Is there some sort of account that my fiancé and I can share?

[Necrotica 0]

Hey, everyone.

Does anyone have any ideas of some way that I can get money to my fiancé quickly for free? Like some sort of bank account that I can grant him access to? I've used MoneyGram the last 3 times to wire him money, and the $12 fee each time is getting expensive. I'd use PayPal, but it takes 3-4 days before Réjean can move the money to his bank account for some reason (maybe because he doesn't have a debit card on file with a Visa/Mastercard logo?) and my bank said I can't transfer funds from my account to a Canadian one.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Necrotica

[misa 2]

I don't know what the fee is but I know some people here transfer their money from Canada to the U.S. using www.customhouse.com

[cuci 0]

why not open an account in the US into which you deposit shared funds for the both of you -- get two ATM cards -- mail one to him -- he can use it in Canada and withdraw cash from the US account at an ATM . . .

[no one 0]

Sharing credit card info is the quickest and easiest way of sharing money. Opening up a joint bank account is a lot more difficult if you're not both living in the same place. I have never used customhouse.com, but you might want to look into that as many of us here have raved about it. Good luck!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My fiance added me to his American Express account. I only used it for moving expenses etc. before I physically arrived in the States but could have used it for any other purchases I cared to make. You may want to look into adding him as a user on a credit card and then sending him the card. Also look into Western Union - they have a small fee depending on speed of delivery. The only problem is finding a recipient Western Union in Canada. They may have other recipients to which they can deliver, but I don't know.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Kathryn41

[Mirlan 0]

We also did XOOM and Moneygram, but it was expensive. Then I opened a checking account and sent him an ATM card. I added him later, which required faxing a form to him, getting him to sign it, and faxing it back to me, then to the bank. I thought it might be a problem because he didn't have a SSN at the time, but the bank I use (USAA) didn't have a problem with it (I guess since they are mainly military, and are used to this). It was nice, too, not only to save money, but to show we had a joint account when he went for his visa interview.

We also did the joint credit cards, too, which helped (good for the interview, too). But some places only take cash.

Best of luck!

Mirlana

[SoL. 0]

why not open an account in the US into which you deposit shared funds for the both of you -- get two ATM cards -- mail one to him -- he can use it in Canada and withdraw cash from the US account at an ATM . . .

That's what I would do, open an account and deposit the money so he can withdraw with a debit card, just like when we visit other countries and use the ATM's there.

[derekkj 0]

I don't know what the fee is but I know some people here transfer their money from Canada to the U.S. using www.customhouse.com

There is no fee to use Custom House and the rates are usually better than most banks (and certainly better than using credit cards.) Derek and I have an account and we love it, but it does take a few days for the money to transfer. So if you need money unexpectedly, then a joint account with a debit card would probably work better for you.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

[Jasman0717 9]

I gave Claudeth an ATM card from a savings account at my credit union. It was linked to my primary account so I could just electronically transfer funds for her at any time. Her parents now have the card and that is how she gets money to them. I think it costs us $1.50 per withdrawl. It was a damn site better than when I tried Western Union. They could charge about twenty bucks for a couple of hundred and then also bump us on the conversion rate from USD to Filipino pasos.

[Necrotica 0]

I don't know why I never thought of getting him an ATM card. It makes perfect sense, since I have a dedicated checking account for immigration/wedding stuff. Thanks, everyone.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I would checkout if there ia an ATM fee and what the exchange rate is.

[Jashley820 0]

I just got my banking associate to draw up a bank draft payable to my Fiance in USD, and I mailed it to him. It cost $5...may be an option for you if the credit card/ATM option doesn't work out!

[Lance27 19]

Yup custom house is good. Ive used it many times. No fees and the rates are better than all the banks Ive tried in Canada. Takes 2-3 business days to transfer though. www.xe.com

Lance

www.xe.com/fx

not sure why my previous edit didnt work

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

Yup custom house is good. Ive used it many times. No fees and the rates are better than all the banks Ive tried in Canada. Takes 2-3 business days to transfer though. www.xe.com

Lance

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

Love Customhouse. Takes 3-4 business days for the transaction to go through.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Lance27