Philosophical 11

Hi All,


Many thanks again for your replies. I am very impressed with the very helpful and informative responses to my questions and I intend to keep those interested on how I get on whilst out there. Once settled, I hope to contribute to this excellent forum.

It would appear that I may as well not delay treatment in view of the comparative costs and quality of service. I have a few things to tie up here first before I fly out but I cannot wait to board that plane and go.

Looking at the prices etc that have been mentioned, I now have a supplementary question which leads to a general query. These costs.....can they be paid by "flexi-friend" or does it have to be wads of peso's? Further, how widely accepted if at all are credit cards in Manila? I guess I could google the answer to that and perhaps I am being an ignorant foreigner by asking the question in the first place.

I have noticed the term "PhilHealth" mentioned a few times. In view of my age (65) I shall look into that separately.

Many thanks again

Pete

quiltman

Hi springsteen.
Most, if not all hospitals accept debit/credit cards here ,so presume Manila is no different. I used my UK Nationwide debit card to pay for my wifes stay for example.
PhilHealth is useful for those of us who cannot afford Expat Health Insurance. It pays part of your costs and for some procedures pays all the cost.
you will be able to join as an "independent paying member" for about 2400pesos a year. you need to have some form of residence permit such as an ACR card or an appropriate visa.
All details are on their website: Qualified Members: Individually Paying | PhilHealth

although it does not specifically state it, it does apply to foreign residents.

tropicofcancer

Yes a lot has changed, and the hospitals, or at least most. Now accept Credit or Debit cards.
In the early days of doing so, you had to go to the cashiers and sign there. However now, the card companies, trust the doctors to make identification, and allow you to sign in your room.
When you are an In Patient, you are barcoded on admission, a band round your wrist. The doctors etc. have readers, they scan your barcode, and ask you one or two questions. This to ensure that they have the right person.

mikemike

as far as credit cards go, I have used my international credit card for two hospitals so far on 4 occasions without any problems. then i encountered some problems with airline and hotel bookings who will not accept International cards but only local cards. So I had HSBC Visa for International and HSBC Philippines Mastercard for local. this back up plan has thus far served me well.

quiltman

I used my MBNA UK issued credit card on Philippine Airlines site to pay for our tickets to Hawaii earlier this year with no problems.
I have used my UK debit card at ACE and SM a few times , again with no problems.

I suppose it depends . I usually ask before buying if they accept "foreign" cards.

tropicofcancer

Good information about PhilHealth there Quiltman. Useful to know.

Yes the big stores accept credit cards, but some places will not accept Debit Cards. They usually have a notice up, to that effect.
Now the medium sized places that do accept them, invariably have a surcharge for their use. Which can be as much as 6%.
For all purchases the UK bank has a fee for each transaction. Check your card details on this. It is usually £1. They don't like losing the 1½% they make, on cash from ATM's. Also if you read the small print, there is a charge of 2.95% on the exchange rate as well. However on Credit Cards like Barclays Visa, they give you the true International Exchange Rate in the first place, not the Tourist Rate. Which is to your advantage.
Small places are cash only.

quiltman

Generally, tropic, you are correct but I've never been surcharged here on my UK Nationwide debit card, even in restaurants.
Exchange rate is always better than tourist though not always by much, and foreign transaction fee on last purchase - 28,000p - was £2.65.

don't think thats too bad for the convenience.

Admittedly some places do not take debit cards but not many.At least , not where I want to use them. The local pharmacy where I get my wifes meds from charges 50peso if I want to use my debit card. Again, not a bad price to avoid carrying loads of cash.

The only place locally that does not take them is Fooda and does have BIG notices to that effect. National book in SM consolacion could not take them today , but that was due to a problem with the datalink.When I went back after lunch, the signs had gone so presumably they'd fixed it!
I think you just have to ask in advance

tropicofcancer

Many places have two prices cash price, and card price. Others add a percentage on. From 2% to 6%. Else they have a fixed fee for use of card. The latter applies in many computer shops, for a complete unit.
Yes Fooda is one that hasn't accepted Debit Cards, for a long time. Other places do it intermittently. Usually when there have been fraud problems.
Still better than the old days, when you used to have to get your card authenticated in advance. It took a long time. You told them how much you expected to spend. Then you had to carry a card around, which was handed in on your last purchase. So any left over balance was cancelled. Those were the days when you had to show your passport, together with your card (Pre ACR). It is only over the past few years, that cards have become more acceptable.

quiltman

Interesting Tropic. They seem to phrase it differently here in my limited experience. Certainly on big ticket items there is often a "discount" for cash. same as saying we charge the "discount" percentage as a paying by card fee!
Asian appliance centre are Kings at doing this, but SM appliance won't deal at all, but no "extra" for paying by card. you just have to work out the best deal and go with it.For example, I just bought a washing machine,cooker and dryer at Asian and got 15% off for cash- their regular prices were about the same as SM and Cebu appliance. however, aircon units are cheaper at SM even with Asians discount! Swings and roundabouts mean you have to be a canny shopper.

The UK is similar - paying by debit card is usually free but paying with a credit card can cost 2 to 4%. The airlines are the worst for this.At least the UK government is trying to stop this - the price you see should be the price you pay. just means everyone will end up paying the card price!

tropicofcancer

The following places do not charge a premium. Although some of the outlets that rent space in them do:
Belmont (Tools), Citi (Hardware), Gaisano, SM, and White Gold. Obviously there are many stores, that I haven't been to, that would be similar.
I will not name those that do, but they are nearly all small to medium, with only one branch.
Yes you need to be a canny shopper for sure. In 2001 we bought a gas/electric cooker and oven from a store off Colon. Really good price, but more expensive, if you wanted to use a card.
It pays too, to know about certain manufacturers of electrical goods as well. GF of Fooda, which I know you use. Is a "Tesco" Store, they sell a lot of Colby items. A good make, that falls into the category of being older technology. The provenance of Xenon which you can buy in SM Appliance Center also Rainbow. Panasonic and Sony own them, and thus they make and sell, the out of date stuff. They don't have to cover R & D costs. So cheap, but good.

tropicofcancer

Best way to get a discount? Send a Fiipino in to buy the more expensive stuff. I have two SIL's who are brilliant at doing this.
A good example we are building a house:
SIL gets a quote for materials mostly deformed bars, for her sister overseas. We are still in UK, it comes to a hefty hundred and sixty grand plus. If they buy all it's free delivery and a good discount. We accept and they buy all.
We arrive then more materials are needed. Big mistake I accompany my wife. Another hundred and fifty grand worth of steel. Plus three lots of w/c fittings and ceramics, plus other items from the showroom, another twenty grand plus. No discount, but a P500 fee for delivery. All paid in cash. Then back to showroom to buy an electric plane, angle grinders, water pump, water heater etc. We notice some lights, and other stuff, if we buy them, we will not have much ready cash left on us. We want to pay P5000 of it by card, the rest cash, but sales girl says that card sales are suspended. (They had just lost big money in a fraud). I point out that for today's transactions and the previous one, they have had over three-hundred grand in cash. Plus they know where they have and will deliver to. Discussion between salesgirl, cashier, and store manager ends with yes you can pay P5000 by card, but it will cost you 6% on top. We didn't argue, but guess which supplier, we never used again?
We found a local store. Who because of the quantities involved, got the firms to deliver direct to the building site. Cement, steel, wood etc. Smaller parts of the order. They delivered themselves. Plus as we had the same bankers, we could pay by cheque. No problems.