Brandwave

CurrencyFair vs Western Union:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Western Union had more branded searches than CurrencyFair among currency exchange services worldwide. Western Union had about 18,100 branded searches, while CurrencyFair had 2,900. Western Union made up 3.1% of all currency exchange service searches we track, and CurrencyFair accounted for 0.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about currency exchange services, Western Union appeared in three of the four answers and CurrencyFair in none.

Among currency exchange services worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Western Union, about 6 searches for every 1 for CurrencyFair

Western Union 18.1K searchesCurrencyFair 2.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Western Union, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, CurrencyFair in 0

Western Union in 3 of 4CurrencyFair in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Western Union, the only one of the two named

Western Union first in 3CurrencyFair never named

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Top currency exchange services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Western Union was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. CurrencyFair did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Wise1st
  2. Western Union2nd
  3. Xe3rd
  4. OFX4th
  5. Travelex–
  6. WorldFirst–
  7. TorFX–
  8. CurrencyFair–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Wise4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Western Union3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Xe2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • OFX2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Travelex0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • WorldFirst0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • TorFX0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • CurrencyFair0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about currency exchange services

4 answers
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which currency exchange service should I use?”

    1. 1Wise
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best currency exchange services?”

    1. 1Wise
    2. 2OFX
    3. 3Xe
    4. 4Western Union
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best currency exchange service for sending money abroad?”

    1. 1Wise
    2. 2Xe
    3. 3Western Union
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “currency exchange services”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “international money transfer”

    1. 1Wise
    2. 2Western Union
    3. 3OFX

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Is CurrencyFair or Western Union more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for CurrencyFair and Western Union by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight currency exchange services we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

CurrencyFair and Western Union among currency exchange services worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Western Union, CurrencyFair. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthXeTravelexWiseOFXWorldFirstWestern UnionTorFXCurrencyFair
Oct 202540.4%27.1%9.6%8.1%8.1%4.4%1.6%0.59%
Nov 202542.3%23.2%9.5%8.5%10.4%3.8%1.7%0.62%
Dec 202540.5%22.2%10.3%8.2%12.2%4.5%1.6%0.48%
Jan 202639.5%26.5%11.5%8%8%4.4%1.6%0.58%
Feb 202643%23.6%10.2%8.6%8.6%3.9%1.4%0.63%
Mar 202641.1%22.6%12.8%8.3%8.3%4.5%1.7%0.74%
Apr 202642.7%23.4%12.5%7%8.6%3.9%1.4%0.5%
May 202642.7%23.4%12.5%7%8.6%3.9%1.4%0.5%
Jun 202644.3%19.8%12.9%8.9%8.9%3.3%1.5%0.52%
Jul 202642.4%23.2%12.3%8.5%8.5%3.1%1.4%0.5%
Aug 202637.5%25.2%15.4%7.6%9.2%3.4%1.2%0.54%
Sep 202642.4%23.2%12.3%8.5%8.5%3.1%1.4%0.5%

How has the CurrencyFair and Western Union comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for currency exchange services worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Western Union worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 18.1K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for CurrencyFair worldwide fell 19.4% over 12 measured months, from 3.6K to 2.9K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CurrencyFair’s and Western Union’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

CurrencyFair

1 branded search term

  • currency fair

Western Union

1 branded search term

  • western union currency exchange

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among currency exchange services

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