| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Payment methods other than Paypal for US Thread poster: Kiryl Kurshuk
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Kiryl Kurshuk 
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
I live in Belarus and can't use Paypal system. On the other hand my US clients can't use Moneybookers any more.
Could you advise me what other ways of payment are possible so that an American client/agency could pay me for my translations?
Wire transfer is good for big sums. What about small amounts like 50-200 dollars?
And one more question. Is it possible to transfer western Union or Moneygramm directly to the bank account?
Thank you!
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 09:56
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| A few insights | Feb 20, 2009 |
Hi Kiryl,
Here are some options I'm aware of :
Bank cheque - I don't recommend it, the commissions are overly huge.
Bank wiring transfer - the best option, in my opinion.
Western Union - it's possible to receive it straight to the bank where you have a bank account; all you will need is a code your client will issue to you ( very fast payment, but very expensive for the client- I am not sure which client would accept this payment method).<... See more Hi Kiryl,
Here are some options I'm aware of :
Bank cheque - I don't recommend it, the commissions are overly huge.
Bank wiring transfer - the best option, in my opinion.
Western Union - it's possible to receive it straight to the bank where you have a bank account; all you will need is a code your client will issue to you ( very fast payment, but very expensive for the client- I am not sure which client would accept this payment method).
Moneygramm- I'm not familiar with this one.
[Edited at 2009-02-20 13:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 03:56
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| What happened to Moneybookers? | Feb 20, 2009 |
Kiryl Kurshuk wrote:
I live in Belarus and can't use Paypal system. On the other hand my US clients can't use Moneybookers any more.
Hi, Kiryl.
Do you know why they can't use Moneybookers? I'm based in the U.S. and I just logged into my Moneybookers account without any problems.
I find it's the best solution for small international transfers.
| | | | Kiryl Kurshuk
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I know that Americans are not allowed to use Moneybookers any more.
Perhaps you can still use your Moneybookers account because you are European (or you have a bank account in a European bank). But those who are Americans can't use it any more. This is 100%. This problem is discussed in another topic of the forum.
About Western unions. Are you sure that the charges there are very high? As far as I know they are not. And if it's possible to transfer the money sent via Western U... See more I know that Americans are not allowed to use Moneybookers any more.
Perhaps you can still use your Moneybookers account because you are European (or you have a bank account in a European bank). But those who are Americans can't use it any more. This is 100%. This problem is discussed in another topic of the forum.
About Western unions. Are you sure that the charges there are very high? As far as I know they are not. And if it's possible to transfer the money sent via Western Union (or Moneygram) directly to my bank account it can be a good solution for me.
Are there any other reliable payment systems other that Paypal and Moneybookers that work both for US and Europe (including eastern Europe)? ▲ Collapse
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 09:56
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Kiryl Kurshuk wrote:
About Western unions. Are you sure that the charges there are very high? As far as I know they are not. And if it's possible to transfer the money sent via Western Union (or Moneygram) directly to my bank account it can be a good solution for me.
Hi again,
A clerk from my bank told me WU was a very fast payment, e.g. you could receive it in a few minutes... but it's extremely costly. At least in Bosnian banks. Why don't you phone your bank and ask them ?
Many American clients offered a cheque to me, but it is ridiculous, e.g. a cheque amount is $50, and my bank takes $35 commission... absurd.. So, I crossed out that option altogether.
Wiring transfer can work with small amounts, too. Why not ? How " small"? You only must point out "OUR", it means they are paying for the transfer costs.
[Edited at 2009-02-20 14:01 GMT]
| | | | Kiryl Kurshuk
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
As far as I know the sender pays charges for Western Union and it is a fixed price (something around 11$).
Wire transfer is not good for small amounts when they are sent from US since US clients can't use Internet banking (like we use in Europe), they have to go to the bank personally, spent there some time filling in documents and, the main minus, their bank charges around 40$ for every transfer. Thus there is no reason to use wire transfers from USA when the sum is smaller than 50... See more As far as I know the sender pays charges for Western Union and it is a fixed price (something around 11$).
Wire transfer is not good for small amounts when they are sent from US since US clients can't use Internet banking (like we use in Europe), they have to go to the bank personally, spent there some time filling in documents and, the main minus, their bank charges around 40$ for every transfer. Thus there is no reason to use wire transfers from USA when the sum is smaller than 500$.
So what we have. I can't use Paypal. They can't use Moneybookers. Wire transfer and bank cheques are not reasonable (I speak namely about small amounts of money).
Are there any other alternatives?
Now I see only Western Union or Moneygram (but still not sure). If you can advise anything different it would be of great help.
Thanks. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | credit card? | Feb 20, 2009 |
Would it be possible to receive credit card payments? Just an idea
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Lingua 5B wrote: Kiryl Kurshuk wrote:
About Western unions. Are you sure that the charges there are very high? As far as I know they are not. And if it's possible to transfer the money sent via Western Union (or Moneygram) directly to my bank account it can be a good solution for me.
Hi again, A clerk from my bank told me WU was a very fast payment, e.g. you could receive it in a few minutes... but it's extremely costly. At least in Bosnian banks. Why don't you phone your bank and ask them ? Many American clients offered a cheque to me, but it is ridiculous, e.g. a cheque amount is $50, and my bank takes $35 commission... absurd.. So, I crossed out that option altogether. Wiring transfer can work with small amounts, too. Why not ? How " small"? You only must point out "OUR", it means they are paying for the transfer costs. [Edited at 2009-02-20 14:01 GMT]
Hi!
