Did you ever need to pay for a copy of a birth or marriage
record held in some archive outside of your own country? This can sometimes be
difficult. Not every repository of genealogy data in the world is equipped to
handle credit card transactions. While credit cards are becoming more pervasive,
you may well find places that still require cash or checks. The problem is that
they normally require payment in the currency of their own country. How do you
pay them when you cannot easily purchase pounds, francs, crowns, or rubles?
There are several ways to send foreign currency. First of all,
you can go to your local bank and buy a cashier’s check in almost any
currency. However, the fees are quite steep. Many banks or credit card agencies
charge a minimum of $25.00 for sending cash abroad. That isn’t cost-effective
for a $5.00 check!
One service that I have used in the past is Ruesch
International. They will sell you checks in foreign currency. However, Ruesch
now seems to be focusing on business transactions and has raised their fees to
$20.00 and more for single purchases of checks. Information is available at www.ruesch.com
although you will have to make a phone call to place the order. There is no
on-line ordering at that site.
A second method is with International Currency Express. While
usually cheaper than Reusch, they are still higher-priced than what I want to
pay. You can find details at www.foreignmoney.com
A new International Service is now available from c2it, a
division of Citibank. Starting 15 May 2001, you'll be able to use your U.S.
credit card to send money from the U.S. to 30 countries, using c2it. You can
send a check or a direct deposit, and depending on the destination country, the
money you send will arrive in local currency, Euros, or U.S. dollars. While
still not cheap at a $10.00 fee for checks and $15.00 for direct deposit, c2it
remains cheaper than most of its competitors. You can find full information at www.c2it.com
I’d still suggest using a credit card wherever possible. The
currency conversion fees charged by VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are
much lower than the fees listed above. In addition, credit cards are generally
safer. You can usually get your money back from a credit card company in case of
non-delivery of the goods, something that is much more difficult when using
checks. However, when the receiving agency will not accept a credit card, check
out the above alternatives.
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