Both of these providers like to advertise a low fee, and both bury the real cost somewhere you have to dig for it. On a $1,000 dollar-to-euro transfer on a weekday, Revolut on its free plan costs about $1.00, almost all of it a small spread in the rate. Western Union charges about $39.83, and most of that is a markup of roughly 3.5% folded into the exchange rate.
For a transfer into a bank account, Revolut is the cheaper by a wide margin. Western Union is selling something else: cash, collected in person, almost anywhere on earth. The figures below use the current mid-market reference; Wise may use an account-holder API estimate, while other providers use stored published fee and markup models rather than live quotes.
- On a bank-deposit transfer, Revolut wins easily. Its free plan costs only a small spread up to a monthly limit, while Western Union adds a markup of about 3.5%.
- Western Union's low advertised fee is a decoy. The real cost sits in the exchange rate, not on the receipt.
- Revolut has catches of its own. Go over the monthly limit and a 0.5% fee starts; send on a weekend and a markup applies.
- Western Union's edge is cash pickup, in places and in ways Revolut cannot match.
How Western Union charges
Western Union is one of the oldest and biggest names in sending money, and its pitch is reach. You can send online and have your family collect cash at a shop counter in a huge number of countries, often within minutes. That network is the product.
The pricing is where it gets slippery. The advertised fee is low, sometimes $5, occasionally $0 for an online bank-to-bank send. But Western Union adds a markup to the exchange rate of about 3.5% on a route like this one, and that is where the real cost lives. The fee and the markup both move with the route, how you pay, and how the money arrives.
Here is what that looks like on a $10,000 transfer: the fee you can see in gold, the cost hidden in the rate in red.
Western Union's bar is almost entirely red. The small fee is a sideshow next to the markup.
How Revolut charges
This site's representative Revolut model uses a small spread on major pairs, a roughly US$1,450 Standard allowance, and 0.5% on the excess. It is a fallback scenario, not a universal plan: country-specific allowances, overage terms, paid-plan prices, and availability differ.
So a $1,000 weekday transfer on Standard costs only its small spread, about $1.00. That is a fraction of what Western Union charges on the same transfer. The catch is timing and volume, which the next note explains.
Head to head, by amount
On a weekday into a bank account, Revolut is cheaper at every size, though its lead narrows once you blow past the limit. Here is the same dollar-to-euro transfer at three sizes.
$1,000: inside the limit
Revolut Standard sits at just its small spread (0.10%). Western Union's 3.5% markup puts it far above, despite the friendly fee on the checkout screen.
$5,000: the limit starts to bite
At $5,000, Standard has gone past its monthly limit, so Revolut charges 0.5% on the amount above it. It is still well below Western Union, whose 3.5% markup now costs over a hundred dollars.
$10,000: Revolut still ahead
On a large weekday send, Standard pays 0.5% on a big amount over the limit, which is real money, but Western Union's 3.5% on the full sum is far more. (On a weekend, the picture shifts; see the note above.)
The pattern at a glance
The bars at $10,000 make the gap visible: Revolut low, Western Union high, and the distance between them is almost all the markup Western Union hides in the rate.
The savings in context
Across the displayed estimates, choosing Interactive Brokers over MoneyGram leaves an extra €326.11 (3.93%) in the recipient's account.
Same 10,000 USD and the same market rate before fees. Provider availability, how you pay and the final price can change the result.
Who should pick what
Pick Revolut if the money is going into a bank account, you send on weekdays, and you can stay within the monthly limit. On those terms it is the cheaper of the two by a wide margin, and it is already your everyday banking app.
Pick Western Union if your recipient needs cash in hand, lives somewhere with thin banking, or wants to collect the money in person within minutes. That reach is what you are paying for, and on those sends it can be worth the premium.
Check Interactive Brokers for a large exchange that directly supports an investment, trade or currency hedge in the brokerage. Its 0.002% Tier I commission with a USD 2 equivalent minimum can rank below both at scale. Keep Western Union when the recipient needs cash, and use a transfer service for a straightforward payment to someone else.
The bottom line
For a bank-deposit transfer, Revolut is the cheaper way to send, often by a wide margin. Western Union's low advertised fee hides a markup of about 3.5%, which is where most of its cost lives. Judge both on the all-in number, never the sticker.
But price is not the whole decision. If your family needs cash, Western Union's counter network reaches them in ways a banking app cannot, and that reach is a real service. Match the provider to how the money lands, then compare the cost. And remember the third option: a bank would take 3% or more on the same transfer, which is why neither of these is the expensive choice. Our guide to cutting FX fees shows how to read a quote so nothing is hidden from you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Revolut cheaper than Western Union?
Usually, yes, for a transfer into a bank account. On a weekday within its monthly limit, Revolut costs only a small spread, while Western Union adds a markup of about 3.5% to the exchange rate. Western Union can look cheap on the fee line, but the all-in cost is much higher.
When is Western Union the better choice?
When your recipient needs cash. Western Union pays out through a vast network of local agents, so your family can collect the money in person, often within minutes, in places a bank deposit does not reach. For those sends, the higher cost can be worth it.
Does Revolut charge extra on weekends?
It may. Revolut's out-of-market-hours pricing depends on your country and plan. These tables intentionally exclude weekend adjustments; check the in-app quote or wait until the next weekday. Western Union's route-specific price must also be confirmed at checkout.
Are these numbers exact?
The table uses the current mid-market reference and, where available, a Wise account-holder API estimate. Other providers use stored published fee and markup models, not live quotes, so the results are modelled estimates for typical routes. Western Union's pricing varies by route and payout method, and Revolut's limits vary by region. Always confirm the final figure on the provider's own site before you send.
Cost figures are worked out from each provider's published fee structure applied to the current mid-market reference rate, modelled estimates for typical major-currency routes. Western Union's pricing varies by route and payout method; Revolut's fair-use limits and plan prices vary by region. The figures shown are representative. Always confirm the final quote on the provider's own site before you transfer. We may earn a commission from affiliate links at no extra cost to you; this never affects rankings. Nothing here is financial advice.
Sources: Revolut exchange fees (opens in a new tab), Western Union pricing (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers commissions (opens in a new tab), IBUK and IBLLC Client Agreement (opens in a new tab), Interactive Brokers third-party withdrawals (opens in a new tab). Accessed 22 August 2026.