Amazon has partnered with Western Union, a cross-border funds transfer platform, to offer a new payment option for its international customers.
As part of the arrangement, cross-border Amazon shoppers will be able to pay in-person, in their local currency where available, for their online purchases through the Western Union agent network.
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With the new payment option, Amazon expects to address the concerns of overseas customers who want to make in-person payments. It will also meet the needs of those customers not wanting to conduct online transactions.
In select countries, the new payment will be available on the Amazon checkout page. Customers will receive a code along with instructions for paying at a participating Western Union agent location.
Furthermore, Western Union’s cross-border, cross-currency money movement platform will enable the cash refunds process for returned products.
Western Union president and CEO Hikmet Ersek said: “There are people in the world who want greater access to Amazon’s huge product selection. However paying for those purchases has been a real obstacle for many customers.
“We’re leveraging our money movement platform to make it easier to shop global and pay local. By facilitating the complex foreign exchange and settlement process, we’re opening up more consumer choices and access to online shopping for tens of millions of potential new Amazon customers.”
Currently, Western Union’s platform operates across more than 200 countries and regions.
