Best currency for purchasing skype

Horlock

Does anyone know which is the best currency to use to purchase credit with skype.

Purchasing in US dollars obviously has the perk that you only need to buy $10, so a big saving against buying in pounds. But is the short term benefit worth it - or does it even come with other benefits? Doing so has the disadvantage that the credit card will obviously charge a conversion rate - but then again skype is already charging a conversion rate (what I haven't been able to tell - probably cos I'm not awake enough - is which is the best conversion rate). Skype has its own conversion rate for prices for calls - I just can't tell whether it favours the pound or favours the dollar.

There must be people here who have investigated which currency is the best.

If noone is able to answer - then after a bit I'll try and work it out and post my findings. It will probably save someone some money.

Incidentally, am I correct in thinking that skype removes unused credit if skype is not used - I thought I had some skype credit - if so another reason to go for the currency which offers the cheapest purchase.

Buzby

Your card needs to be registered in the country Skype has for you, AND will only accept that country's base currency. You'll discover this when the card fails!

Horlock

Buzby wrote: »

Your card needs to be registered in the country Skype has for you, AND will only accept that country's base currency. You'll discover this when the card fails!

Card? I assume you mean credit card - but as I'll pay with paypal it is irrelevant which creditcard I choose I believe.

So far Skype seems only too happy to switch currencies, completely independent of switching country. Although I haven't tried to purchase as yet - but I hasten to add that I've certainly bought in euros in the past - I've rarely visited the eurozone.

Buzby

Nope a the same holds true for PayPal too. The lock came in around 2008, and your ability to choose ended at that time. This was brought in to stop people avoiding paying VAT. (Previously, you could say you lived in the UAE and pay in US$ - this meant no VAT was added either. It was a great ploy while it lasted.

Horlock

Afraid you are wrong. I just switched currency to US dollars and my country and bought $10. Paypal has taken the money from my american express card registered in the UK.

I still don't know what the best option was but you can definately change country and currency - at least I can!

Buzby

They require a US address & Zip to bill in dollars. Having never used AE, this may be a loophole, but Visa/MC cards need to be in the billing currency for the transfer to work. If you switched country on PP, it would have to match the card address.

It sounds as though you've only made a FX with PP doing the conversion, which is at their own rate, not the lower Interbank rate. PP lets you choose, but you do lose out.

Horlock

Buzby wrote: »

They require a US address & Zip to bill in dollars. Having never used AE, this may be a loophole, but Visa/MC cards need to be in the billing currency for the transfer to work. If you switched country on PP, it would have to match the card address.

It sounds as though you've only made a FX with PP doing the conversion, which is at their own rate, not the lower Interbank rate. PP lets you choose, but you do lose out.

Afraid I know very little about how the PP works. I'll check with Amex in a few days, but I can confirm the card is not registered to the address which skype holds - nor indeed the correct country.

I don't want to use skype much, just occasionally, as it allows features like recording the call etc. So to me the lowest purchase amount was best. US dollars seemed the lowest - but I have no idea how much the real cost is yet. I'll post when I have that info.

I can also confirm that the credit has been applied to the skype account and I've made a charged call with it.