Getting Emergency Money Through Western Union
Make sure you have access to 2 different emails on your phone so you can send money to yourself via Western Union or World Remit. I use Gmail for my personal mail and GSuite for my business email so I can switch between the two in the app on my phone in about 2 seconds.
Western Union is everywhere, especially in the developing countries, and it's such a relief to know that you can get money immediately should you need to.
I can stand outside a WU office (or a local shop in a lot of countries), and using my phone, log in under my Charge The Globe email, send money to my personal email, wait a minute and walk inside the shop and claim it. Knowing how to do this has saved my butt at least twice. I got a card stolen in Zimbabwe (or I might have lost it!), but I managed to transfer a chunk of my own money to myself via WU, then transferred the rest to another card, and then canceled the card that was missing on my phone. All in about 5 minutes.
That money I got from WU meant I had funds to cover me until I could arrange a new card OR get my alternate card which was buried in a secret compartment in my pack. It seems like nothing but it’s a great thing to learn how to do.
- You do need two emails though as you can’t send money to the same email address AND it would be best if you had set them both up first before you try to do this. Sometimes the verification process is a drama, and if you have already set up both addresses you don't have to worry about that.
- Make sure your “receiving” account has your correct info that matches your ID or you won't be able to get the money out.
- You also need to make sure that you don't cancel the card until after you've transfered the money. Of course check that it hasn't been used first, but asap you know, transfer the money to yourself and then cancel the card.
- Make sure you make a note of what the sending email is and what the receiving email is and always try to stick to the same process. That way you will always know which email will have the email confirming the money has arrived.
