If you see ‘WUVISAAFT’ appear as a charge in your bank statement transaction history, it is typically the result of a transfer of funds that you made with your credit or debit card using Western Union money transfer services.
The label ‘WUVISAAFT’ can be broken down into three separate parts as follows:
- WU: This stands for Western Union
- VISA: This refers to a Visa credit account
- AFT: This stands for Account Funding Transaction
Western Union is a multinational company primarily providing money transfer services for people wanting to send funds locally, interstate, or perhaps even overseas.
Typical scenarios would be:
- Paying for a bill (utility, dining out, etc)
- Paying debts to family/friends
- Sending money to help family overseas
An example of this charge appearing as a transaction on your bank statement can be seen in the screenshot below.
Typically, the transaction is a transfer of money out of your account, and therefore should appear with a ‘-‘ negative sign in front of the payment amount, to signify a deduction.
Try to recall whether you did in fact transfer funds from either your credit or debit card, that would result in such a transaction, before disputing it with your bank.
The payment would either have been a once-off or recurring, and transferred using Western Union’s money transfer service.
Note that falsely disputing the charge with your card issuer may potentially land you in trouble.
Is the WUVISAAFT charge on my credit card or debit card bank statement?
The transaction with the label WUVISAAFT is the result of a transfer either using your credit card or your debit card.
Typically, debit cards are used to transfer money from one account to another, since funds already exist from which to draw.
However, it is still possible to transfer money from a credit card, although it is not recommended since it will be expensive due to the fees charged and high interest which will begin to accrue immediately from what will be a cash advance.
To clarify, the card from which funds were transferred is not a Western Union issued card.
Instead, when you made the transfer, assuming that you did, you will have used Western Union services to transfer money from your credit card or debit card account.
The process would have involved pushing funds from your account and into the recipient’s account, which could either be a debit account or a pre-paid card account.
Since the transaction appears on your statement, your card issuer is likely to support money transfers using Western Union’s Visa AFT capability.
What is Western Union Visa AFT?
Western Union Visa AFT is a capability provided as a service that operates over the Visa Direct network to facilitate AFTs, which are Account Funding Transactions.
This service allows individuals like yourselves as well as business owners to send money to anyone, anywhere in the world.
As a consequence of running on the Visa Direct network, Western Union offers convenient payment and money transfer services.
They are processed in real time and are extremely safe as a result of Visa’s security infrastructure.
Can I use a credit card or a debit card with Western Union Visa AFT?
Yes, the card from which the funds are drawn, can either be a credit or a debit card, and must be eligible for an AFT (Account Funding Transaction) through the Visa Direct network.
The funds are pulled from your account, and transferred into another non-merchant account, such as a debit or a pre-paid card.
Not only does this facilitate person to person transactions with paying bills, and sending remittances to friends and family, it also allows for businesses to provide reimbursements, refunds, and governments to payout rebates.
The process involves identifying the recipient with a phone number, email address, or card account details, depending on the money transfer service provider.
Western Union for example, can deliver funds directly to eligible accounts using their card credentials.
When you send money through Western Union, the transaction will be very similar to your typical credit or debit card purchase, so it will appear in that fashion on your bank account statement.
The transfer can be set up to occur once or as a recurring transfer or payment, using your card issuer’s online banking facility.
Why does “WUVISAAFT” appear on my statement when I haven’t transferred money with Western Union?
The label ‘WUVISAAFT’ may appear on your bank statement because either:
- you have forgotten that you made the money transfer (either once-off or recurring), or
- perhaps your card issuer has made an error, or
- there is fraudulent activity on your card
Determine whether the amount of the transaction is the result of a credit into your account or a deduction.
Usually a symptom of a scam is when a small amount of money has been deposited into your account.
Another sign of suspicious activity is when a large deduction has been made as a result of your credit card, say, being used fraudulently.
In either of these scenarios, it is important to compile as much information as you can, before filing a dispute with your card issuer, or contacting Western Union customer service directly.
Perhaps someone may have opened a credit card under your name unbeknownst to you and has made legitimate payments in an attempt to operate under the radar.
In most cases though, the “WUVISAAFT” label is the result of you using Western Union money transfer services, whether you remember it or not.
What is WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000?
The words ‘WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000’ may appear as a deduction on your bank statement as a result of a funds transfer you made using Western Union’s Visa Direct Account Funding Transaction (AFT) service.
The following variations may also appear as part of the transaction:
- WUVISAAFT 800-3256000 CO
- WUVISAAFT CO
- WUVISAAFT 8003256000
- WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000 CO
- WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000 COUS
- WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000 CO 80112
- WUVISAAFT 800 325 6000 CO 80112
- PYMT SENT WUVISAAFT 800-325-6000 CO
Let’s break down what this all means:
- WUVISAAFT: This can be broken down further to WU (Western Union), VISA (Visa Direct network), and AFT (Account Funding Transaction).
- 800-325-6000: This is actually a phone number for Western Union’s customer service.
- CO: This the abbreviation for the state of Colorado, which is the location of Western Union’s headquarters.
- COUS: This can be broken down further to CO (the state of Colorado) and US (United States), both of which represents the headquarters for Western Union.
- 80112: This is the Colorado zip code where Western Union headquarters is situated.
- PYMT: This is just an abbreviation for the word ‘payment’.
On November 29 I was renewing my McAfee protection and the technician was requiring me to provided information on my debit account to assist him in downloading the program. I was unaware that I was not dealing with the official McAfee officials and instead the person was using my debit card to transfer money from my checking account to a fraudulent site not only did they use your account but also venmo and one other. I assume this money was sent overseas to help terrorist organizations. I have contacted my bank but I am not getting much help since they used not only my debit card but my identity. I plan to notify the FBI to press charges. Can you tell me the person or persons who received the money? I have since terminated my debit card and all my credit cards. DO NOT HONOR ANY OF THE PENDING CHARGES