Questions

I am a partner in a travel agency that is in Australia, the US, and does lots of tours in China. We need to have the ability to receive payments from customers anywhere in the world, and then have those payments deposited into either our US or Australian accounts (probably via PayPal), and soon into a China-based account. Further, we need flexibility about where we withdrawal: either in the US, Australia, or China; and the ability to wire money back and forth from any of these locations. And of course part of our goal is to avoid currency exchange charges as much as possible. Because we have no experience with this, any help is appreciated. Would definitely consider a call if you have specific and cogent expertise here. Thanks very much.

I’m definitely not an expert on those matters though as a small entrepreneur operating across continents this is a kind of issue I often have.

My rule of thumb is to use Paypal only for small amounts because it is usually the easiest and with a low fixed commission; but it is also the most expensive for larger amounts. My Paypal account is linked to my bank accounts in the different countries. I top up the Paypal account or withdraw from the Paypal account in the currencies of the bank account hence avoiding foreign exchanges (which are expensive via Paypal). I can give my PayMe link and receive money from a Paypal account or a credit card. I can also send to a third party Paypal account.

For larger amounts, say USD 200 to 10 000, I use the services of online foreign exchange specialists. Not all currency pairs are traded by the various online foreign exchange specialists I use. I have been pleased by the competitiveness and execution of WorldFirst and Fexco. Then using those platforms is a blessing because I can wire money onto their local account (they provided a EUR account, a USD account, a GBP account, a WST account, a FJD account, a AUD account) as if I was doing a local transfer (for no fee - EUR - or small fee - FJD), then they exchange the money into the chosen currency at the fore-quoted and agreed rate and remit onto the account I provided (either one of mines or one of a third party). For receiving money, it is the same process though it is a bit more cumbersome since I have to explain to the third party why I give them the bank account of a foreign exchange specialist and not of my business.

I hope this helps. I wish you good luck. If ever you come up with a better solution before your firm is a multinational with offices (and bank accounts) on all continents, let me know, I’m always happy to improve my processes.


Answered 8 years ago

Unlock Startups Unlimited

Access 20,000+ Startup Experts, 650+ masterclass videos, 1,000+ in-depth guides, and all the software tools you need to launch and grow quickly.

Already a member? Sign in

Copyright © 2024 Startups.com LLC. All rights reserved.