Paying deposits by check
 

My sister is handling the payment angle of our August trip to Scotland. One of the self-catering rentals we are using seems to be asking her to write a check but have it made out to GPB, rather than USD. How is that handled at the bank? I thought it was more common for someone in the U.S. to send a check made out to dollars, for instance, and then the agent/owner deposits in their account and the bank converts it to the pertinent currency. Has anyone else made out a check this way?

I should add that this not a check that will be held, uncashed, until we get there. It's going to be deposited in the agent's account.

I don't know if the U.S. banks are different, but in Canada we cannot write a cheque in a different currency - we have to get a money order from the bank.

You can not write a check "out to GBP" if it is drawn on a US bank. If your bank account is in US$, your check is in US$.

In Europe, if you want a cheque (as we spell it) in a different currency than your own, the bank will provide one for you; we call it a "bank draft". I expect that US banks provide a similar service.

I presume that the owner of the property does not want to take on the bother and expense of foreign exchange transactions.

All the replies have been pretty much what I was assuming. My brother-in-law called their bank yesterday and someone there told them it was fine to write a check for GBP on their personal account. I suggested to my sister that she call back and ask to speak to a manager to verify that.

You can't write a check in a currency other than USD, assuming you are an American.

What the agent/owner is asking for is a bank draft written to him/her in GPB. You will need to go to your bank or an international currency company and pay for a bank draft (usually about $5-$10)to be made out in GPB.

The cheapest way to handle this is to open an account with www.xe.com/fx. Money will be taken from your checking account by electronic transfer, a bank draft will be issued in GBP, and the draft will be mailed to the address you specify in Scotland. The exchange rate will be only slightly higher than the internationally-recognized rate on the day the transaction is processed. There are no other fees.

For security purposes, it takes a little time and effort to set up an account; but things go smoothly and swiftly after that.

I use my account to send money to relatives in England and I've also used it to reserve a room in a B&B that didn't take credit cards and wanted a deposit in GBP.

StCirq, Actually, the owner is the one who told them they could write a personal check (and she knows we're from the U.S.) for pounds and that's why they called the bank to make sure.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

I think we have a communication "issue" here. The owner is totally wrong about being able to write a £ check on a US$ checking acct. But it may that isn't really what the owner told your sister - we really ARE two countries divide by a common language.

So - 1) you can open an xe account, or 2) you can send her £ travelers checks (but you'll pay a premium to do so), -- OR 3) - you can tell her a £ check is impossible and would she take a US$ check and hold it til you arrive. Then you can pay her £ cash you get from ATMs.

I've been able to use a US$ check as collateral many times in the UK - probably 15 or 20 times or more.

Well in ireland you caan place a $ cheque in an account and it will be accepted and converted to the dates currentcy rate. My mother does this all the time when she visits me!

SiobahnP:

Yes, you can write out a check in US$ and deposit it almost anywhere in the world and it will be converted to the amount in the local currency (minus a fee for that), BUT...that's not what the owner told them to do. The owner asked for a check to be written out on the renters' personal account IN BPB, which is not possible.

The last time my husband and I sent a bank draft in euros to secure a rental, the bank charged $40.00 for the transfer. We thought that outrageous and will not do it again. We are renting a property in France this summer and the landlord is British. He requested the draft, but after further discussion said he would accept a cashiers check for the deposit and his bank would accept the check in dollars. If you can find out how to convert the money in dollar amounts, you may find the owners of the rental will be happy to do that. It will cost a small amount at the bank(many do it free for customers) and .90 cents to mail it to Scotland.