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| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 19:30 #71129 | |
KymriskaDraken
963 posts |
<rant> I just bought Maidstone East and the amount that PayPal charged me in SEK didn't quite look right. So I did some sums: At today's exchange rate £1 = 12.988 SEK so £7.50 should be 97.41 SEK However they charged me 101.67 SEK which is £7.8279 so they have made 33p just for taking my money! :angry: I know that SimSig doesn't control the conversion factors used by PayPal, and all of the other similar services are just as bad, if not worse, but it may be useful to others in foreign parts to know that it might be worth checking the numbers! (and I know it's only 4kr but that's almost enough to have 1/20 of a pint of beer!). </rant> Kev Log in to reply |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 21:08 #71135 | |
Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
That a better rate than (random example) the Post Office will give to convert cash to sterling: 112SEK will get you 7.51GBP it appears. Have you looked into the rate your bank would use if you paid PP in GBP, looking at my bank, which points at Visa as the source of all that is good, I think the rate that would have applied to me yesterday was 12.99. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: KymriskaDraken |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 21:11 #71136 | |
Jan
906 posts |
If you have a credit card, you might want to consider using that for paying in foreign currencies with Paypal, so you don't have to use their currency conversion. Since my Canada/US vacation, I have a simple, no monthly fees credit card (although in practice it's more of a debit card because all transactions are directly charged to my account with a delay of only a few days, but still), where my bank charges 1.75 % for transactions not in EUR. Even so, it's still cheaper than using Paypal's exchange rate.
Two million people attempt to use Birmingham's magnificent rail network every year, with just over a million of them managing to get further than Smethwick. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: KymriskaDraken |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 21:38 #71138 | |
GeoffM
6377 posts |
I had "discussions" with PayPal after they arbitrarily froze my account (since resolved) and I investigated alternatives. The bank with whom I do business banking offer a product akin to PayPal except the money goes directly to the business account. But, apart from the fact they didn't know the difference between a .co.uk, a .com, and the actual physical hosting location of said .co.uk/.com domain, and the fact that below a certain amount PayPal was actually better value, I stuck with PayPal. Going off at a tangent a bit, XE.com is what I use for international transfers for personal money. Better exchange rate than the banks and no wire transfer fees at either end. SimSig Boss Log in to reply The following user said thank you: KymriskaDraken |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 22:39 #71146 | |
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KymriskaDraken
963 posts |
I'm not sure if using a credit card would be much different as the rate is loaded one way or another. And Sweden is a very expensive place anyway I don't knowwhat you can actually buy in Britain for 33p (Mars bar perhaps?), but I'm fairly sure that 4kr in Sweden is not enough to buy anything. When I moved over here in 2006 I still thought in pounds and the rate back then was about 10kr to the pound. I used to think "eight quid for a pint?!?!?" but 80kr doesn't sound like a lot of money to me now (and yes beer is that expensive over here). Maybe I should hold off buying any more sims until the Swedish government get the exchange rate back down to around 10kr to the pound. B) Kev Log in to reply |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 22:51 #71147 | |
headshot119
4869 posts |
" said:I'm not sure if using a credit card would be much different as the rate is loaded one way or another.33p for a Mars Bar you must be joking. You might get a fredo for that. "Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer Log in to reply |
| Paypal 15/04/2015 at 23:10 #71149 | |
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GeoffM
6377 posts |
" said:And Sweden is a very expensive place anyway I don't knowwhat you can actually buy in Britain for 33p (Mars bar perhaps?), but I'm fairly sure that 4kr in Sweden is not enough to buy anything. When I moved over here in 2006 I still thought in pounds and the rate back then was about 10kr to the pound. I used to think "eight quid for a pint?!?!?" but 80kr doesn't sound like a lot of money to me now (and yes beer is that expensive over here).I worked on projects in Norway where it is similarly expensive. We had limits on expenses, and it was the same throughout Europe, so - though sufficient - it didn't go far in Norway  And £8 for a beer is expensive even if you're on expenses! SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 06:01 #71152 | |
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Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
Out of curiosity as to why Beer is expensive in Sweden I did a bit of searching and it appears you have a State controlled monopoly supplier Systembolaget which effectively controls the price of alcohol. So it's all a bit Nanny-state by the look of it. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 10:37 #71155 | |
northroad
872 posts |
[quote="GeoffM" post=71149)" post=71146] And £8 for a beer is expensive even if you're on expenses![/quote] Putting drink on expenses tut tut.......hope the tax man didn't know anything about that. 
