OREANDA-NEWS. November 11, 2010. The service which AB Bank SNORAS started providing in Lithuania a month ago – international cash transfers “Western Union” – has caused a lot of interest. Within almost a month 890 operations of this service have been performed in the bank’s subdivisions, and the total sum of transfers reaches almost LTL 1.2 million. The larger part of this sum, i.e. LTL 858 thousand, comprises the money transfers which Lithuanian residents received from foreign countries, reported the press-centre of Bank SNORAS.

“The service hardly started to be provided when it became quite popular. It was conditioned by the service convenience – it provides an opportunity to safely and quickly receive or transfer money worldwide, without opening a bank account. We have identified that even three fourths of the clients, who used this service, received money transfers from foreign countries. The bank’s clients most often obtained the international Western Union remittances from the United Kingdom,” states Deividas Sipaila, the director of AB Bank SNORAS Sales Department.

The majority, i.e. 83 per cent, of Western Union transfers from abroad to Lithuania performed in AB Bank SNORAS comprised remittances from European countries. Among them – about 32 per cent from the United Kingdom, almost 9 per cent each – from Russia and Ireland, 4 per cent – from Italy and approx. 3.5 per cent – from Sweden. 10 per cent of such remittances were sent from North and South America.

Lithuanian residents, using Western Union service, sent almost LTL 306 thousand to other countries within a month. Residents of our country also most often send cash to European countries: Russia, United Kingdom, Romania, Germany, etc. Such money transfers comprise 75 per cent of all remittances sent abroad. About 17 per cent include cash transfers to Asian countries – China, Azerbaijan, India, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia.

Residents of large cities – Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai – are the most active in using Western Union service in AB Bank SNORAS subdivisions in Lithuania.

While sending money via Western Union, you don’t need to have an account in a bank or a payment card. It is enough to fill in a simple form on sending or receiving money and to confirm your identity. Money sent from abroad can be collected in Litas, Euros or USA dollars in the expansive network of Bank SNORAS – in the branches, branch outlets and mini-banks. Money can be sent abroad in Litas or USA dollars.