Western Union is extending its prepaid card platform to the UK with the launch of a MasterCard gift card and GoCash service SM. These services will provide consumers with convenient new ways to share money with friends and family anytime of the year - including over the upcoming Christmas holidays.

The launch marks the first international extension of Western Union's prepaid program outside the USA, with further expansion planned in coming months to Asia, Latin America and other European countries.

"Western Union is a world leader in prepaid financial services, providing people with innovative, easy-to-use products and services," says Western Union senior vice president for Europe & CIS, Jan Hillered. "We are committed to responding to the market's needs and that means providing prepaid products all over the world to help people take part in a global marketplace increasingly moving toward card and account-based transactions."

As one of the leading retailers of gift cards in the UK, WHSmith is now stocking one or both products at over 500 High Street and travel stores across the country.

"WHSmith is pleased to be working with Western Union to bring its prepaid gift card and GoCash offering to the UK," says Ian Sanders, WHSmith commercial development director. "We regularly look at providing our customers with additional products and services which complement our core product categories."

Western Union, in collaboration with MasterCard, has launched the gift card which recipients can "buy here, and spend anywhere" and use at more than 32 million traditional and online stores. It is the first product in its category offering a unique chip and PIN function, making it more secure.

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