Western Union has announced today that it has made a strategic investment in Walletron Inc., a provider of mobile wallet bill presentment and payment capabilities. 

Walletron automates a brand's presence in mobile wallets such as Apple Wallet and Android Pay, powering digital engagement and serving billers through its bill-to-wallet product, moBills. 

In a press release, Western Union said that its investment supports a strategic objective to bring smart and convenient payment experiences to its customers via smartphones.

"Western Union is driving mobile as our priority customer engagement channel across our money transfer and payments business," said Khalid Fellahi, senior vice president and general manager of Western Union Digital. "Our association with Walletron reinforces this direction, which forms part of our overall omni-channel strategy." 

In August 2016, the companies announced a commercial alliance that will allow Western Union's electronic bill payment service, Speedpay Inc., to offer biller clients the option to add the Walletron moBills technology. The technology enables customers to receive personalized notification and billing information, and enjoy a streamlined payment experience via their smartphones. 

Walletron moBills operates within native mobile wallets on leading smartphone operating systems, according to the anouncement. Customers who have the moBills card in their wallet can view current billing information, pay bills, update notification preferences, view past bills and access their account page.