Western Union vs Wise:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Western Union had more branded searches than Wise among money transfer services in New Zealand. Western Union had about 33,300 branded searches, while Wise had 17,300. Western Union made up 39.7% of all money transfer service searches we track, and Wise accounted for 20.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about money transfer services, both Western Union and Wise appeared in all five answers. Wise was mentioned before Western Union in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Western Union, about 92% more searches than Wise
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Wise, named ahead of Western Union in every answer
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Top money transfer services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Western Union and Wise showed up in all five answers. Wise was listed before Western Union in every answer.
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 Western Union or Wise more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Western Union and Wise 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, Wise. 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 Western Union and Wise comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Wise took it in April 2026, Western Union took it in September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wise’s share of searches among money transfer services in New Zealand moved from 4.8% to 20.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 17.3K.
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, Wise lost share of searches among money transfer services in New Zealand, from 42.3% to 20.6%.
How are branded searches counted?
12 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Western Union’s and Wise’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.
Western Union
3 branded search terms
- western union
- western union rates
- westernunion
Wise
9 branded search terms
- wise business
- wise converter
- wise currency converter
- wise exchange rate
- wise fx
- wise send money
- wise transfer
- wise visa
- wise web
Other head-to-heads among money transfer services
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