SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payment services, and Viber, a leading mobile messaging app with 664M+ unique users worldwide, today announced an agreement to offer a fast and simple way to send money to friends and family virtually anywhere in the world from the convenience of the Viber app.

Leveraging the recently released WU^® Connect^SM platform, the collaboration between Western Union and Viber will focus on three key areas:
-Send money around the world: In this first release, Viber users in the United States will be able to send up to US$499 for pickup at more than 500,000 Western Union^® Agent locations in 200+ countries and territories.

-A user experience for the messaging world: Western Union and Viber have created a money transfer experience that will start and complete within the messaging screen of Viber users.

-Integrated solutions: The solution leverages robust technology, foreign exchange conversion, data management, as well as regulatory, compliance and anti-money laundering infrastructure, to expedite efficient and timely money movement almost anywhere in the world.

“Through this alliance with Viber we continue our positive momentum to increase the number of ways to move funds into our global FinTech cross-border platform, expanding our digital omni-channel network,” said Hikmet Ersek, President and CEO, Western Union.

“Our users are already using Viber to stay in touch with friends and families worldwide, so the ability to send money to loved ones through the app is a natural next step,” said Michael Shmilov, Chief Operating Officer, Viber. “Viber’s alliance with Western Union is our first step into this direction and it gives our users a new way to quickly and conveniently send money to friends and family.”

Launched in 2015, the new, innovative API-based WU Connect platform enables third-party digital platforms to integrate with Western Union in order to provide a seamlessly integrated global money transfer experience to their users. Consumers are able to enjoy using their favorite social and messaging app while they send money directly from the app. They could also fund the money transfer utilizing debit card, credit card or bank account and easily direct the funds to any participating Western Union retail agent location around the world, a mobile wallet or a bank account where available.

“The WU Connect platform offers an opportunity to create more meaningful and engaging relationships for users of third-party digital platforms and is really a win-win for both Western Union and the companies we work with,” said David Thompson, EVP and CIO, Western Union. “We are excited to integrate the WU Connect platform into Viber’s messaging service and look forward to growing the capability moving forward.”

For more information about the WU Connect platform or integration opportunities, please email the WU Connect Business Development team at WUConnect@wu.com.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2015, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks, and included the capability to send money to hundreds of millions of accounts. In 2014, The Western Union Company completed 255 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $85 billion of principal between consumers, and 484 million business payments. For more information, visit www.WesternUnion.com.

About Viber

Viber is a leading messaging, voice and video service that lets everyone in the world connect. Freely. Users can send free text messages, fun stickers, photos, videos and doodles, share locations, make free HD-quality calls and communicate with Push-To-Talk. With Viber Out, users can make low-cost calls to any phone number around the world. Viber is available for iPhone®, Android™ phones and tablets, Windows Phone, BlackBerry®, Blackberry® 10, Windows®, Windows 8®, Mac, Linux and Symbian devices, over 3G/4G or WiFi connections. With over 664 million unique users in 193 countries, Viber is constantly innovating by introducing new platforms and adding fun new features like Public Chats. Viber is a Rakuten Group company.

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