VivoPerLei

I have a US account at a bank that won't allow any wire transfers at all unless one physically comes into the bank to initiate it. No phone, no internet. I've been steadily writing checks on the account for any expenses incurred in the USA. Eventually I'll draw it down.

Similarly, I have an account in Germany that I use for situations just like the OP described, when in Germany.

747FC

I suspect that when a German bank receives a deposit of a travelers check, they know how to process it. At least they used to know how to do it when I travelled throughout Germany using them back in the day...

I don't understand the insistence on using a high tech process when a low tech solution is so easy...

Edit: Here is a link that shows where Amex checks can be redeemed in Germany (I used Franfurt as an example):

http://www.aetclocator.com/TCLocator...city=Frankfurt

LondonElite

Yes, back in the day indeed! A bank may accept them, but that's about it. Rotary dial phones were great too, as were gramophones, but we've moved on!

WorldLux

I agree on the theoretical part of your position. There's no need to reinvent the wheel, if you have a perfectly good and simple solution. But a SEPA transfer is considerably quicker, cheaper, safer and user-friendly as cheques.

747FC

But, the SEPA transfer would require the OP to impose on a third party, while the travelers check requires no intermediary. His choice, clearly.

The costs of using the travelers check would be this:

Mailing: $1.15 (regular USPS international mail. No return receipt needed)
Price difference of between the cost owed the hotel vs the lowest amount above that which could be purchased: $2.00

Total cost: $3.15, which is much better than the wire transfer rates OP quoted, but certainly more than imposing on a third party.

I've got no skin in the game, and have appreciated learning about some of the other options available to transfer the money within Europe. Thanks.

AlienInTheFatherland

To the OP:

Struggling to understand this one.

1. Hotel booked via expedia
2. Your CC-details provided to expedia
3. Hotel has an obvious link to expedia and therefore to your cc-details
4. If you had been a no-show, the hotel would have used your cc-details to deduct charges. That is the whole point of providing expedia with cc-details.

Seen a lot of comments upthread about how backwards we are in Germany re credit cards. Yet, please accept, that a hotel in Germany linked to bookings system of expedia selling rooms in or near Walldorf (proximity to HQ of SAP) will have capacity to accept charges by cc. Definitely.

Tell them to deduct from your cc as if you had been a no-show.

Flying Lawyer

Why should we? The Americans might wish to consider that we are 500 Million people in Europe perfectly familiar with bank transfers. Why should we care if North Americans are used to Indebtedness Cards only?

invisible

To update and close the topic. Sent 90 euros via TransferWise (thanks for suggestion) and probably will use in future if I need to send relatively small amount of money at any destination they support (except US, which is different story).

I asked the hotel once again at the beginning of the conversation if they are able to deduct money from Expedia. They said that they don't and they can accept credit cards over phone/online, only at the counter. For all other option - bank transfer only.

Yes, you would think that a place within 20 min walks from SAP and Heidelberg HQ would should do it, but if you every been there (I mean Walldorf), I think you would agree that one would never suspect that these two company's HQs are are across the road. This is the place where one can live and ignore rest of the world completely. It has kinda charm in in...

P.S. At least LIDL started to accepting credit cards - contrary to the situation just couple of years ago.

MHG

Good you found a way to settle it.
Still, it makes me shake my head thinking of the unwillingness by the hotel to cooperate.
German stubborness at its best ...

That´s a different story ...
Most suprmarkets (including LIDL and ALDI) do accept credit cards now.
Simple reason:
Credit card companies gave in regarding transaction fees / commission - finally.

MHG

YMMD

And the electronic version of transferring money is much less labour intensive (€€€/$$$) than a paper based one.
Also transfers are real time (no money on account - no transfer = less fraud)
So, it´s about efficiency.
Interesting to see the profit oriented society in the U.S. has yet to go that step forward ...

invisible

Makes me wonder if they had any way to get that money from Expedia and even if they did - why did not they do it?

Flying Lawyer

Instead of a TC he can send cash. TC's require double signature to be cashed and with double signature they are as good as cash.

Flying Lawyer

Why shöuld they? Obviously the OP's rate was not a prepaid rate, so Expedia did not act as a tour organizer but solely as travel agent.

fastflyer

The US has several non-paper and non-credit methods for interbank and interpersonal payments: not sure why you imply otherwise. The OP's original difficulty with this transaction appears to arise from its nature as an international settlement.

Look up ACH (automated clearinghouse) payments. And of course there are the payment processing startups, like PayPal.

Often1

As someone else noted, I am surprised that in Germany, they did not notify the police. If my head office were down the road, I would not mess around. For EUR 90, either have a colleague who travels to the US wire the money in EUR and pay him back in US$ when he gets here, or figure something out locally.

Barring that, I would just pay this and get it out of the way. You know your employer better than we do, but if it is a fairly standard German employer, it might not look kindly on you.