Buying From ebay In a Different Currency

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Robin

Robin

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Can someone help, I looked all over the net and there's no clear answer.

I want to buy something which is listed in USD but my debit card / PayPal is in GDP.

The listing gives the approximate price in GDP underneath, will this be the price I pay with no hidden charges etc?

I'm scared that either my bank or PayPal will charge a currency exchange fee.

Thanks

Robin.
 
There probably will be some sort of currency exchange charge. But it probably won't be all that much.
 
I don't know the details but I have never had a charge and when buying online I almost always have to do it in a different currency.
 
The currenc will convert automatically. I had no trouble buying from fanatec in euro's when my currency is GBP. Very small charge i think ,i didnt notice one anyway. Just convert the currency yourself first so you know what your paying before hand.
 
The problem is you can't know the proper charge until you commit to buying the item. So far all you guys have said different answers! :lol:

I can't believe this info is not listed on either ebay's or PayPal FAQ. Surely someone from the UK has bought something from ebay in USD using PayPal!

Robin.
 
There is no fee, I have done 4 international paypal transfers(3 on ebay and one was the Gamescon fund here) and none have had additional fees on them. Keep in mind though that sellers sometimes have additional shipping fees for international shipping which is why it only gives you the approx. amount.
 
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I've purchased many international items on Ebay via Paypal & I've never had any bad experiences at all.

I've not checked to see if I've paid the approx amount or not as I know that the price is going to be automatically calculated for me. The Paypal transaction doesn't usually show up in my bank account until a few days later but I've never thought that I have overpaid.

The thing is if you pay for international items on a card you will never know for sure how much you will pay until it appears in your bank as the exchange rate is constantly changing.

You should be ok as long as you pay with Paypal, but it's up to you if you go ahead with the transaction or not - I'm only telling you about my own experiences :dopey:
 
I think there is only a fee for using paypal, looking through my records paying dollars or being paid dollars, the conversion was free but there was a deduction for making the transaction via paypal (ie. $4.20 for $100) so really the one forking out is the one receiving the money, not an additional for the customer.
 
Yep, had bought several items in dollars and Paypal calculates the ammount of pesos automatically. Like Stumpy said, the only fee is the Paypal charge, but it's dismal.
 
No charges here. eBay is the only way to get the parity we have in AUD vs. the USD, so I've been going a little nuts on ebay.com lately.
 
Paypal will rip you on the conversion rate - at least that's been my experience.

So I just let my credit card handle the conversion because it automatically converts at the spot rate without any conversion fees. You can do this through Paypal as well.
 
Yeah I found out that although you don't get 'charged' as such, they do rip you off with the PayPal exchange rate which is a few percent higher. Its not too bad if the item is of a low value.

Thanks for all your replies,

Robin.
 
If anyone still interested.. I found this conversation after looking up the options I have while trying to buy something online in a different currency.

To answer your question Robin, you DO get charged between 3-5% on everything you buy in a different currency. It can either be PayPal´s exchange rate or if the charge goes to your account in GBP your own bank will apply this charge. I tried to work around it but the only option is if you have an account in the other currency.
 
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Taken directly from Paypal UK Fees page.
Transferring money outside the UK:
Small cross border fee of between 0.4% to 1.5% (depending on where you’re sending the money).
A transaction fee of 3.4% + 20p will also apply if you use a debit or credit card to send the money.
Click to expand...

And Buyers Fees that apply.
Sender's country - Cross Border Fee
Northern Europe* - 0.4%
Europe I/ US/ Canada** - 0.5%
Europe II*** - 1.0%
Rest of World - 1.5%

*Aland Islands, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.

** Austria, Belgium, Canada, Channel Islands, Cyprus, Estonia, France (including French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion and Mayotte) , Germany , Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State.

*** Andorra, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.
Click to expand...

Paypal Currency Conversion Rates will also apply.
 
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When I've done this the exchange was done at my credit union (my Paypal linked account,) which charged me a percentage, but a minimum of 5 dollars. That 5-dollar hit was pretty substantial when all I bought was a 9-dollar cable from Hong Kong.

I'm still trying to find out why it was my credit union exchanging and not Paypal.
 
This was a 2 year old dead thread that was brought back for some reason I can't quite figure.
 

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