Digicel has teamed up with Western Union to expand its Diaspora programme in the US and is expected to serve 5M customers.

In a press release the company said its relationship with Western Union, “a leader in global money transfer” will allow it to access its 45,000 agent locations in the US and an estimated 5M members of the Caribbean and Central American Diaspora.

Consumers can now buy instant phone credit (airtime/minutes) at participating Western Union agent locations and send them to friends and family living in Jamaica, Haiti, El Salvador and Guyana. Digicel said additional participating countries will include Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Also, Digicel Top Up and credit remittance service will enable members of several Diaspora markets in the UK, Canada, Cayman Islands and other countries to buy instant phone credit for friends and family.

According to the release Digicel said its partnership with Western Union is the first of its calibre in airtime remittance. “By expanding the Diaspora offerings, we will have even greater impact on the communities we server,” Brian Finn, Digicel Group Commercial Director said. Meanwhile, Raul Garcia of Western Union Payment Services said the arrangement with Digicel “is just one more example of how we are using our unparalleled Agent network to provide consumers with the services they want and need.”