The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payment services, announced a major milestone with more than 80,000 ATMs and self-service terminals around Europe and CIS with Eastern Europe being the strongest contributor to this number.
In Russia, Western Union has recently successfully launched Western Union money transfer sending service through Petersburg Social Commercial Bank (PSCB) payment terminals and Comepay self-service terminals network. According to these new agreements, the Western Union Money Transfer service is available at 1,400 PSCB payment terminals mostly in St. Petersburg region and more than 30,000 Comepay self-service terminals across Russia.
The Western Union service is also available in Russia at more than 800 ATMs of Credit Europe Bank and at more than 3,000 self-service terminals of Elecsnet.
Across Europe and CIS Western Union works with partners from the banking industry offering money transfer service at over 33,000 ATMs of Privatbank in Ukraine, Banca Transilvania and BRD in Romania, Garanti and Akbank in Turkey, Banca Intesa and Unicredit in Italy, Bank Zachodnyi in Poland, Bank of Georgia and at self-service terminals of Erste Bank in Austria.
Western Union is working to strategically enhance its core money transfer business and continues to evolve into a multi-channel, multi-product company creating opportunities for more consumers and businesses. That is why Western Union is committed to expanding electronic channels including offering money transfers via ATMs and self-service terminals together with its cash to cash service maintaining a leading position in the market.
"The recent activation of PSCB and Comepay self-service terminals in Russia marks a major milestone for Western Union in Europe and CIS. We now have more than 80,000 active electronic points of service in the region, and this accounts for more than 50% globally", said Jan Hillered, Senior Vice President for Western Union, Europe and CIS.
Instant payments via self-service terminals are a very popular and at the same time quite a unique service for Russia as they are not that much penetrated in other parts of the world. According to a research by J'son & Parttners Consulting, in 2012 self-service terminals represented the most popular way of making electronic payments in Russia .
"The Russian Federation is a key market for Western Union, as we continue to grow", commented Alexandru Badulescu, Regional Vice President for Western Union, Eastern Europe and CIS. "The recent agreements with Comepay and PSCB are one more demonstration of the increasing success of our electronic channels and we have already significantly advanced in this field in Russia. I am glad to point out that Western Union became the first in Russia to offer truly global money transfers through terminals and ATMs with payout available in 200 countries and territories of the world. Needs of consumers are changing - and so is Western Union's business model. We are striving to allow our consumers to access us anytime, anywhere, any way they need. The ATMs and self-service terminals make Western Union money transfers even more convenient and accessible for consumers".
The most important characteristic of self-service terminals and ATMs is their functionality allowing consumer 24 hours access to the Western Union service.
In Russia consumers can send money transfers at self-service terminals in minutes within the network of approximately 515,000 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories across the globe. Moreover, SSTs and ATMs are located at the most convenient places for clients: supermarkets, shops, cafes and restaurants, gas-filling stations, connecting passages in subway.