In February 2009 the company entered into an agreement with Fexco to acquire 100% of its shares for $ 159.9 million. Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. In order to increase competitiveness and market expansion of its services, Western Union launched a program of loyalty Western Union Gold Card for customers, who has repeatedly made money transfers via Western Union. In 1877, starting from September, New York City residents began to have the opportunity to check the time on clock with the "time ball", located on the roof of constructed in the same year a new corporate headquarters - Western Union Building. In 1914 Western Union engineers invented the first payment card - a prototype of the modern credit card. In 1884 Western Union has become a joint-stock company and was brought to the stock exchange. The company has entered in the first American stock index Dow Jones. Sibley, the founder of Western Union, did not build a new telegraph lines, and persuaded the other players to join. American Telegraph Company, however, still had to buy it.