Transferring Small Amount of Money from US to Germany
December 6, 2010 11:59 PM Subscribe
How to send 8.62 EUR to German bank account from the US, with minimal fees?
I need a specialized part for a bike from a company that only ships within Europe, and I am located in the US. A friend of my parents' offered to allow me to ship the part to their address in Germany, and then bring it to the US when he visits for Christmas. I've ordered the part, it has arrived at the friend's house (yay!). I just need to pay the bike company their 8.62 EUR. I thought that I would be asked for payment info when ordering the parts, but apparently they just send an invoice with the delivery.
The site I normally use has a $25.00 minimum, so I can't send the approximately $12 that way, and the other international transfer sites I have tried have similar restrictions. I have a German bank account that I would use under normal circumstances, but the sheet listing transaction codes that I need to make a transfer out of the account is currently in storage, so that isn't an option now either. I would probably be able to access these codes in a few weeks, however.
Also, this is a company, not a particular person that I can ask to register on Paypal, so I don't think Paypal will work either.
I realize that 8.26 EUR is not a large amount of money, but I don't want to owe the bike company for longer than I have to, particularly if they might start pressing the friend for payment. Any ideas?
I need a specialized part for a bike from a company that only ships within Europe, and I am located in the US. A friend of my parents' offered to allow me to ship the part to their address in Germany, and then bring it to the US when he visits for Christmas. I've ordered the part, it has arrived at the friend's house (yay!). I just need to pay the bike company their 8.62 EUR. I thought that I would be asked for payment info when ordering the parts, but apparently they just send an invoice with the delivery.
The site I normally use has a $25.00 minimum, so I can't send the approximately $12 that way, and the other international transfer sites I have tried have similar restrictions. I have a German bank account that I would use under normal circumstances, but the sheet listing transaction codes that I need to make a transfer out of the account is currently in storage, so that isn't an option now either. I would probably be able to access these codes in a few weeks, however.
Also, this is a company, not a particular person that I can ask to register on Paypal, so I don't think Paypal will work either.
I realize that 8.26 EUR is not a large amount of money, but I don't want to owe the bike company for longer than I have to, particularly if they might start pressing the friend for payment. Any ideas?
Best answer: @molecicco: European standard web banking requires separate one-time password confirmation for transactions that move money around.
@OP: I have PayPal, a EU bank account and willingness to be your money mule if you have BIC and IBAN of your recipient. Memail me.
posted by themel at 12:10 AM on December 7, 2010
@OP: I have PayPal, a EU bank account and willingness to be your money mule if you have BIC and IBAN of your recipient. Memail me.
posted by themel at 12:10 AM on December 7, 2010
Mail them a cheque.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:25 AM on December 7, 2010
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:25 AM on December 7, 2010
Response by poster: I feel like an idiot. After that lengthy explanation of all the ways I can't pay, I glance down at the bottom of the invoice and there is an e-mail address to use for Paypal (I swear, it wasn't there before!). The whole thing took 30 seconds via Paypal once I found that. Thank you to themel for the kind offer!
posted by that possible maker of pork sausages at 12:29 AM on December 7, 2010
posted by that possible maker of pork sausages at 12:29 AM on December 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
And I'm not sure what you mean by transaction codes. Do you not have web-banking set up with German account?
posted by molecicco at 12:05 AM on December 7, 2010