple it is to transfer money over the phone to loved ones practically anywhere in the world.

What are the benefits of a money transfer on your mobile?

It’s safe to say that most people don’t know what their lives would be like without their smartphones. Thanks to smartphones, it’s never been easier to send funds to your nearest and dearest in an instant – no matter where in the world they may be. In fact, enhanced security features – such as fingerprint and facial recognition – mean that when you send money by phone, you can have complete peace of mind.

There are so many benefits to international mobile money transfers. You can:

Validate your identity before any money is moved, ensuring that you send money where it is supposed to go.
Transfer money without leaving the house.
Send money to your loved ones from wherever you are at any time of the day.
Manage your finances from the palm of your hand using the Western Union mobile app, and extend that convenience to your loved ones, giving them access to money when they need it.

How do you transfer money on your mobile?

Transferring money on your mobile phone might be new to you, but it’s very straightforward. There are a few different ways of sending money on your mobile.

Mobile Money Transfer Apps

Most of us carry our phones everywhere, so it’s easy to transfer money from your mobile using a money transfer app like Western Union, or even just by visiting the mobile website through your phone’s browser. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can send money all over the world in just a few taps.

Banking Apps

Some banks allow you to send payments to people in your contacts list without the need to enter their sort code and account details. You and your receiver must be registered with Paym to do this.

Text Mobile Payments

Also known as peer-to-peer mobile money transfers, text mobile payments are quick and easy. Both you and your receiver will need to sign up for mobile payments. Once you’re both signed up, you can follow the instructions to transfer money by text message.

Mobile Wallets

Mobile wallets make it easy for smartphone users to make money transfers to locations all over the world. With Western Union, you can send money by phone to your receiver’s mobile wallet¹ even if they are thousands of miles away, and they’ll be able to access the money straight away.

Mobile Payment Services

You can use your smartphone to make mobile payments using contactless methods and text messages. Your smartphone acts as your credit or debit card (whichever is linked to your phone) and can be held over payment terminals to make contactless payments. Some retailers can also send payment requests via text message, creating a mobile checkout process via a link.

How to remain safe and secure when making payments

Making mobile money transfers from the UK is a widely supported means of moving money around the world securely and reliably. Technology makes it possible to protect your transactions through several different means.

Fingerprint scanners

Fingerprint scanners require your biometric authentication before you can complete a money transfer. This ensures that you and only you can send money from your mobile phone to your receivers. This is often implemented as a secondary form of identification after using a password or facial recognition.

Secure passwords

Setting up a password that is difficult to guess is your best defence at keeping your account safe. Use a combination of upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Create a password that is 100% unique and not being used anywhere else, and make a note of it in a safe place that no one can access.

Monitored payments

If you send a mobile money transfer to the wrong person, or it’s not picked up on the other side, you may be able to cancel the payment. The monitored payments feature is a bolt-on service that gives you that extra layer of security so that you can cancel the transaction and have the money returned to you.

Be cautious with public Wi-Fi

Although unlikely, hackers can intercept information sent on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Hackers can “spoof” your mobile wallet when you enter your data, giving them access to your accounts. You can avoid this by setting up your mobile wallet at home, where your network is secure.

Watch out for phishing scams

Many fraudulent messages or links come from seemingly legitimate sources. The best way to protect yourself from these scams is to make sure you’re alert to fraud, and to avoid clicking on links and ads from unfamiliar websites, phone numbers or email addresses.

FAQs and guides

¹Additional charges, including SMS and account cash-out fees, may be applied to the receiver’s mobile wallet account by the mobile network operator and/or wallet service provider.