Payments from abroad and Proz.com wallet Thread poster: CLS Lexi-tech
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The issue of paying translators abroad and receiving payments from abroad has come up for me at least twice in the last week, and I know that many translators see that as a true obstacle to accepting smaller jobs from and for clients abroad.
Just today I discovered that Canadian banks charge about 30$ to issue a bank draft to Europe. And the local banks charge as much to the beneficiary if we just send a check in Canadian funds. As a result our choice of either vendors or clients is ... See more The issue of paying translators abroad and receiving payments from abroad has come up for me at least twice in the last week, and I know that many translators see that as a true obstacle to accepting smaller jobs from and for clients abroad.
Just today I discovered that Canadian banks charge about 30$ to issue a bank draft to Europe. And the local banks charge as much to the beneficiary if we just send a check in Canadian funds. As a result our choice of either vendors or clients is sometimes limited by locale and not dictated by professional considerations.
What if, and perhaps I am truly dreaming in colours... What if Proz.com translators could be paid at a Proz.com address in the country of the clients and the money then credited (after payment of a fee that should not be as high as bank fees) to the translator\'s wallet?
Suppose that Lexi-tech has to pay a translator in Sweden (no, not Mats  , where we have no offices). Well, suppose that there is a Proz.com account in Canada, with an address, where I can send that payment, which is then cashed in Canadian funds. The money is then credited to the wallet of the translator in Sweden who could be issued a check by the Sweden Proz.com account and address.
Sounds complicated but it really isn\'t. I know zilch about the laws and regulations involved, but I think that it would be worth exploring.
No wonder that banks have had another record year in terms of profits here in Canada, with the kind of fees they charge!
This is just a hint of an idea. By discussing it we may come up with a solution to this problem.
cheers
paola l m
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| | | | Mats Wiman 
Sweden
Local time: 05:45
Member (2000)
German to Swedish
+ ...
In memoriam | Good thinking Paola! | May 10, 2002 |
For us to use the ProZ.com wallet to receive smaller fees is a good one and already a reality.
The problem is the currency switch. It would be good if ProZ.com Wallet had a EURO account, a Canadian dollar account, a Yen account etc.
In Sweden as in many non EURO countries in Europe (Denmark, I don\'t know about the UK) we have a parallel EURO account, so most of Europe is covered via the EURO.
Let\'s hear what Henry has to say.
... See more For us to use the ProZ.com wallet to receive smaller fees is a good one and already a reality.
The problem is the currency switch. It would be good if ProZ.com Wallet had a EURO account, a Canadian dollar account, a Yen account etc.
In Sweden as in many non EURO countries in Europe (Denmark, I don\'t know about the UK) we have a parallel EURO account, so most of Europe is covered via the EURO.
Let\'s hear what Henry has to say.
[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-05-10 03:39 ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Good idea, but.... | May 10, 2002 |
Yes, Paola, this is a headache for many Net translators!
I have to get about $100 from London from an agency that usually sends me cheque. The minimum I will have to pay to get the money is about $15 with the German Postbank. Actually, the postal bank services are my \"secret wappon\" against the greedy big banks. It cost me just $3 to get up to $20,000 from Japan to Germany and vice versa! Hard to beat. Funny enough I have heard that the banks (!) in Japan use the postal b... See more Yes, Paola, this is a headache for many Net translators!
I have to get about $100 from London from an agency that usually sends me cheque. The minimum I will have to pay to get the money is about $15 with the German Postbank. Actually, the postal bank services are my \"secret wappon\" against the greedy big banks. It cost me just $3 to get up to $20,000 from Japan to Germany and vice versa! Hard to beat. Funny enough I have heard that the banks (!) in Japan use the postal banking service to transfer amounts among them - weird.
Now your idea and my \"but....\". If Henry is really considering such a service, I think he will have to deal with a host of legal problems. He would be acting like a bank but he not really IS a bank. I don\'t know the rules in the various countries, you are thinking about, but in most these kind of services are quite tightly regulated (security funds, etc.). It may work, because we are more or less a limited number of people, like a cooperative.
For many of us it would be a great help and I also would like to ask Henry to consider this proposal. But it will not be THAT easy. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 05:45
French to German
+ ...
| Hopeless situation! | May 10, 2002 |
I have some money on my paypal account, but I cannot transfer it to Switzerland.
I get paid in Euros or Dollars, the bank charges are horrendous.
I pay my proofreader in Euros, dollars and Canadian dollars, each time there are bank charges on both sides.
Finally, I work with my postal account. I just opened an extra account in Euro, free of charge.
I now will be able to put my Euros directly into that account and pay in Euros. The peo... See more I have some money on my paypal account, but I cannot transfer it to Switzerland.
I get paid in Euros or Dollars, the bank charges are horrendous.
I pay my proofreader in Euros, dollars and Canadian dollars, each time there are bank charges on both sides.
Finally, I work with my postal account. I just opened an extra account in Euro, free of charge.
I now will be able to put my Euros directly into that account and pay in Euros. The people I pay in Euros through my postal accound are charges 0 cents.
The question is: Do people have postal accounts in other countries? When I send my proofreaders the money by InternationalPostCash, they are not charged. I have already done that with France and Canada and Austria. Wouldn\'t that be the solution?
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DrEditor
United States
Local time: 23:45
English
| Maya's postal account | Nov 25, 2009 |
Maya, I don't know about others, but in the U.S. we do not have postal accounts. Bank accounts, yes. Credit and debit cards, yes (but those are through banks). We can go to Western Union, but there we have no account per se. Can you explain what a postal account is in Switzerland?
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