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| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 11:52 #71157 | |
andyb0607
260 posts |
As far as interest rates go, when I worked for a high street bank many moons ago, I had about 12 different rates available to me for each currency. They were all shaded for different transactions. All could be overridden and back then staff got preferential rates! Basically we were sold currency at the buying rate. Great for the drachma every summer!! 
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| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 13:24 #71158 | |
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KymriskaDraken
963 posts |
" said:Out of curiosity as to why Beer is expensive in Sweden I did a bit of searching and it appears you have a State controlled monopoly supplier Systembolaget which effectively controls the price of alcohol. So it's all a bit Nanny-state by the look of it.You might very well think that but I couldn't possibly comment. Drinks from Systemet aren't that expensive - a bottle of good beer could be two quid - the problem is that the bloody place is never open. It closes at 1900 M-F, 1500 on Sat and is closed on Sundays and holidays. Pubs are so expensive because of the high taxes - basic income tax here is about 32% for a start, and VAT is 25%. It's enough to drive you to drink! Kev Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 16:44 #71162 | |
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GeoffM
6377 posts |
" said:[quote="GeoffM" post=71149)" post=71146]Putting drink on expenses tut tut.......hope the tax man didn't know anything about that. ;)[/quote] I have to assume my employer did the right thing and declared the perfectly allowable expense for a alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink with an evening meal. :whistle: SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 18:40 #71165 | |
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clive
2789 posts |
" said:[quote="GeoffM" post=71149)" post=71146]Putting drink on expenses tut tut.......hope the tax man didn't know anything about that. ;)[/quote] Huh? I always put my alcoholic drinks on expenses: it's explicitly stated in our company's expenses policy that I can. Which parts the company claims as a business expense on their taxes is a completely different matter, and not one I have to care about. Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 19:07 #71166 | |
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andyb0607
260 posts |
" said:" said:Huh? I always put my alcoholic drinks on expenses: it's explicitly stated in our company's expenses policy that I can.[quote="GeoffM" post=71149)" post=71146]Putting drink on expenses tut tut.......hope the tax man didn't know anything about that. ;) Which parts the company claims as a business expense on their taxes is a completely different matter, and not one I have to care about.[/quote] One of my companies said you could only claim expenses on alcohol if you were on course/training in order to be "sociable" with other delegates! If you were away on your own - tough! Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 20:09 #71167 | |
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GeoffM
6377 posts |
" said:" said:Huh? I always put my alcoholic drinks on expenses: it's explicitly stated in our company's expenses policy that I can.[/quote][quote="GeoffM" post=71149)" post=71146]Putting drink on expenses tut tut.......hope the tax man didn't know anything about that. ;) Doesn't maketh the law but the law allows it anyway. Quote: Allowable expenses can include the cost of a meal, the cost of a reasonable level of refreshments (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) with the meal and refreshments such as tea, coffee or soft drinks taken between meals.Source: 480: Expenses and benefits - a tax guide SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 21:28 #71168 | |
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clive
2789 posts |
" said:" said:The law isn't relevant here. My employer can repay me any expenses they want to. The law is restricted to whether the repayment appears on my P11D or is exempt from taxation.Doesn't maketh the law but the law allows it anyway. Log in to reply |
| Paypal 16/04/2015 at 21:49 #71169 | |
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GeoffM
6377 posts |
" said:" said:The point was whether an employee could declare an alcoholic drink as an expense that was in turn declared to the taxman (yes, with restrictions) - that bit is relevant to the law. If your employer lets you have dancing girls and boozy nights, but doesn't declare it as an expense, then that isn't really in the same scope as the original comment." said:The law isn't relevant here. My employer can repay me any expenses they want to. The law is restricted to whether the repayment appears on my P11D or is exempt from taxation.Doesn't maketh the law but the law allows it anyway. SimSig Boss Last edited: 16/04/2015 at 21:50 by GeoffM Log in to reply |