French Hospital Bill

oshoshitzu

I have received a bill from a French hospital and must pay it before I can claim it from the NHS. The hospital does not take credit or debit cards. Which is the cheapest way I can pay it?

I've been told by my bank that a bankers draft would cost £25; but the bill is only for 65 Euros.

THANKS

jambosans

oshoshitzu wrote: »

Which is the cheapest way I can pay it?

It depends, will they except a Sterling or Euro payment? If the former, you could send them a bog-standard UK cheque. It will take a good few weeks to clear, and may cost the payee some money (for conversion), but on your end it would be free. If the latter (which is more likely), make sure you've been quoted the correct price for a Foreign Draft, not a Bankers Draft, both are cheques, but the former is issued in the payee's currency of choice. There will be an electronic transfer option from your bank, but generally speaking these are more expensive. Another electronic transfer option would be HiFx, linked below:-
http://www.hifx.co.uk/personal/money_transfers/overview.aspx

If you let us know who your bank are, we can work out how much it will cost through the various options your bank offer.

Cmdr_Bond

I sent a payment in US$ using a foreign draft from the Post Office - but that was years ago - they may have changed their systems now.

What about Moneygram or various other high street international money movers?

oshoshitzu

jambosans wrote: »

It depends, will they except a Sterling or Euro payment? If the former, you could send them a bog-standard UK cheque. It will take a good few weeks to clear, and may cost the payee some money (for conversion), but on your end it would be free. If the latter (which is more likely), make sure you've been quoted the correct price for a Foreign Draft, not a Bankers Draft, both are cheques, but the former is issued in the payee's currency of choice. There will be an electronic transfer option from your bank, but generally speaking these are more expensive. Another electronic transfer option would be HiFx, linked below:-
http://www.hifx.co.uk/personal/money_transfers/overview.aspx

If you let us know who your bank are, we can work out how much it will cost through the various options your bank offer.

Barclays bank

NFH

My guess is that because the NHS will reimburse you in GBP, although the hospital's invoice will be in EUR, if you can demonstrate how much your bank debited your account in GBP (including any fees), you should be able to claim that full GBP amount back from the NHS. Similarly, if the hospital had accepted credit cards and you had paid with one of the many UK credit cards that charge a 2.75% to 3% non-GBP loading fee, the NHS would almost certainly have reimbursed that loading fee. It's very similar.

Check with the NHS first, but it's great that you're trying to keep the cost down for the taxpayer.

oshoshitzu

Just been told by NHS to just send a British cheque for the equivalent amount in sterling. The French hospital will may get charged extra to cash the cheque; but normally you do not get another bill for this extra charge.

Also the NHS does not refund any bank charges

NFH

oshoshitzu wrote: »

Also the NHS does not refund any bank charges

Are you saying they wouldn't even reimburse a 2.75% foreign loading fee on a debit or credit card? I would find this very surprising.

When the NHS told you they don't reimburse "bank charges", they may have been referring to consequential bank charges (e.g. overdraft etc), which is the type of charge more commonly associated with the phrase in the UK, as opposed to charges for a requested service (e.g. telegraphic transfer).

drlabman

Why do you think the NHS should pay any foreign loading fee? That's a function of your chosen method of payment. If you could pay in euros from a euro account, or in cash at the point of service, there would be no extra fee.

NFH

drlabman wrote: »

Why do you think the NHS should pay any foreign loading fee? That's a function of your chosen method of payment. If you could pay in euros from a euro account, or in cash at the point of service, there would be no extra fee.

I agree with you, but many people see the foreign loading fee as some kind of justified bank margin on the FX rate. Of course, on this forum we know that it's nothing of the sort (given that that card issuer doesn't play any part in the FX), but in the NHS's eyes, it would probably be justified and reimbursable cost.