Sending money to Poland from abroad?

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 15:26 #1
What is the best way to send dollars to family and friends in Poland? Western Union? American Express? MoneyGram? Pol-Am travel bureaux? American personal or cashier's cheques? Cash in letter? Other channels? What are the pros and cons of each?

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,181 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 15:30 #2
bank transfer. It's the cheapest and nowadays quite quick.

convexThreads: 46 Posts: 7,185 Joined: Nov 25, 09 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 15:31 #3
go to the bank and do an international wire transfer.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 16:04 #4
What is the charge for a bank transfer? Is it a percentage of the amount being sent? What about Poles who haven't got a bank account. Quite a few elderly in rural areas and small towns do not, and they are the ones who need a helping hand from American relatives the most.

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Feb 7, 10, 16:07 #5
My recommendation is to send a pre-paid card that you can top up yourself - they can withdraw cash at the post office, and it's probably the cheapest way to do it :)

♂

Edited by: convex Feb 7, 10, 16:13 #6

Polonius3:

What is the charge for a bank transfer?

Arvest and Citi charge a flat fee

Polonius3:

What about Poles who haven't got a bank account. Quite a few elderly in rural areas and small towns do not

younger (nonshady) family member could deliver it.

delphiandomine:

My recommendation is to send a pre-paid card that you can top up yourself - they can withdraw cash at the post office, and it's probably the cheapest way to do it :)

do you have more information on that? have i been asleep for the last couple of years?

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Edited by: delphiandomine Feb 7, 10, 16:29 #7
convex: do you have more information on that? have i been asleep for the last couple of years? Have a look here - http://public.neteller.com/content/en_PL/cards_index.htm There's hundreds of providers these days - netteller is the one I'm familiar with, but there's endless others.

lowfunk99Threads: 18 Posts: 435 Joined: Jan 7, 08 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 17:21 #8
Western Union is $10 US to send to Poland. I did this in reverse and it worked well.

jonniThreads: 26 Posts: 4,181 Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 17:41 #9
lowfunk99: Western Union is $10 US to send to Poland. It might be different sending from the US. I've used it and they take a percentage, on a sliding scale. If you send a lot, it can be expensive. The advantage is that it is more or less instantaneous.

lowfunk99Threads: 18 Posts: 435 Joined: Jan 7, 08 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 18:35 #10
Its much cheaper to do it from the US then Poland. When I was sending money back to the US it would have been about double to do a bank to bank wire because both the sending and receiving bank charge.

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 22:40 #11
The Neteller sounds good except for one thing. It says the reciepint will receive an e-mail that he is being sent moeny. But what about the majrotiy fo elderly in Poland B who do not use the net? The most convenient would be doorstep delivery of cash. Is this possible with Neteller or any other outfit?

convexThreads: 46 Posts: 7,185 Joined: Nov 25, 09 ♂	Feb 7, 10, 22:41 #12
Polonius3: The Neteller sounds good except for one thing. It says the reciepint will receive an e-mail that he is being sent moeny. But what about the majrotiy fo elderly in Poland B who do not use the net? The most convenient would be doorstep delivery of cash. Is this possible with Neteller or any other outfit? Just give a call when you send money. It looks like a neat system.

trans_opacityThreads: - Posts: 6 Joined: Oct 23, 10 ♂	Oct 23, 10, 15:42 #13
If the sum of money isn't big, western union or moneygram take both almost the same fees. But if your sum is relatively big, then the best and the safest choice to send it through a bank transfer

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Oct 29, 10, 19:04 #14
Polonius3: But what about the majrotiy fo elderly in Poland B who do not use the net? Then their family should stop being selfish pigs and move back to Poland to support them in their old age.

Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57 Posts: 5,478 Joined: Jul 3, 09 MEMBER ♂	Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Oct 29, 10, 19:44 #15
I simply log into my my UK bank account then initiate an international wire transfer from there into my Polish account, hits my Polish account the same day and costs £17. I think there's a £10k per day cap. No FX companies, no annoying foreign lady on the phone who you cant understand and no mistakes. Bloody marvelous.

mafketisThreads: 17 Posts: 1,880 Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂	Oct 29, 10, 20:20 #16
Polonius3: But what about the majrotiy fo elderly in Poland B who do not use the net? They might not use the net, but most use cell phones (or know someone who does). The email could be sent to the phone.

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Oct 30, 10, 02:29 #17
Wroclaw Boy: I simply log into my my UK bank account then initiate an international wire transfer from there into my Polish account, hits my Polish account the same day and costs £17. And much safer than using FX companies as well. What bank are you sending to/from?

♂

Jul 23, 11, 09:49 #18

Merged: Sending $$$$ to Poland?

People often ask: WHAT IS THE BEST, MOST HASSLE-FREE AND CHEAPEST WAY OF SENDING DOLLARS FROM THE USA TO PEOPLE IN POLAND?
Has any PF-er had various experience with bank transfers, American Express, Western Union, PayPal, Pekao? I think the Polish Post Office also hands some kind of dollar transfer service.
What do the different outfits charge to send, let's say, $100 or $1,000 to a recipient in Poland?
What are the snags? Does the recipient have to be online, have a bank account or go to the nearest town where the cash-transferring agency has an office? Do any of them offer doorstep cash delivery? Is it in dollars or złotys?
Typically, many of the recipients are elderly rural and small-town folk in Poland who do not have bank accounts, do not use the Internet and have limited travel ability.

coppermouseThreads: 13 Posts: 64 Joined: Jan 6, 11 ♂	Dec 30, 11, 16:18 #19
Merged: Sending money to Poland We want to send my wife's mom money to get a visa to visit us What is the best way to send money. I was told I can send a check from my bank. Is this true? How long does it take for the money to appear in her account after depositing it? Also if this is not possible what other methods. Wire transfer I suppose. What information is needed? Thanks

♂ [Suspended]

Dec 30, 11, 16:23 #20

coppermouse:

I was told I can send a check from my bank. Is this true? How long does it take for the money to appear in her account after depositing it?

Last time I paid in a check it took eight weeks and the best part of a hundred dollars to clear.

coppermouse:

Also if this is not possible what other methods. Wire transfer I suppose. What information is needed?

You will need her IBAN account number and the name and the SWIFT code of her bank. And the name she has the account in.

Personally I'd be tempted to just send the money direct to the US consulate here. Or better yet I'd be trying to find out if there is a US account which the money can be transferred into.

♂ [Suspended]

Dec 30, 11, 16:37 #21

coppermouse:

We want to send my wife's mom money to get a visa to visit us

Assuming that she wants a non-resident's visa, it seems that you need to either get the money to her (and then she can pay at the post office) or you can just pay the money direct yourself to:
Ambasada USA 00-540 Warszawa Al. Ujazdowskie 29/31,
Citibank Handlowy w Warszawie SA,
account no: 33 10301508 0000000500350016.

Details are here: http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/mrv_fee.html

If she knows anybody who has a paypal account, I'd suggest using that.

coppermouseThreads: 13 Posts: 64 Joined: Jan 6, 11 ♂	Dec 30, 11, 16:58 #22
Great advice, didn't know we could do it that way. Thanks a lot

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