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I'm in the US and I'd like to send some money (4 figures) home to Ireland.

Clarification: I'd prefer to transfer directly to a bank account over there.

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closed as not constructive by ChrisF Dec 27 '12 at 12:46


Western Union. Moneygram. –  George S Jul 13 '10 at 22:59

4 Answers 4

up vote 8 down vote accepted

I would do it the old fashioned way - wire transfer by using a bank. Most banks around the world have SWIFT codes. If you have an account at a major US Bank (BoA, Citibank, Chase, etc.), go there and fill out an international wire transfer form. Some banks even allow you to do this online (e.g. BoA). Wire transfer is especially good for large amount. I was able to transfer 5 figures with about $50 of fee last year at BoA. Usually the recipient gets the money within a day.

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This seems like the best option. But talking to people IRL??! Oh noes! ;) Do you know how xoom compares in terms on fees and rates? –  Rowan Jul 15 '10 at 16:13
Xoom is good for small amount and it has a USD 2999 cap. Fee is reasonable ($5), but you get EUR 0.7668 for 1 USD versus the market price of 0.7757. –  grokus Jul 15 '10 at 16:42
Chase online banking allows you to send foreign wires without going to bank. Citibank does as well. –  Michael Pryor Jul 15 '10 at 16:57

Paypal seems to be pretty universal and fees aren't too bad depending if you're paying from your bank account or a credit card

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I've used Paypal for this purpose and it worked fairly well. Much cheaper than postal money orders, which I've also done. –  Mr. Shiny and New 安宇 Jul 14 '10 at 13:20

Two options I have come across lately are SquareUp and Venmo. SquareUp allows you to process credit card transactions on from a phone application. Venmo allows you to send and receive money via textmessage. Those both seem like simple and straightforward options, as long as they fit your needs.

I agree also, that PayPal is a great, simple option.

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Try XETrade. They offer decent exchange rates, no transaction fees, and transfers usually take about a week. Although rare, when there is a problem, staff are easily reachable by phone, friendly, and get things resolved quickly. I've been using them for a few years and would definitely recommend them.

I'm not associated with the company in any way, other than being a satisfied customer.

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