Just logged into my Google Adsense account and found out that Malaysian publishers can now receive their monthly Adsense earnings via Western Union. All you need is to show a photo ID with a name that matches the payee name in Adsense.

This is definitely good news because previously I had to wait almost 3 weeks for the cheque to arrive and then another 1 month for HSBC to clear the cheque.

With this new arrangement, you can now collect cash payments from any Western Union branch a day after Google issues the payment (look under Payment History). You also don’t have to deal with cheques lost in the mail, although that has never happened to me in my 2 years as an Adsense publisher.

To switch to Western Union, simply select “My Account” and setup Western Union Quick Cash under “Payment Details” - you’ll have to agree to the photo ID thingy.

The two things to note is that 1) there’s a cap on the cashout depending on your location - mine’s US$2,800 and 2) the payment is done in U.S. Dollars but you have the option to convert it to your local currency.

My payment for September is now in progress and I’ll update here about my experience with collection via Western Union Quick Cash later - fingers crossed! :)

Other countries where Western Union Quick Cash is available:
- China (Mainland)
- Pakistan
- Romania
- Philippines
- Argentina
- Chile
- Peru
- Colombia