ENGLEWOOD, Calif.—Western Union has taken a unique approach to using Apple Pay.
The company best known as one of the original person-to-person payment companies, has enabled Apple Pay to be used as a means for funding money P2P payments and in-person bill payments at 7,600-plus Walgreens and Duane Reade locations in the U.S.
It will work this way: consumers must register their debit card on their mobile device and ensure their financial institution supports Apple Pay. Once registered, the consumer then pays by holding their phone near the contactless reader with their finger on the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The company said the funding account's details are not shared with the Western Union agent.
Some banks have also already partnered with Western Union, including U.S. Bank, through its partnership with the vendor Fiserv.
In a statement, Western Union said accepting Apple Pay was in keeping with the company's blueprint for the future, and addressed its customers' needs and preferences. It said its own analysis had revealed 60% of migrants own a smartphone, in line with the "general population." The Western Union analysis also found that more than two-thirds of migrant international money transfer senders and more than 80% of non-migrant international money transfer senders own a smartphone.