Remitly vs Western Union:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Western Union had more branded searches than Remitly among money transfer services in New Zealand. Western Union had about 33,300 branded searches, while Remitly had 7,320. Western Union made up 39.7% of all money transfer service searches we track, and Remitly accounted for 8.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about money transfer services, Western Union appeared in all five answers and Remitly in four. Remitly was mentioned before Western Union in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Western Union, about 5 searches for every 1 for Remitly
Who does AI mention more?
Western Union, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Remitly, named ahead of Western Union in 4 of 5 answers
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Top money transfer services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Western Union appeared in all five answers. Remitly was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Remitly was listed before Western Union in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Wise1st- Remitly2nd
OFX3rd
Xe4th- Western Union5th
Revolut–
MoneyGram–
WorldRemit–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Western Union5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Wise5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Remitly4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OFX3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Xe3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Revolut0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- MoneyGram0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- WorldRemit0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about money transfer services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which money transfer service should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best money transfer services in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best money transfer service in New Zealand for sending money overseas?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best money transfer”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“send money overseas nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Remitly or Western Union more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Remitly and Western Union by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight money transfer services we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Western Union, Remitly. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Western Union | Wise | Revolut | MoneyGram | Remitly | OFX | Xe | WorldRemit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.6% | 4.8% | 10.8% | 10.4% | 11.8% | 2.6% | 6.3% | 0.79% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.4% | 3.6% | 10.9% | 10.2% | 13.9% | 2.2% | 5.2% | 0.64% |
| Dec 2025 | 56.9% | 3.4% | 11.6% | 10.9% | 9.9% | 2.2% | 4.5% | 0.57% |
| Jan 2026 | 54% | 4.1% | 13.5% | 10.2% | 9.7% | 2.8% | 5.2% | 0.54% |
| Feb 2026 | 56.7% | 4.2% | 11.6% | 10.7% | 8.4% | 2.4% | 5.5% | 0.56% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.8% | 13.6% | 11.4% | 8.6% | 8.4% | 6% | 5.7% | 0.56% |
| Apr 2026 | 24.9% | 56.5% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 1.2% | 3% | 0.21% |
| May 2026 | 14.4% | 72.5% | 3.7% | 3.3% | 3.4% | 0.74% | 1.8% | 0.18% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.3% | 53.7% | 7.2% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 0.23% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.8% | 55.3% | 7.6% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 0.97% | 2.3% | 0.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.9% | 42.3% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 6% | 1.2% | 2.9% | 0.27% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.7% | 20.6% | 12.5% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 0.33% |
How has the Remitly and Western Union comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Western Union was ahead of Remitly in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Remitly’s share of searches among money transfer services in New Zealand moved from 11.8% to 8.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 7.5K to 7.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Western Union’s share of searches among money transfer services in New Zealand moved from 52.6% to 39.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.4K to 33.3K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand money transfer services in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Western Union overtook Wise to become the leader among money transfer services in New Zealand, with 39.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Remitly gained share of searches among money transfer services in New Zealand, from 6% to 8.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
12 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Remitly’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.
Remitly
9 branded search terms
- remitly
- remitly app
- remitly choice
- remitly currency exchange
- remitly exchange rate
- remitly is safe
- remitly payment
- remitly rate
- remitly send money
Western Union
3 branded search terms
- western union
- western union rates
- westernunion
Other head-to-heads among money transfer services
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