The Western Union Company, a leading money transfer firm, has launched its automated self-service kiosks in the UAE, that will allow customers to pay bills and send money via easy-to-use touch screen terminals on a 24x7 basis.

The company has expanded its network in the UAE by activating the Western Union money transfer service at more than 580 kiosks, which have been placed in shopping malls, supermarkets, residential areas, banks, hospitals, government facilities, gas stations, staff accommodations and other locations across all seven emirates in the country, said a statement.

The self-service kiosks will allow users to process different types of payment-based transactions - such as utility bill payments or Etisalat, Du or Salik top-ups - in addition to Western Union money transfers.

Jean Claude Farah, president, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and CIS, Western Union, said: "Going live with the kiosk project allows us to get closer to our customers in the UAE who can now send money conveniently from a location close to their home or workplace.

“The user-friendly technology ensures the transaction process is simple, compliant with the regulatory requirements and is completed in a matter of minutes, bringing in a new era of convenience, reliability and speed for the customer."

"The Western Union service on the kiosks has been activated in conjunction with two of our key agents in the UAE - Al Fardan Exchange and Sharaf Exchange. The project will continue to expand in scope over the coming months to eventually increase our kiosk network in the UAE to over 800 touch points,” he said.

In order to start using the Western Union service on kiosks, customers need to complete a one-time registration at any Al Fardan Exchange or Sharaf Exchange location in the UAE by presenting a valid Emirates ID.

The customer service agent at the concerned exchange will then enter all the necessary information in the system, retain a copy of the Emirates ID, and print a receipt for the customer to verify his or her personal information, said the statement.

The customer will then receive their Western Union login ID and PIN by SMS on their registered mobile number, which they can use every time they use a kiosk for a Western Union money transfer, it added. - TradeArabia News Service