I need to pay someone in Paris with a cashiers check issued by my US bank in euros. If they take it to their French bank, will they have a problem cashing it? (Maybe this is not a question this site can answer, but don't know where else to look for answer...)
thanks for any help
Posted by
Bend, OR, United States
1167 posts
According to various sources the check has to be deposited in an existing account and the funds may not be immediately available. The check cannot be cashed but it is the responsibility of the person who specified the means of payment to deal with it.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33464 posts
They will have to send it for collection incurring fees and delays. You might do better by bank transfer?
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10545 posts
I had to do a bank transfer for a deposit for an apartment I was renting. First of all, it wasn't cheap. I think it cost $70. Then the apartment owner kept insisting he didn't receive the money. It turned out that it had gone into a different account because they sent dollars instead of the euros i specified, or something strange like that. Be sure to specify it should be sent in euros, not dollars.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5790 posts
Patricia, You may want to look for a board that caters to expats in France. Hopefully one of the Americans who lives in France might have had this experience and be able to share. I can share my experience based on having worked in a bank and also having deposited checks in my own overseas account. However, I know nothing specifically about banking in France. When a U.S. bank issues a check in foreign currency (aka "international bank draft" or "foreign draft"), it is typically drawn on an account that the U.S. bank has with a foreign bank. It may be the U.S. bank's foreign subsidiary (e.g. Citibank U.S. issues a check drawn on Citibank U.K.) or a bank which they have a relationship with (e.g. a U.S. bank issues a check drawn on their account with Deutsche Bank). So one question to ask your bank is who is the check payable through (what bank?, what country?). A check in Euros drawn on a French bank account would likely be simpler to deposit in France than a check in Euros drawn on a German bank account. Make sure the check is drawn on a French bank. When I deposited a foreign bank draft issued in British Pounds (payable through a UK bank) into my U.K. bank account, I had no problems with the deposit. I think the funds were not immediately available (but that may have been because it was a newly opened account), but it was treated just like any deposit of a check from another U.K. bank.
Posted by
Dallas
1022 posts
Check out PayPal. The fee is low and you can specify the currency to be delivered.
Posted by
OP
Granada Hills, California, United States
4 posts
Thank you all for your help!
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
All I know is that 2-3 years ago, I was regularly having my bank draw a check in Pounds for a friend who was handling travel in the UK. She deposited in her bank and never ever complained about extra cost. I wish I could remember what type of draft it was, but I can say it was my bank, made out to her name and in Pounds. I did 4 or 5 times and I think she would have told me if it cost her money as she knew I would look for another option. Pam