stuckdan

Hi all, first time on this site, hoping I can get some help but it is unlikely!

I need to do a bank wire from my Natwest account to an account here in the States, but I don't have one of those blasted card readers, so I can't do it online or on the phone.

By any chance, does anyone in New York or North New Jersey have one? I urgently have to make a transfer.

Thanks and here's to hoping!

chartreuse

IIRC you only need the card reader to set up new recipients. In case you can't get one, have you got any existing recipients set up that you could bounce the money through? I'm thinking another account in your name, a family member in the UK, something like that. NW do Faster Payments, so it would only add a day to the process.

stuckdan

No, I've never used it before so have no previously added payees unfortunately.

I've order the reader, but that's obviously going to go to my registered address in the UK, so is now help.

Thanks for your reply. Any possible way to get round this?

BritishGuy36

How much is it? Can't you just pull cash out of an ATM?

stuckdan

$2,500, so it would cost a lot in fees if I did. And the company I need to wire it to don't accept cash...

Does anyone know of a way of using a Maesto card as a credit card? Transferring funds to a prepaid credit card for example? All of this would have to be done from the US though.

Dan725

Can't you use a Forex company like xe.com or ukforex? Rate would be better than Natwests, anyway.

stuckdan

Can you use Forex companies to make payments to foreign banks? Pretty sure Natwest wouldn't allow me to make a payment that large to them without a damn card reader anyway.

Jerseygirl

For future use if you're living here ask them to change your address to your US address. The NatWest sent my card reader to my US home.

BritishGuy36

Yep...that's also what Barclays did with mine.

Of course the OP hasn't told us his status or where he actually lives....

BritishGuy36

a) Of course....that's what they do, all day, every day.

b) Yes, that's going to be your problem.

stuckdan

Jersey girl: I don't live here primarily, roughly 2 months here 2 months back in the UK, so I still want to keep that as my primary residence (I'm not a US citizen). But thanks

I "live" in North New Jersey, near Hackensack.

a) Sorry, I thought Forex companies were market trading sites for currency, the same as commodities trading sites or stock trading sites. I didn't realise you could use them to make a payment to a bank account, my mistake.

b) Yes, that is my problem! That's exactly my problem and that's why I posted on here!

chartreuse

Just to be clear (for folks who happen across this thread in the future) that's exactly not your problem.

£2,500 is a trivial amount. They will allow you to make payments of up to £10,000 per day via online banking. Has to be to a UK account, but that's what your Forex services are for.

Your problem is, they won't led you create a new payee without using the card reader.

Have you tried telephoning them and explaining the situation?

Tom60

If they won't accept cash, you can put it on a money card, such as a Visa money card that can be found at many common retailers, such as Wal-Mart. Of course, you said you didn't want to pay the ATM fees, but it's something. Here's a link: https://www.walmartmoneycard.com/walmart/homepage.aspx

BritishGuy36

I know it's off topic - but you won't be able to do that indefinitely using the VWP, they'll catch onto it. I also hope you aren't performing work while here (even for a UK company), as that's also illegal on the VWP.

This topic may be worth you starting a seperate thread on.

stuckdan

Yes, you are correct, that is my problem. That's what I said in my first post, is it not? I don't mean to sound combative, just not sure where the confusion is here?

I have tried calling, but they were very unhelpful and quite rude. No matter what I said all I got was "Sorry, you can't do it without the reader".

Thanks for the tip Tom60, I guess that will be my back up plan. I've got withdrawel limits on my account so it'll probably take me a while to get that much out at an ATM.

BritishGuy, I don't intend to do it indefinitely, if all goes to plan this should be my last trip for at least a year. My fiancee is American, so next time we come back we will go through all the proper channels. No, I'm not working here, but thanks for the heads up mate

EDIT: Someone in NJ has messaged me saying that he has one, looks like I lucked out big time!