Western Union and PERA HUB to Offer Digital Money Transfers with UnionBank

Western Union Services will be Available via the UnionBank App; a First in the Philippines

MANILA, The Philippines–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, and PERA HUB, a leading provider of financial services, today announced the integration of Western Union�s digital money transfer capabilities into the UnionBank banking platform, for the first time offering customers in the Philippines the choice to receive Western Union money transfers, 24/7, via a banking app.

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), one of the largest banks in the Philippines and recognized as a digital trailblazer in Asia Pacific, is a digital sub-representative of PETNET Inc.’s retail brand, PERA HUB, a leading provider of financial services and a long-standing representative of Western Union.

The receiver-enabled capability allows customers in the Philippines to direct an international or domestic Western Union money transfer into their UnionBank account by simply inputting Western Union’s unique money transfer control number (MTCN) and other identification details into the UnionBank app (available on iOS and Android).

Later this year we will extend our offering to enable customers to send money to their loved ones via the app, locally or worldwide, into billions of bank accounts and millions of mobile wallets and cards in approximately 125 countries, or more than half a million representative locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Senders can fund their money transfers through their UnionBank accounts.

“With the expansion of our services with PERA HUB via UnionBank, we are delivering more choice and convenience for our customers in the Philippines,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Head of Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei & Indochina for Western Union. “It cements the momentum we are building in digitalizing money transfers while serving customers who live between a digital and physical world, and in a truly global manner. Our collaboration with PERA HUB stems from our unique omnichannel strategy, bringing additional value and scale to customers in the country.”

Western Union’s inclusive omnichannel capability is uniquely positioned to build bridges connecting digitally advanced people with those in the world who are not yet online. As part of its strategy, Western Union is increasingly partnering with local brands, accelerating money movement and providing reliable connections between individuals and their loved ones across the globe.

“Our long-standing relationship with Western Union is powered by our joint commitment to serve our customers to the best of our capability,” said Ian Ocampo, President and CEO, PETNET Inc. “UnionBank is the first bank to introduce a fully digital Western Union remittance receiving experience and we are proud to be their partner. We are excited to move to the next level and expand our relationship serving customers across a broader spectrum of use needs. Customers want choice, speed and reliability, and with Western Union we are glad to drive innovation and explore new opportunities serving the end user.”

“Our teams at UnionBank have worked hard to make digital and self-service banking accessible to millions of Filipinos especially amidst this pandemic where we have been able to service clients with little to no disruption,” said Ana A. Delgado, Chief Digital Channels Officer and Chief Customer Experience Officer, UnionBank. “We are pleased that this integration with Western Union enables us to come together to do more and deliver better banking experiences to customers through seamless digital money transfers.”

For more information on the UnionBank app, please visit the FAQ Page on www.unionbankph.com/unionbankonline.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Western Union’s platform provides seamless cross-border flows and its leading global financial network bridges more than 200 countries and territories and over 130 currencies. We connect businesses, financial institutions, governments, and consumers through one of the world’s widest reaching networks, accessing billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and more than 550,000 retail locations. Western Union connects the world to bring boundless possibilities within reach. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About PeraHub

PERA HUB is the Philippines’ foremost consumer financial services center with over 3,000 locations nationwide which provides its customers with a comprehensive scope of reliable financial services in one location. PETNET’s retail network, PERA HUB, is composed of company-owned and sub-agent branches nationwide. PERA HUB is geared towards providing complementary products such as remittance, cash in and cashout services, loans, money changing, bills payment, airline ticketing, e-loading, micro-insurance and other cash and payment related solutions to its growing market. To further expand its reach for cash solutions, PERA HUB launched its PERA HUB App and PERA HUB Visa Prepaid card which allows users to send and receive Western Union remittances, pay bills and buy prepaid loads on mobile. For your cash and payment-related solutions, visit PERA HUB branches nationwide. The PERA HUB App is available for download in Google Play and App Store. For more information: visit www.perahub.com.ph, call us at (+632) 8812-9209, and follow perahubph (Facebook & Twitter) and perahub on Instagram.

About UnionBank

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) has always been among the first to embrace technological innovations to empower its customers into the future of banking. It has consistently been recognized as of one of Asia’s leading companies, ranking among the country’s top universal banks in terms of profitability and efficiency. Over the years, UnionBank has garnered a record-breaking number of awards and recognition, most recently declared as the Most Recommended Retail Bank in Asia Pacific by BankQuality.com; 4-time Digital Bank of the Year by The Asset Triple A; Asia Pacific’s Digital Trailblazer by IDC Asia Pacific, and the top 1 Most Helpful Bank in the Philippines during COVID-19 by BankQuality.com. UnionBank stands firm in its promise to power the future of banking through “Tech-Up Pilipinas” to best serve the growing needs of Filipinos everywhere, while pioneering innovations for a better world.

Contacts

Media Contacts:


Western Union Asia-Pacific
Karen Santos: Karen.Santos2@westernunion.com

PETNET
Angela Nikki Robas: nikki.robas@petnet.com.ph

UnionBank
James P. Ileto: jmpileto@unionbankph.com