The Morse key was one of the first means of telegraph transmissions, through World War I. By the end of World War II, there were 15, 000 Western Union messengers. In the first half of the twentieth century, more than 4,000 Western Union offices were established. Young women, known as “route aids”, transferred messages from one relay circuit to another in a major Western Union center, on roller skates. In 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse demonstrated his telegraph invention in Washington D.C. Founded in 1851, the telegraph service finally changed its name to Western Union in 1856. Western Union built the first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861. In 1870, Thomas A. Edison invented the universal stock ticker. In 1920, teleprinters became the principal method of receiving Western Union telegrams. In the 1930s Western Union developed the Deskfax. In 1950s there were more than 50,000 offices. In 1970, Western Union launched America’s first domestic communication satellites. Reaching more than 390 countries around the globe, Western Union became the fastest way to send and receive money worldwide. Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry became a Western Union Authorized Agent on December 8, 1992.

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) is a leader in global money transfer services. Together with its Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded money transfer services, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a combined network of more than 334, 000 Agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851.

For more information, visit WesternUnion.com

Regulations

Westen Union is governed by regulations laid out by the Central Bank of Belize, which stipulates that each transaction sent to Belize is paid in real currency. When customers send money to another country, the currency that is paid out is determined by that country. When sending more than $500.00USD a customer needs to bring a Central Bank permit, as well as proper identification.

Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Vision: To contribute to the sustainable development of Belize through effective representation of the business community

As the voice of the business community, we are the country's leading advocate for private enterprise, promoting economic vitality and quality of life in Belize.