News

Multiparty deal to allow Romanians to receive international remittances at ATMs

Maestro and MasterCard cardholders in Romania will be able to withdraw funds sent via Western Union at more than 900 Banca Transilvania ATMs.

June 19, 2015

A tripartite agreement between Western Union, MasterCard and Banca Transilvania will allow millions of Maestro and MasterCard cardholders in Romania to withdraw international remittances from more than 900 BT-owned ATMs across the country, according to a press release. The parties expect to take the new service live later this year.

"Senders will still be able to use any of Western Union's global cash or digital pay-in options," said Odilon Almeida, Western Union president of the Americas and European Union. "Now MasterCard and Maestro cardholders in Romania will be able to withdraw these funds quickly in cash or load the funds directly onto their cards."

Romania is one of the largest remittance receivers in eastern Europe, the release said. A significant number of Romanians live in Italy, Germany and Spain, countries that account for more than 50 percent of cross-borders transfers into Romania.

"Providing convenient and quick ways for customers to access their funds has always been our high priority," Banca Transilvania CEO Omer Tetik said in the release. "Collaborating with Western Union, a leading global payments leader, and MasterCard, the world's leading payment processor, means we are making it easier than ever before for our customers."