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Old 01-09-2013, 03:33 PM
AmyM AmyM is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 22
Default Wiring payment internationally - here's a tip

I've never wired money before. We decided to use our credit card to pay for the surgery so at least we'd get the airline points. However, there was a 2% international transaction fee, so it didn't make sense (the fee would have been more than the miles were worth). So we decided to wire 3/4 of the payment, and charge the rest on our credit card (my surgery is with Dr Clavel in Spain & Yolanda was happy to set that up for us).

Luckily, my husband went to the bank with me when I went to do the wire. He works in international finance, and sees the exchange rate all day. When he saw the rate Wells Fargo was charging us, he was not happy. It was the same rate they charge someone who's walking in to exchange a few hundred bucks for a trip - NOT a rate you want if you are wiring tens of thousands of dollars. He talked to the bank and told them the rate he was working with that day, but they couldn't/wouldn't lower it for us. I realize they are running a business, but the rate they were charging would have added about 5% to our total (on top of the $45 fee). So we decided to send payment in US dollars instead of euros. Dr Clavel's bank gave us a more favorable exchange rate than ours did, so it worked out in our favor.

So my tip is - be sure to know that day's exchange rate before you go to the bank! If your bank is not close to that in their exchange,and won't lower it, consider sending in US dollars.
__________________
-Amy
Car acccident 4.11.11 - damaged c 3/4, 4/5 & 5/6
pain in neck (ha), right shoulder, arm & tingling hand
2-level cervical ADR (c 3/4 & c 4/5) with Dr. Clavel in Barcelona on January 10, 2013
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