Accepting International Payments

[voldermort 10]

When selling to overseas buyers we usually can accept the payment one of 2 ways - via credit card or bank transfer & we all know that the bank charges on international deposits are a complete rip off. However I have had quite a few overseas buyers who also do not have credit cards (smart souls who have no intention of falling into the debt trap) in this instance I always suggest Transferwise to them (by the people who invented Skype & Paypal) - the transfer is done via EFT, they (the buyer) pay any charges on their side - so for instance if you are expecting a total amount of R1000, that is exactly what you will receive and it is usually through within a day. Unfortunately you can only send money from Europe (countries supporting GBP & Euros) at the moment but they have only just started & are adding to the list weekly. Could be an idea for when you have a European buyer & no way (apart from bank deposits) to pay.

[dominiquesonline 10]

I sell internationally regularly and always use Paypal via FNB. It's really hassle free and the people overseas are very familiar with it, so they are quick to make the purchase. It also works in almost any country.

[voldermort 10]

Should have said in above post "for sellers who do not accept Paypal & for buyers who do not use it".

[NooNooBug 10]

Thx Voldermort ! Never heard of it but will look into . have had overseas buyers ask about Paypal, which I don't have given the costs, and if they haven't got credit card I loose the sale ! Good to know about the options.

[Pickle Bearies 10]

I have an account with paypal and sell internationally. It goes very well. I also have an account with a SA version of paypal called PAYFAST. they work well. Look into payfast.

Though I must tell you that all these international ways of paying incur high fees so you would need to adjust your prices accordingly.

I find paypal fast, convenient and excellent.

[Digital Wolf 10]

If the buyer has a Mastercard/VISA-branded (not VISA Electron or Maestro) debit or cheque card they can still make payment as if using a credit card. I use my Mastercard cheque card for quite a few international payments, as well as orders on Bidorbuy.