Not upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Western Union Payment Services GB Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr K complained that Western Union unfairly caused him to be charged fees on two money transfers made via credit card in August 2025, stating he had made similar transfers previously without charges. Western Union explained that the credit card provider applies charges and that a legal disclaimer was displayed warning of potential fees. The ombudsman found that Western Union had adequately notified Mr K of potential charges through clear disclaimers and website information, correctly classified the transactions as cash payments, and used the appropriate Merchant Category Code. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Western Union had adequately notified Mr K of potential charges through a clear legal disclaimer displayed during the transaction and information on their website. The ombudsman determined that both payments were correctly classified as cash payments and that Western Union used the appropriate Merchant Category Code. The fact that Mr K had not been charged on a previous occasion in 2023 did not establish that Western Union acted unfairly in 2025, as the decision focused on whether Western Union acted fairly regarding the specific August 2025 transactions.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website