I also got once a U.S. cheque. They sent it to me in Peru without any warning. It took me by surprise, as the company always used to pay me via PayPal. Anyway, I asked around and a colleague told me to go to MoneyGram (www.moneygram.com) and to cash the cheque there. I did and they only charged me US$ 4.00. That fee was the same if my cheque was up to US$100.
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| One suggestion... | Feb 21, 2009 |
Open a PayPal personal account (the free one) for small amounts.
1. Save your small amounts here, and once you have a large amount, you ask one of your European or American friends/clients to send you the money by Western Union, previously sent to them by PayPal. (They will discount the WU service charge from your money.)
A friend of mine living in a remote South African island does something alike. His clients pay him through my bank or PayPal account, and I send him ... See more Open a PayPal personal account (the free one) for small amounts.
1. Save your small amounts here, and once you have a large amount, you ask one of your European or American friends/clients to send you the money by Western Union, previously sent to them by PayPal. (They will discount the WU service charge from your money.)
A friend of mine living in a remote South African island does something alike. His clients pay him through my bank or PayPal account, and I send him his money when this reaches certain number.
One added advantage of saving money at PayPal is that you can buy many things via Internet, e.g., software, hardware, electrical appliances, books, your Proz.com annual fee, your website, Skype, and you-name-it.
 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kiryl Kurshuk
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you colleagues for your advices!
They are very helpful, especially the last one.
| | | | | ikobo might work | Feb 21, 2009 |
Hi Kiryl,
You may want to propose your US based clients to use iKobo.
More info at www.ikobo.com.
I received funds once through this iKobo Visa prepaid card system and it worked amazingly well.
Good luck!
| | | | | Careful with Ikobo! | Feb 21, 2009 |
Maybe it's all over now, maybe not, so watch out.
I used Ikobo a couple of years ago. Amazingly efficient. On the first payment, my client requested a Visa Plus debit card for me. It arrived here in Brazil, from the US in 3 days, via FedEx. Then, when I got paid through them, all I'd have to do - four minutes later - was to go to a Visa Plus and withdraw in cash. Lowest fees, and the highest exchange rate.
My card expired last November 2007. Coincidentally, at that time... See more Maybe it's all over now, maybe not, so watch out.
I used Ikobo a couple of years ago. Amazingly efficient. On the first payment, my client requested a Visa Plus debit card for me. It arrived here in Brazil, from the US in 3 days, via FedEx. Then, when I got paid through them, all I'd have to do - four minutes later - was to go to a Visa Plus and withdraw in cash. Lowest fees, and the highest exchange rate.
My card expired last November 2007. Coincidentally, at that time I received some messages from Ikobo that they would be phasing out two of their three card-issuing banks. And incidentally my card had been issued by the only one that would remain, but it had just expired anyway. Ikobo's web site page says that I'd automatically receive a new card upon expiration. This never happened, and as a receiver, I am disabled to request a new card, even if I try to send money to myself (also impossible there).
So in early December I agreed with another client in the USA that he'd send me a payment via Ikobo. I told him to deduct the $ 25 for the new card from the payment, and pay for it himself. The 'normal' peformance for Ikobo would be for the system to detect my card had expired, and divert him to the card request page. It didn't. He was railroaded into sendong the money to my expired card.
So I took the old card to an ATM, it said nothing about expiration, took my PIN, and only after I requested a withdrawal, it had a "communications failure".
After several e-mails and phone calls - botn mine and the very helpful client's - to Ikobo cistomer service, they discovered their software had a glitch whereby it failed to acknowledge the expiration of a card. They credited the full amount back to my client, and he paid me via Moneygram on the same day.
When I asked the Ikobo CSR about their "automatic" card renewal as per their help page, he told me my next money sender would have to request it.
I've been told by Ikobo that their system is back to normal, but have no evidence of that.
So watch out! It's absolutely great when it works, but only when it works. ▲ Collapse
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Kiryl Kurshuk
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Jose, thank you for sharing your experience.
Could you please tell me in short what is necessary to start using Ikobo? What are the steps of my client and me?
I know I can find this information at their web site but maybe you will save my time. Moreover you have experience of working with them.
Thank you in advance!
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Kiryl Kurshuk wrote:
Could you please tell me in short what is necessary to start using Ikobo? What are the steps of my client and me?
I just logged into my account there (amazingly still active) and noticed this warning:
Important Notice: You should not use iKobo to send funds in exchange for a product or service.
This means that they only expect their system to be used to send money as gifts to friends or relatives, or to support children or ailing ancestors somewhere. They don't want commercial traffic, so they won't move a finger, e.g. if your client didn't pay properly.
Perehaps it's better so seek other options.
I read someone praising http://www.revupcard.com/index.phtml on Globtra, a Polish translation portal. Though my parents were originally Polish, I have no precise idea on where in the map you/Belarus are located, but it shouldn't be too far from there. So maybe it's worth a try.
| | | | Kiryl Kurshuk
Belarus
Local time: 10:56
Member (2008)
English to Belarusian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Belarus borders on Poland in the west and I live in 30 kilometers from Polish border!
I'll try to find out about this variant. I see that they use Master Card and I have only Visa. Perhaps this can be settled in some way.
Thank you!
[Edited at 2009-02-21 20:57 GMT]
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