Brandwave

How popular isWestern Union?

In September 2026, people searched for Western Union by name about 33,300 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 47.2% of all New Zealand send money brand searches, placing Western Union first out of six brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about send money brands, Western Union appeared in two of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Western Union is the most searched of 6 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Western UnionShare of searches 47.2%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  2. WiseShare of searches 23%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. MoneyGramShare of searches 11%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  4. RemitlyShare of searches 9.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. OFXShare of searches 4.9%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd

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Top send money brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Western Union was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Western Union is the fifth most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Wise1st
  2. Xe2nd
  3. OFX3rd
  4. Remitly4th
  5. Western Union5th
  6. MoneyGram6th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Wise5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Xe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • OFX4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Remitly3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Western Union2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • MoneyGram1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about send money brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which send money brands compete with Western Union?

Western Union against send money brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Western Union, Wise, MoneyGram, Remitly, OFX, Xe. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthWestern UnionWiseMoneyGramRemitlyOFXXe
Oct 202561.6%3.7%12.1%13.1%2.9%6.6%
Nov 202561.9%2.6%11.8%15.8%2.5%5.5%
Dec 202566.1%2.7%12.7%11.3%2.5%4.7%
Jan 202664.6%3.4%12.1%11.2%3%5.7%
Feb 202666.2%3.7%12.5%9.4%2.4%5.9%
Mar 202653.5%14.6%10.1%9.3%6.8%5.8%
Apr 202626.6%59.8%5%4.6%1.2%2.9%
May 202615.1%75.7%3.5%3.4%0.7%1.6%
Jun 202625.6%58.1%4.9%5.3%3.4%2.8%
Jul 202626.2%60.1%5.9%4.5%1%2.3%
Aug 202636.3%45.5%8.1%6.2%1.2%2.6%
Sep 202647.2%23%11%9.8%4.9%4.1%

  1. 1.Western Union

    47.2%

    Moved from 2nd to 1st. 33.3K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share +10.9 points.

  2. 2.Wise

    23%

    Moved from 1st to 2nd. 16.2K estimated branded searches, -68.3% vs prior month. Share -22.5 points.

  3. 3.MoneyGram

    11%

    Held 3rd. 7.7K estimated branded searches, -15.1% vs prior month. Share +2.9 points.

  4. 4.Remitly

    9.8%

    Held 4th. 6.9K estimated branded searches, -1.1% vs prior month. Share +3.6 points.

  5. 5.OFX

    4.9%

    Moved from 6th to 5th. 3.5K estimated branded searches, +150.7% vs prior month. Share +3.7 points.

  6. 6.Xe

    4.1%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.5 points.

Compare popularity between Western Union and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Western Union

9 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Western Union changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Western Union in New Zealand held steady, from 33.4K to 33.3K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Western Union’s share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand decreased from 61.6% to 47.2%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Western Union’s share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand peaked at 66.2% in February 2026 and was lowest at 15.1% in May 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand send money brands in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Western Union overtook Wise to become the leader among send money brands in New Zealand, with 47.2% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, OFX overtook Xe to rank 5th among send money brands in New Zealand, with 4.9% of the searches.

  3. In September 2026, Remitly gained share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand, from 6.2% to 9.8%.

  4. In September 2026, MoneyGram gained share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand, from 8.1% to 11%.

  5. In September 2026, Xe gained share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand, from 2.6% to 4.1%.

  6. In September 2026, Wise lost share of searches among send money brands in New Zealand, from 45.5% to 23%.

How are Western Union’s branded searches counted?

3 search terms

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

  • western union
  • western union rates
  • westernunion

Do you work for Western Union? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Western Union compete?

Western Union is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Money transfer services1st of 839.7%Show ranking
Send money brands1st of 647.2%Shown above
Currency converter software1st of 656.2%Show ranking
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Is Western Union your brand?

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