Author Topic: Payments to foreign countries (Read 7155 times)

Philippe · « **on:** December 25, 2011, 04:40:25 PM »

Hi!

A question I adress first to french forumists here:
What's your preferate way to pay outside from France if you have already made it several times ( to particular person or plant association memberships)
I just don't get it with all the english terms/explanations which are given in the forms.
Payment by credit card/paypal is by far the easiest but unfortunately not always possible everytime, thus my question.

You can answer me through private message, in french, I think it's how I will understand best

Thank you very much!!

Happy Christmas

Philippe

Maggi Young · « **Reply #1 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:11:51 PM »

Happy Christmas, Philippe

We find paypal very useful, I must say, simple to send in any currency from our UK point of view.

Philippe · « **Reply #2 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:32:47 PM »

I know Maggi, I made the paypal-jump last fall, and was delighted by its simplicity!
But well, now I would like to pay V.Holubec, and also the NZAGS membership. Both don't use paypal.
I read of 30/40euros fees only (!) on a cheque to a foreign bank, whatever the amount of the cheque is. Went to my bank and was told 15euros only for this operation, but the person really didn't seem convinced of what she said, and concrete informations are only difficult if not impossible to be found on the web it seems. I can't imagine that a czech or new zealand bank won't take any further added fees on a french cheque, as this operation might be very rare and complicated for them!

PeterT · « **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:47:00 PM »

I believe you might be able to transfer money from your bank directly to Holubec's bank Phillipe? This seems normal for German banks.
I find it easiest to send cash otherwise.

Maggi Young · « **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:53:38 PM »

What might be useful is a network of forumists in different countries willing to make payments for you, and you could then pay them with paypal.

I make some payments in the UK for a German friend and then he pays me by paypal.

PeterT · « **Reply #5 on:** December 25, 2011, 06:03:39 PM »

I do this too Maggie, and I have German clients in England, who occasionally transfer money for me, for example to Czech Republic. This is free from German banks. There are other internet services besides Paypal. Often it is easiest to post cash though!

Tony Willis · « **Reply #6 on:** December 25, 2011, 07:08:45 PM »

I will try a helpful answer before the usual ranting unneeded posts about banks appear.

First of all it is usually illegal to send cash by [post.

Usually there are two ways of doing it through the bank

1 a bank to bank transfer either by same day transfer or one that takes a few days. The person making the transfer can opt to pay either all or just their own charges and in the latter case a charge will be levied by the receiving bank. Both are horribly expensive.About £25 in the UK

2 In countries outside the Euro request a euro cheque from the bank to send by post. The bank issuing the cheque makes a charge and the one cashing it does also. This is cheaper than the first option but still expensive.

3 For non Euro countries a cheque (draft) can be requested in the currency of the person receiving it to send by post. Again there are charges at both ends.I think this can be done in most countries.

4 Countries within the Euro can send a euro cheque and the person receiving it will usually pay charges for cashing it.

Basically if you cannot use Paypal and have to use your bank in the UK it is not economical unless the order is large enough to make the bank charges worthwhile.

PeterT · « **Reply #7 on:** December 25, 2011, 07:24:20 PM »

Unless you have access to a German (European ?) bank when it is free Tony! Anyway I think Phillippe is in France. I did look into sending cash from the UK to Europe in some detail last year, It is leagal and cheaper than the bank fees (including the insurance from the Post Office in the UK) but they wouldn't insure cash to certain countries including Czech republic. I'm not sure that sending Cash there is illeagal- just uninsured!

Tony Willis · « **Reply #8 on:** December 25, 2011, 07:35:53 PM »

Peter no it not illegal to send it but it is illegal in many countries and so once it crosses their border it is an offence.

www.postoffice.co.uk/letters-parcels/mailing-guide/sending-cash

PeterT · « **Reply #9 on:** December 25, 2011, 08:05:09 PM »

Fair enough Tony,
hope this link works, I did a sample calculation to transfer £50.00 to the Czech Rep from a UK Visa account. The fees are £1.57 no doubt most UK visa cards would have an additional pound or two in charges.
I have never used this service -either cash or a German Bank transfer works for me.
https://www.moneybookers.com/p2p/en/calculator/fees.pl
suggest you click on "break down of transfer costs"

Lesley Cox · « **Reply #10 on:** December 25, 2011, 09:34:16 PM »

Philippe, if you will send me your address, I will happily pay a sub to NZAGS for you. Call is a Christmas present. Their year starts in April so I can arrange for it to go through to the end of March 2013.

I have similar problems with seed from the Eastern European collectors' lists. Banks here, no matter that I give them account details, tell me such transfers to some countries are just not possible. It's why I have so far not bought seed from Holubec, Pavelka, Jurasek et al.

As a system, Paypal is virtually unknown in New Zealand. I had a lot of work to do when Anne W and I had a small arrangement going. Worked in the end though.

PeterT · « **Reply #11 on:** December 25, 2011, 09:45:49 PM »

Pavelka accepted a cheque in UK Pounds from me this year, which was duely cashed. No extortionate charges occured.

Neil · « **Reply #12 on:** December 25, 2011, 09:47:32 PM »

I use http://www.travelex.co.uk/uk/send-money-now.aspx only 99p per transaction if you can wait 5 days for it to go into the recivers account. Don't know if the french site has the facility or not

Lvandelft · « **Reply #13 on:** December 25, 2011, 10:05:32 PM »

For payment into European countries I mostly do this by Internet banking with a SEPA payment.
Normal charges like inland payments, so nothing extra. The only thing you have to do is asking the recipients for their IBAN number and BIC code. These numbers are available for every Bank Account number in Europe. They will find these numbers at their own Bank Site when they use Internet Banking and Log-in.
When I have to pay in foreign currency, I pay the amount (from Holland) in Euro’s and use a currency converter.
For instance I have to pay Sterling 35.- I would have to pay at the moment € 41.85. If this amount is for a club I might pay a little more ? € 43.- so that the recipient will receive the amount of 35.- in Sterling. When I would pay in the currency of the recipient I would have to pay extra costs. But in this way it is free.
Just look on your own Bank pages about payment to foreign countries.
Here is a link to SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area)
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/payments/sepa/

bulborum · « **Reply #14 on:** December 26, 2011, 07:38:49 AM »

As far as I know in France just with BNP it is possible to wire money electronicly at home
You log in to BNP and apply the bank-transfer to a certain person wit all the information they ask
A few days later they create the possibility to wire at home just to that person
I don't know the cost
Gemma is doing this but I can ask

Roland

Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

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