54 locations across Japan will provide the Western Union(R) money transfer service at the end of June The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payment services, today announced that Japan Ticket Association (JTA) has commenced offering Western Union(R) Money Transfer(SM) services in allowing consumers access international money transfer services in more than 200 countries and territories (Note 1). Commencing on June 28, 54 of JTA's locations in 12 prefectures including Tokyo, Aichi, Shizuoka, Kyoto and Osaka will offer the service. JTA plans to expand the Western Union Money Transfer service to approximately 300 locations within its network of JTA, complementing its ticketing services for travel, sports, concerts, movies and special events alongside currency exchange services. "We are very pleased to join hands with JTA to provide consumers with fast, reliable and convenient money transfer service in Japan," said Yasuhiro Sakamoto, country manager, Western Union Japan. "As our newest network Agent, JTA fulfills our network expansion strategy of offering regulated money transfer services through multiple classes of trade. With JTA managing over 30 percent of ticket stores across Japan and its continuing expansion plans, we believe they play a significant role in giving consumers convenience and choice for international money transfers," he said. "We are delighted to join with Western Union and its locations network in over 200 countries and territories (Note 1) to offer its global money transfer service. The combination of Western Union's expansive global network and JTA's local vantage offers real convenience to our consumers in Japan," said Hirotsugu Nishimura, President, Japan Ticket Association. In Japan, Western Union is committed to expanding its network and developing innovative ways to meet the changing and increasing needs of money transfer consumers. Western Union's retail network tops more than 80 (Note 1) Agent locations led by Travelex, Philippine National Bank, Daikokuya, H.I.S., Japan Ticket Association. This supplemented by Seven Bank's 16,000 ATMs and 8,800 FamilyMart's Famiports by Densan System Co. -- Seven Bank's ATMs and FamilyMart's Famiports cannot receive money, and need pre-registration. Note 1: Network data as of 31 March 2012 About Western Union The Western Union Company is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. The Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services are offered through a combined network of approximately 495,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories (network data as of 31 March 2012). In 2011, The Western Union Company completed 226 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving US$81 billion of principal between consumers, and completed 425 million business payments. About Japan Ticket Association (JTA) Japan Ticket Association (JTA), founded in 1999 in Tokyo, and has 250 member companies and 634 stores. JTA provides tickets service for gift certificates, beer certificates, stamps, train, sports, concerts, movies, events, lottery tickets such as Toto, and also offers currency exchange service in some stores. For more information, please visit http://www.ticket.or.jp. Western Union Media Contacts Japan Yuko Someya +81-3-4589-2801 (Tokyo) yuko.someya@westernunion.com Yukiko Miyamoto +81-3-4589-2803 (Tokyo) yukiko.miyamoto@westernunion.com Asia-Pacific Pia De Lima +852-9261-8155 (Hong Kong) pia.delima@westernunion.com SOURCE: Western Union