Whoops, won't be buying non UK priced Apps from the Android Market anymore

Mat_Lock

4 transaction totalling about $2 or $3 but due to the bank exchange fees that's gonna be another £6 on top

OUCH

:money: :mad:

grumbler

This cannot be correct and has to be about 3% on the top.
Check again and contact your bank.

Tony5101

Isn't the amount calculated at the point of sale, to GBP?

grumbler

It may be, but it is the retailer than that robbed you, not the bank. If it really was £6 on the top of $10 I'd ask the bank for a chargback.

Cheap Travel Money Top cards for spending abroad

If the retailer charges you in $ then your bank converts it to £ using the interbank rate with about 3% correction. For interbank rate see oanda.com or xe.com.

JJ_Egan

I have only been charged a small amount nothing like that figure .
Though i prefer to deal with the developer direct if i can .

jje

Snakeeyes21

grumbler wrote: »

It may be, but it is the retailer than that robbed you, not the bank. If it really was £6 on the top of $10 I'd ask the bank for a chargback.

Cheap Travel Money Top cards for spending abroad

If the retailer charges you in $ then your bank converts it to £ using the interbank rate with about 3% correction. For interbank rate see oanda.com or xe.com.

its nothing to do with the retailler robbing them, its got everything to do with the bank making charges for overseas transactions.

Please refrain from dishing out wrong information, if you dont know the answer then dont reply, it just makes you look silly..

HSBC for example do not charge for processing these kinds of payments, where as Halifax charge £1.50 plus 2.75% for each one

Mat_Lock

Exactly, Halifax is to blame. When I took cash out in Ecuador. I had the £1.50 charge and exchange rate. I knew this would happen as I was in the country of origin and was using my standard current account card.

My point here is, I bought 4 apps, all were from the US or Canada. They were charged in their local currency but paid via Google Checkout. I expected Google to convert the rate and then pass it through at Sterling so that when I paid via the card Halifax would not charge me 4 x £1.50 charges for foreign transactions.

Either way I learned the hard way.

grumbler

Snakeeyes21 wrote: »

Please refrain from dishing out wrong information, if you dont know the answer then dont reply, it just makes you look silly..

Well, I stand corrected. Unlike me you don't say this in similar situations.

Things seem to have changed recently and were not as bad a few years ago when only Lloyds TSB were unique in charging for purchases abroad. It was not retailer this time. However, some retailers rob oversees customers too by making conversion at very unfavourable rates instead of banks, although this would be unlikely to be as much as £6 on the top of $10ish. My explanation was wrong. However, I don't see any incorrect information that I posted.

P.S.: In the light of the above I think the thread title has to be changed to "Whoops, won't be using Halifax card for overseas transactions anymore"

Mat_Lock

Why, my original subject still stands. I shall avoid buying non UK priced apps.

grumbler

Only because of trifling 3% that it would cost you with a proper card? And even these 3% are irrelevant because the price is always rounded. Would you prefer paying £2 instead of $3+3%?

£1.50 cannot be ignored unlike 3%, especially for small purchases.

Snakeeyes21

grumbler wrote: »

Well, I stand corrected. Unlike me you don't say this in similar situations.

Things seem to have changed recently and were not as bad a few years ago when only Lloyds TSB were unique in charging for purchases abroad. It was not retailer this time. However, some retailers rob oversees customers too by making conversion at very unfavourable rates instead of banks, although this would be unlikely to be as much as £6 on the top of $10ish. My explanation was wrong. However, I don't see any incorrect information that I posted.

P.S.: In the light of the above I think the thread title has to be changed to "Whoops, won't be using Halifax card for overseas transactions anymore"

I must have got out the wrong side of the bed well sofa

HSBC are fairly good with their exchange rates / fees, generally what you see on the google checkout page is what you end up getting charged, +/- a penny or two.

There was a list on one of the android forums I visited stating what each bank charge, theres quite a few that dont add any fees.

Anybody who buys apps would be well advised to just get a hsbc card just for buying apps, could save a small fortune in the long run.