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Can any of you suggest the best method for someone to send me payment, without using credit card?
I have a large event in my area next year and for that time frame I have doubled the rates and will be only accepting checks. However, I have someone coming from Australia and not sure how to accept payment?
Does it work the same way as U.S.? Can you just mail a check or would they need to wire the money? Also, I don’t want to pay any fees for accepting wire payment.
My husband gets money from France from time to time. They can mail a check or use a wire transfer if your bank has a swift code. Banks charge for wires but you can ask them to waive the fee if you’re a good customer.
Hi @cabinhost
A regular cheque is not guaranteed.
They can pay you through Paypal or do an international bank transfer (should be with you in a couple of days)
I don’t think the recipient pays for a wire transfer. I use on-line banking to transfer money to my French account and can’t recall a fee that end, only me sending it. I find OLB the safest way to pay plumbers/builders etc as well sending to France, so long as the sender is careful to ensure the account number is correct before pressing send. They need you account number, sort code and IBAN number of your bank. It’s safer than cheques, which can be stopped.
Good point @Joan if the guest is making an international bank transfer do make sure they pay the cost of doing so, rather than you.
Hi @Helsi
I offer Paypay too. It can make it easier for my Canadian guests who are booking long term with a traditional lease to pay the deposit and first month’s rent.
Anne
Oh yes. This can end up in endless disputes with banks about who is to blame, and their refusal to retrieve it from where it was sent, for “Data Protection” excuses, sorry, reasons. But I still think OLB is still the best/safest. A cheque can take up to a week to clear, in which time the issuer can cancel it, i.e. put a stop on it, although of course, in this instance they wouldn’t get to stay at your place. I confess to having done this once, after paying a deposit via cheque for new bathroom basins/cupboards etc… I was in France for a few days whilst the work was carried out, fortunately over a weekend. On return, when I found they had fitted what I hadn’t specified, I put a stop on the cheque., and refused to make the final payment until all was rectified. I’ve never seen tradesmen move so fast!
We have a PayPal account but after looking into it, discarded any thought of using it Unfortunately, I can’t remember why…
Thanks for the info.
I’m okay with a check as long it is one that is guaranteed. Her stay is not until over 10 months from now. But also wanted it to be easier on her and not sure if the banks charge high fees, etc.
Someone recommended transferwise so I can also suggest that to her. Will wait to see if the guest has a preferred system she already uses as long as no fees on my end and irreversible transaction once payment clears.
I have some pretty good experience with Transferwise. Low fees, swift service.
Usually, for international payments, I prefer PayPal. They do take a 2.5% currency exchange fee on top of the regular fees, though, so this isn’t really a bargain in most cases.
A personal cheque isn’t guaranteed because they can stop the cheque after it’s issued or it could be fraudulent. If you have time for it to clear (three weeks or so I believe) and are happy to hold the booking that long while it clears, then it’s an option.
If you are already using paypal to accept payments with a CC - why not go with that.
I don’t know about other countries, but in the U.S. recipients pay for wire transfers and it can be a sizeable amount depending on your bank. Also, don’t forget that banks charge currency exchange fees. I believe that @cabinhost’s best bet would be to use PayPal and ask for American dollars.
Your guests can pay by international transfer through their bank and you can advise them that they need to pay the fees associated with the transfer and transfer in USD.
I have used paypal, but ages ago to buy something and can’t remember about costs - does it have a help section of it’s website?
I have done this from Australia and received a large sum from US. You cannot cash a regular Australian cheque and nobody uses Cheques here anymore, I know it’s different in US. People can transfer via bank with complicated Swift codes and the like and get an international Cheque via their bank but they are expensive and have 21 days clearance.
Best method is via PayPal and to request the person to pay in $USD and add the PayPal fees on top. The person can then use their credit card and you get instant money. They need the email address of your PayPal but you can send an invoice direct to their PayPal address if you want. I had a university send me several $1000 so it generated a one time verification with PayPal where I had to upload my ID or something similar which had to exactly match my address on PayPal.
Both sides pay for the international wire transfer.
Both the recipient and the sender pay for wire transfer at my bank. When my son lost his wallet on study abroad, the only thing we found to send money was Western Union. I paid a fee and he just picked it up at a western union center, no fee to him.
The US is outdated in our use of cheques, many other countries do not use them at all. Also, your US bank will not cash a foreign cheque, as my bank here in Barcelona would not cash an American Cheque.
I think your best bet is Transferwire, Paypal Friends and Family, or Western Union … and just factor in the fees into your cost.
Doesn’t work that way in Europe, so my guess is no.
You are also missing the point, that your US bank will most likely not cash the foreign cheque because they have no way to validate it, bc US/AUS banking systems are different. My only thought is MAYBE HSBC would be able to do it if the check was written from an HSBC account in AUS to an HSBC account in the US.
For example is I wrote a US Wells Fargo cheque to myself and tried to deposit it to my Spanish Bank, they would say no, bc there is no way to verify it.
I think you need to let go the idea of getting a physical cheque and figure out which electronic method is least cumbersome.
I guess you could have them send you signed Traveler’s Cheques?? Do those still exist!
I was also thinking that if they can’t send the check electonically, I don’t want it to get lost with Fedex. Yeah…not stuck on the idea of checks. But was just feeling out what is normal custom for international travelers. I’m an ignorant American! 
My partner did initially mention traveler checks. But i guess that would have to be mailed too? I do feel more comfortable with the electronic sending and not something getting lost in the mail.
Appreciate the help!
Paypal, Transferwire, or go through Air Bnb!
@cabinhost
We just had guests from France not through Airbnb and we asked for payment in cash on arrival. They arrived with lots of crisp $50 bills and it was fine.