Paying UK Credit Card bills from the US
#1
dart throwin' doofus
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: From Northfleet, Kent to Kansas City, Kansas
Posts: 153
Paying UK Credit Card bills from the US
howdy, howdy...
forgive me for starting a new post for something that has almost certainly been discussed in the past... also, i note the huge long 5 page+ posting about money transfers between the UK and US... forgive me for not trawling through that to see if the answer is in there somewhere...
my question is this: what would be the best way to pay my UK Barclaycard bill each month using funds from the US?
I do have a UK current account (also with Barclays), but there is not enough in it to cover the remainder of the balance (and to be honest occasionally i still use my card in the US, thereby adding to my Barclaycard bill).
Originally I thought that transferring money from here to my UK bank account then paying the credit card bill online was the way to go, but the bank i was going to use want $60 per transfer, regardless of amount.
i'm sure i read on here recently that Barclays accept US cheques as payment.
Obviously this is a bad time to be thinking about money going from US to UK, what with the exchange rate and all, but in a few months time when my account in the UK is almost cleared out i'm going to need to find a way to get money over there to pay my credit card bill.
All help and advice is greatly appreciated.
All the best
Gary Baker
forgive me for starting a new post for something that has almost certainly been discussed in the past... also, i note the huge long 5 page+ posting about money transfers between the UK and US... forgive me for not trawling through that to see if the answer is in there somewhere...
my question is this: what would be the best way to pay my UK Barclaycard bill each month using funds from the US?
I do have a UK current account (also with Barclays), but there is not enough in it to cover the remainder of the balance (and to be honest occasionally i still use my card in the US, thereby adding to my Barclaycard bill).
Originally I thought that transferring money from here to my UK bank account then paying the credit card bill online was the way to go, but the bank i was going to use want $60 per transfer, regardless of amount.
i'm sure i read on here recently that Barclays accept US cheques as payment.
Obviously this is a bad time to be thinking about money going from US to UK, what with the exchange rate and all, but in a few months time when my account in the UK is almost cleared out i'm going to need to find a way to get money over there to pay my credit card bill.
All help and advice is greatly appreciated.
All the best
Gary Baker
#2
Use Paypal. That's what I do. I have transferred money from here to my UK account with no fee (anything over $50). The rules have changed recently and I'm hoping that's still possible, although Paypal can be a little inflexible when trying to register details from both countries. Worth a try though. www.paypal.com I just transferred funds into my UK bank and then set up direct debits from there to pay my credit cards.
#3
Re: Paying UK Credit Card bills from the US
Originally posted by GJB
howdy, howdy...
forgive me for starting a new post for something that has almost certainly been discussed in the past... .
i'm sure i read on here recently that Barclays accept US cheques as payment.
All help and advice is greatly appreciated.
All the best
Gary Baker
howdy, howdy...
forgive me for starting a new post for something that has almost certainly been discussed in the past... .
i'm sure i read on here recently that Barclays accept US cheques as payment.
All help and advice is greatly appreciated.
All the best
Gary Baker
Just get your calculator out and figure out (roughly) the US dollar amount for whatever sterling amount you want to pay. Write a US check drawn on a US bank made out in US dollars and send it to Barclaycard. I've been doing it for about 10 years or so.
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Originally Sussex Then Oregon Then Vancouver Now Colorado
Posts: 38
BE CAREFUL with Paypal. I used to do the same thing but the rules have changed now and you would now be in violation of their cash advance rules
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 130
Re: Paying UK Credit Card bills from the US
Originally posted by dunroving
Yes, I said it at least twice, but that's the nature of the board, things come around again.
Just get your calculator out and figure out (roughly) the US dollar amount for whatever sterling amount you want to pay. Write a US check drawn on a US bank made out in US dollars and send it to Barclaycard. I've been doing it for about 10 years or so.
Yes, I said it at least twice, but that's the nature of the board, things come around again.
Just get your calculator out and figure out (roughly) the US dollar amount for whatever sterling amount you want to pay. Write a US check drawn on a US bank made out in US dollars and send it to Barclaycard. I've been doing it for about 10 years or so.
Hello there,
Is it really possible to write a US cheque out for the equivalent UK sterling amount and send it to Barclaycard? I can't see anything on their website...
Be great if it works - you say you've been doing it for years?
Thanks,
Marguerite
#6
Re: Paying UK Credit Card bills from the US
Originally posted by Margueriteuk
Hello there,
Is it really possible to write a US cheque out for the equivalent UK sterling amount and send it to Barclaycard? I can't see anything on their website...
Be great if it works - you say you've been doing it for years?
Thanks,
Marguerite
Hello there,
Is it really possible to write a US cheque out for the equivalent UK sterling amount and send it to Barclaycard? I can't see anything on their website...
Be great if it works - you say you've been doing it for years?
Thanks,
Marguerite
#7
I used to do that with a Royal Bank of Scotland credit card, i.e. send a US check in US$, and they'd convert it to UK pounds. It does work! Give it about a week for the mail to reach the UK, and double the number of pounds to approximate the dollar amount (exchange rate is teh suck at the moment).
p22
p22
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 130
OK I'll try it. See what happens - thanks!
#9
Originally posted by Margueriteuk
OK I'll try it. See what happens - thanks!
OK I'll try it. See what happens - thanks!
dunroving, does the bank levy any charges for the non-UK cheque. I called my bank Lloyds TSB and they confirmed they accept US cheques. Forgot to ask if there is a charge.
They even agreed to change my billing address to the US, but there is no advantage for that unless you want to use the card in the US if you've got no credit options.
#10
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
I have changed my UK cc's to my US address
So I get the statements, they might as well come here.
For ordering off the web
I have cash in my UK account, but when I have friends and familay come over they can pay into my UK account and they get the dollars fromme, all at the mid market rate no transactional costs so everybody wins.
Suppose it is just another form of battering
So I get the statements, they might as well come here.
For ordering off the web
I have cash in my UK account, but when I have friends and familay come over they can pay into my UK account and they get the dollars fromme, all at the mid market rate no transactional costs so everybody wins.
Suppose it is just another form of battering
#11
Originally posted by Gross50
dunroving, does the bank levy any charges for the non-UK cheque. I called my bank Lloyds TSB and they confirmed they accept US cheques. Forgot to ask if there is a charge.
They even agreed to change my billing address to the US, but there is no advantage for that unless you want to use the card in the US if you've got no credit options.
dunroving, does the bank levy any charges for the non-UK cheque. I called my bank Lloyds TSB and they confirmed they accept US cheques. Forgot to ask if there is a charge.
They even agreed to change my billing address to the US, but there is no advantage for that unless you want to use the card in the US if you've got no credit options.
For the last time - there's no catch, no hidden expense, no exorbitant exchange rate, and it really does work! I wish people would just try it and stop asking whether it really works, etc.!