2.2.0.7 false Derivatives (Policies) 0412 - Disclosure - Derivatives (Policies) true false false false 1 USD false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Pure Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance pure xbrli 0 $ 2 Derivatives( Policies) [Abstract] 0 wu_DerivativesPoliciesAbstract wu false na duration Derivatives. false false false false false true false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Derivatives. false 3 Derivatives Policy 1 wu_DerivativesPolicyGeneralTextBlock wu false na duration Description of the entity's objectives and strategies pertaining to the use of derivative instruments and nonderivative... false false false false false false false false false false false verboselabel false 1 false false false false 0 0   <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> <div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> <div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily the euro, and to a lesser degree the British pound, Canadian dollar and other currencies, related to forecasted money transfer revenues and on money transfer settlement assets and obligations. Subsequent to the acquisition of Custom House, the Company is also exposed to risk from derivative contracts written to its customers arising from its cross-currency <font style="white-space: nowrap">business-to-business</font> payments operations. Additionally, the Company is exposed to interest rate risk related to changes in market rates both prior to and subsequent to the issuance of debt. The Company uses derivatives to (a) minimize its exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates and (b) facilitate cross-currency <font style="white-space: nowrap">business-to-business</font> payments by writing derivatives to customers. </div> </div>    <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> <div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> <div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> The Company’s policy is to use longer-term foreign currency forward contracts, with maturities of up to 36 months at inception and a targeted weighted-average maturity of approximately one year, to mitigate some of the risk that changes in foreign currency exchange rates compared to the United States dollar could have on forecasted revenues denominated in other currencies related to its business. At June 30, 2010, the Company’s longer-term foreign currency forward contracts had maturities of a maximum of 24 months with a weighted-average maturity of approximately one year. These contracts are accounted for as cash flow hedges of forecasted revenue, with effectiveness assessed based on changes in the spot rate of the affected currencies during the period of designation. Accordingly, all changes in the fair value of the hedges not considered effective or portions of the hedge that are excluded from the measure of effectiveness are recognized immediately in “Derivative gains/(losses), net” within the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. </div>  </div>   <div style="margin-left: 0%">  <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> </div> <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> <b> <font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> </font> </b> </div> <div style="margin-top: 0pt; font-size: 1pt"> </div> <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> <b> <font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> </font> </b> </div> <div align="center" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> <b> <font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> </font> </b> </div>  <div style="margin-top: 18pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> </div>    <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times"> <div style="margin-top: 6pt; font-size: 1pt">  </div> <div align="left" style="margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 0%; text-indent: 4%; font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times; color: #000000; background: #ffffff"> The Company utilizes interest rate swaps to effectively change the interest rate payments on a portion of its notes from fixed-rate payments to short-term LIBOR-based variable rate payments in order to manage its overall exposure to interest rates. The Company designates these derivatives as fair value hedges utilizing the short-cut method, which permits an assumption of no ineffectiveness if certain criteria are met. The change in fair value of the interest rate swaps is offset by a change in the carrying value of the debt being hedged within the Company’s “Borrowings” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and “Interest expense” in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income has been adjusted to include the effects of interest accrued on the swaps. </div> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged false false false xbrli:normalizedStringItemType normalizedstring Description of the entity's risk management policy for interest rate derivatives. Includes a description of the items or transactions for which risks are hedged, such as interest rate risk on fixed rate debt. No authoritative reference available. false 1 4 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true