Western Union has launched a new online international payment service for small financial institutions, allowing mutuals and regional banks to offer their customers access to a secure internet banking portal where they can make overseas transfers.Defence Bank is the first Australian financial institution to sign up for the service. It has members serving overseas who want an efficient way of making international funds' transfers.The head of financial institutions for Western Union Business Solutions in Australia, Joe Higginson, said the new service meant customers would not have to go into a branch or use a call centre to set up a transfer.