Amazon Partners with Western Union to Allow Purchases in Cash

Robin Ajello, Bloomberg News

The Amazon.com logo is displayed outside the company's fulfillment center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. , Photographer: Jim Young/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. is making it easier for U.S. consumers to use cash by letting them pay for online purchases at Western Union Co. locations.

Amazon on Wednesday said it was expanding its PayCode service to the U.S. Already available in 19 countries around the world, the system lets shoppers select PayCode at checkout, after which they will have 24 hours to pay in cash at one of 15,000 Western Union offices around the country.

“Customers have told us they love the convenience of paying in cash,” Amazon said in a statement.

Western Union shares gained about 1.5% in pre-market trading.

Separately, Amazon Cash, which lets customers load cash into their Amazon Balance to make online purchases, is now available in more than 100,000 cash-loading locations nationwide.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robin Ajello in New York at rajello@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz