Nearly seven out of ten Americans Plan to Give Cash or Gift Cards this Holiday Season
The Western Union Gift Card Complements Recently Launched Western Union(R) MoneyWise(TM) and Gold Reloadable Prepaid Cards
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov 02, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in the money transfer segment of global payments, today launched a new Visa(R) prepaid gift card and greeting card offering, providing consumers in the U.S. new ways to send the gift of money anytime of the year, including this holiday season, using Western Union(R) branded prepaid gift cards available at www.WesternUnion.com.
"The launch of the Western Union prepaid Visa gift card complements Western Union's consumer experience when giving the gift of cash," said Stewart A. Stockdale, Executive Vice President and President, The Americas for Western Union. "As a leader in money movement, we understand what consumers need and want - convenience, fast and reliable money management solutions. Our new prepaid gift card and personalized greeting card offering follows the recently introduced Western Union MoneyWise and Gold Card reloadable prepaid cards."
According to a Western Union consumer survey, by Gfk, Inc., sixty-nine percent of consumers in the U.S. are planning to give the gift of cash or a prepaid gift card, this holiday season, to friends and family.
How To Purchase and Send a Western Union Online Gift and Greeting Card:
Consumers can quickly and conveniently send the new Gift and Greeting Card to loved ones by simply visiting www.westernunion.com or www.wugift.com.
1. Pick from nearly 50 different greeting card designs covering multiple occasions - from birthdays, anniversaries and seasonal holidays, to weddings, graduations or "just because."
2. Simply add a personal message which will be printed in the greeting card
3. Select the amount to load onto the Western Union Visa Gift Card.
4. Choose from three shipping options including FedEx overnight, second day delivery services and regular first class mail.
5. The personalized greeting card along with the Western Union Visa Gift Card is delivered directly to the recipient.
"It truly is a simple and convenient way to send the gift of money along with a personalized greeting card," added Stockdale.
The Western Union Visa Gift Card Features:
- The Gift Card can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted including online.
- The Western Union Visa Gift Card is covered by Visa's zero liability policy, which means cardholders are protected from unauthorized use.**
- Once received, the recipient simply calls a toll-free number to activate the card; unlike other over the counter gift cards that are active when purchased.
- If lost or stolen the recipient can have the card replaced.
- Access to card account activity is available online. "With the introduction of our personalized gift and greeting card service, Western Union hopes to become the premiere destination for all gift-giving needs."
* A $2.50 per month servicing fee applies after 12 consecutive months of non-use.
** Visa's Zero Liability policy covers U.S.-issued cards only and does not apply to ATM transactions, PIN transactions not processed by Visa, or certain commercial card transactions. Cardholder must notify issuer promptly of any unauthorized use. Consult issuer for additional details or visit www.visa.com/security.
The Western Union(R) MoneyWise(TM) Visa Prepaid Card, Western Union Gold Card Visa Prepaid Card, and the Western Union Gift Visa Prepaid Cards are issued by MetaBank(TM) pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. MetaBank, Member FDIC.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta and Pago Facil branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta operate through a combined network of more than 400,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2008, The Western Union Company completed 188 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $74 billion of principal between consumers, and 412 million consumer-to-business transactions. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
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SOURCE: Western Union
Western Union
Media Contact:
Daniel Díaz, 720-332-5564
daniel.diaz@WesternUnion.com
