Expat Community > France

lostinspace
Joined 2001
Posts: 132

sending money to the states

22 years ago

Hi,

I've been trying to send money from my account here in france to my account in the states.

The bank doesn't seem to know anything about international money orders and only provides electronic transfer. I'm not quite willing to pay 40-50 bucks yet, but i'm quickly running out of options.

First the woman at the bank (BNP) told me to just write a check in US dollars from my checkbook and send it. Well I was pretty incredulous, but she insisted that it would, should work. Feeling rather powerless, I sent the check. My US bank received the check by the end of the week and now after 3 more weeks, they have finally quit trying to get the funds.

I do have an option to send a sort of check thingy from La Poste at a charge of 17 euros, but it takes a month for the transfer to go through.

I'm wondering if something like American Express offers international money orders? I like the IMOs because it only takes as long as the mail to arrive at its destination. There is no mysterious international transfer mechanism for which I need to hold my breath.

I'm pretty disenchanted with french banking. They charge for everything and they have all of my money too. Ca m'agace.

thanks for listening to me whine.

Cigna Global Health

Get a quote in 2 minutes from our partner, Cigna Global Health.
Get Quote

Cigna Global Health

Get a quote in 2 minutes from our partner, Cigna Global Health.
Get Quote

Living in France Guide

Guide to Living in France covering expat life, local culture, finding a home, diversity and more.

France Forum
Join our France forum to meet other expats and talk about living in France.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in France.

Best Places to Live in France

If you're thinking about living in France, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in France in 2023.

Healthcare in France

Expats often ask if health insurance is free in France or if you need health insurance to go to France. Here is basic information about the French healthcare system.

Cost of Living in France

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in France.

Moving to France Guide

Expats all over the world dream of someday making France their next destination. As with other countries, there is a lot of planning involved, and a lot of decisions to be made.