Paypal says right on it that they charge you a 2.5 pct foreign currency transaction fee when they convert foreign amounts to USD (if you are a US user). I would believe them. You shouldn't have another charge from your own CC or debit card, though.

That may be your best deal, however and it seems like you have no choice. But you are always going to be paying that 2.5% to Paypal whatever method you choose on Paypal.

We set up a separate checking (or savings) account to be used for Paypal only. We keep only the amounts of money we need for Paypal transactions. After your travels, if you don't need it, then cancel it out.

Thank you all for your helpful replies.

Christina, you're right, I think I don't have any other choice. I missed that info about the 2.5% charge on the site. I thought I would have to pay a small percentage rate to someone someplace along the way I just couldn't figure out who or where!

Thank you again everybody,
Fodorites are the very best source of information hands down!
Michele

You might want to try the Fodorite Approved debit card tack.

Open a checking account that has a reasonable foreign transaction fee on its debit card.

Load the account with the amount of the rent plus some overhead for fees.

Send a debit card for the account to the landlord. I would use a Priority Mail International Flat Rate envelope for $11.95. Email or fax or phone the PIN.

At an ATM, the landlord will then withdraw Euro in cash from your account.

No transfer fees, no mess, no making PayPal richer.

Michele-- you posted a great question very appropriate for this forum. Overseas rentals have become a popular way to beat the Euro's painful exchange.

Hello Viajero2,
Yes the apartment route is allowing us to have an even longer stay in Europe...plus I just can't bear to eat out every single day...too much.

Robespierre,
I think that is a very interesting way to handle the deposit situation. I might ask the apt owner if she would like me to do that.

Off topic for a minute...the Auto Europe program you recommended last year has been tremendously helpful this past year while I continue to plan our 3-month excursion around Europe. I used to be, what my kids would call, geographically challenged, but not anymore. That program is great. It has allowed me to plan on carrying just the minimum amount of maps for our time in Europe, because the detail and routing capability on the Auto Europe is excellent.

Anytime someone on this site mentions somewhere interesting I just pop it into Auto Europe and instantly I know if it will fit into our plans as well as how long it takes to get to and from there, routes to take etc.

Thank you again for an excellent suggestion,
Michele

Michele, my son did have a problem with a PayPal use. He was the buyer. The seller "mistakenly" charged too much to his PayPal account, which was subsequently taken out of his checking. The error was about $400 or more. Luckily he had enough in his checking account to cover the over-charge or he would have had bank fees.

Eventually he got his money back from the seller, but PayPal was not any help. They told him to call the seller & get it taken care of.

So, if I was going to use PayPal for a foreign apartment charge, I would do what another mentioned - open a new, no fees, checking account with just enough to cover what you need. Much safer than having someone play with your 'serious' checking account!

Julie

Paypal does not charge the person paying a fee. I've used Paypal for years and never had a problem. The seller pays the fees. With that said, the apt. owner may well want you to cover that fee, which is reasonable if you want the security of not sending cash.

You can easily link the payment from your checking acct. Make the payment, then change your preferences after the payment clears to not include your bank account.

Something I like about PP is that you can set up currency in the local (as in euros). You will get a very good rate, usually the same as XE shows.

Julie, it would be interesting to hear more about how that happened, because in my experience, the buyer tells PayPal how much to send, rather than the seller telling PayPal how much to "take".

And just why do apartment owners use PayPal when it would be so much easier to handle their own Visa or Mastercard, etc?? Are they charged a huge fee in comparison to Paypal?

Just curious........

Getting the ability to accept credit card payments can be a real hassle. For a small business, the costs can be very high. Paypal costs nothing to set up and takes very little time. I used it primarily when I was teaching English online to accept payments from all over the world. Students paid in their own currency, it was instantly transferred to my acct in dollars.

michele, I am not an expert; but it is my understanding that if the renter does not take Credit Card payments, you may not pay via Credit Card through PayPal. Even through Pay Pal, it is still a Credit Card payment. Perhaps someone here knows if this is still correct.

Daveesl......thanks for the explanation.

dmlove, it was an internet purchase. So, as I understand it, one goes to the seller's website, puts in an order with the PP acct. info, the seller charges the PP account, & hopefully ships the item purchased.

Whatever the procedure, his account was deducted with much more. He called PP; said call seller to correct the transaction. He called seller who corrected. He eventually got his money back. Good thing his money is not 'tight'; luckily he could afford to wait & the money 'mistake' did not cause insufficient funds.

What I didn't like was what if the seller would not have cooperated, as in unscrupulous? So, I don't use PP. But then, I can get cheated with credit cards too!

When I'm dealing with arrangements for Europe, I just don't choose the places that cause money concerns. I've run into that with several apartments, & I just pass them by. Have always been able to find one that will deal with me in an easy manner, & have been happy with my choices. I figure there are too many places, so why deal with such hassles and/or possible hassles.

Julie