Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Jul 28th 2019, 12:30 am
#1
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Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Hi all,
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?
TIA
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?
TIA
Jul 28th 2019, 7:58 am
#3
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Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
You could use something like Transferwise to send the money from your US bank directly to the UK bank listed in the BACS details, or just pay a little extra and pay it directly using your US bank.
Jul 28th 2019, 5:55 pm
#5
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Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Originally Posted by AmeriBrit72
Hi all,
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?TIA
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?TIA
Originally Posted by durham_lad
You could use something like Transferwise to send the money from your US bank directly to the UK bank listed in the BACS details
Be sure you open what Transferwise call a "Borderless Account"
I believe that's the only way you'll be able to make a BACS payment from the US if you don't have an actual UK bank.
Jul 29th 2019, 12:52 pm
#6
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Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Originally Posted by MMcD
Be sure you open what Transferwise call a "Borderless Account"
I believe that's the only way you'll be able to make a BACS payment from the US if you don't have an actual UK bank.
I believe that's the only way you'll be able to make a BACS payment from the US if you don't have an actual UK bank.
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“
Last edited by durham_lad; Jul 29th 2019 at 12:55 pm.
Jul 29th 2019, 1:40 pm
#7
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Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Originally Posted by durham_lad
Not sure this is correct, I have sent money directly to bank accounts in Ireland and Australia that are not my own using XE.com, and I would have thought that Transferwise also does not insist that the money you send is only to one of your own bank accounts. Worth asking them first I expect.
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“
Jul 29th 2019, 3:16 pm
#8
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Joined: Oct 2011
Location: "LA LA Land"
Posts: 2,175
Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Originally Posted by durham_lad
Not sure this is correct, I have sent money directly to bank accounts in Ireland and Australia that are not my own using XE.com, and I would have thought that Transferwise also does not insist that the money you send is only to one of your own bank accounts. Worth asking them first I expect.
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
Originally Posted by MidAtlantic
I agree. You can send direct with Transferwise using their money transfer service, without going through a Borderless Account.
My point was only that BACS payments are restricted to interbank transmissions within the UK. They are much like EFTs in the States. That being the case - I bellieve OP's funds would need to "originate" at a UK bank for a payment to be made in this manner. I never said a Borderless Account was required to send payments internationally.
I just called TransferWise to confirm. They told me the following:
1. I'm absolutely correct re BACS
2. Currently however, TransferWise are only able to receive BACS payments, not to send them !
3. Instead, Transferwise use either CHAPS or FPS (Faster Payments Service)
4. In most cases (but not always)...if an entity( eg the NHS) is set up to receive BACS transmissions - they'll also be able to receive FPS, but the OP should probably check if that's the case.
5.OP won't need to open a Borderless Account
Last edited by MMcD; Jul 29th 2019 at 3:19 pm.
Jul 29th 2019, 3:48 pm
#9
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Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Originally Posted by durham_lad
You could use something like Transferwise to send the money from your US bank directly to the UK bank listed in the BACS details, or just pay a little extra and pay it directly using your US bank.
Originally Posted by MMcD
OP said he was required to send payment as a BACS transmission (or a cheque).
My point was only that BACS payments are restricted to interbank transmissions within the UK. They are much like EFTs in the States. That being the case - I bellieve OP's funds would need to "originate" at a UK bank for a payment to be made in this manner. I never said a Borderless Account was required to send payments internationally.
I just called TransferWise to confirm. They told me the following:
1. I'm absolutely correct re BACS
2. Currently however, TransferWise are only able to receive BACS payments, not to send them !
3. Instead, Transferwise use either CHAPS or FPS (Faster Payments Service)
4. In most cases (but not always)...if an entity( eg the NHS) is set up to receive BACS transmissions - they'll also be able to receive FPS, but the OP should probably check if that's the case.
5.OP won't need to open a Borderless Account
Jul 31st 2019, 9:41 pm
#10
Joined: May 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 984
Re: Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
Check the requirements for the memo field for the NHS, if you are required to use that to detail to which account the funds aught to be deposited to. I opened a couple of accounts with currency exchange sites only to find the memo field they offered was not long enough to satisfy the NI contributions. I finally found OFX and have been using them ever since
https://www.ofx.com/en-us/
https://www.ofx.com/en-us/
