- The partnership will expand Amazon’s reach by the “tens of millions”, says Western Union’s CEO
- Customers can now pay for products on Amazon through Western Union but this service is only available in select countries
- Customers can pay using their local currency, according to Western Union
Amazon has partnered with international money transfer brand Western Union to accommodate its international customers, allowing Amazon users to pay in person and in their local currency.
While the new service will only be available in select Western Union locations, the development will nurture the steady growth of the online retail company and Western Union itself. The new payment option seeks to address the needs of Amazon customers overseas according to the company, specifically for online shoppers who do not like paying virtually.
The Western Union payment option will be available in select countries and will immediately appear on the checkout page. According to Amazon, customers will be given a unique code along with instructions on how to pay for the item that they’d like to purchase from the shopping site. It will also make it easier for customers to get refunds should an item need to be returned, the company says.
Western Union offers money transfer services across 200 countries and territories but it has been active in expanding its client base. In an interview with WU CEO Hikmet Ersek, he said that: “there are people in the world who want greater access to Amazon’s huge product selection” noting that paying for such purchases has been an obstacle for many Amazon customers.
Ersek also added that the payments giant will “make it easier to shop global and pay local”. The service will give Amazon a new client base observers say, and this was also confirmed by Ersek who said that potential customers will be in the “tens of millions”.
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