Being able to marry the person you want to spend the rest of your life with at a destination that you will remember forever is one of the most beautiful things there can be.
The food, the weather, and the culture all feel like they were meant to be, but it’s the admin side of things that can often throw a spanner in the works.
The key is to be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently by having the right tools at your disposal, and being able to pay service providers and venues in foreign countries is one of the most important things you need to be able to do.
What you need is an international money transfer service that you can rely on. Here’s how it works.
Decide on the transfer
You need to know how much money you need to transfer and the currencies that are involved. The point here is that in the vast majority of cases, a change of currency will be required.
This can complicate things beyond the point at which a traditional High Street bank will be able to help, or at least how effective they will be when time is of the essence.
Gather the details
Checking that you have the most recent details is essential, and working through the following list is the best approach to take:
- Do you have the name, address, and account number of the person you are paying?
- Do you have the country, full name, and the address of the recipient’s bank of choice?
- Do you have the bank’s SWIFT code (use this UK SWIFT code tool) to make sure the money is directed to the right bank?
A quick double-check with a clear head is the way to go here, and it will ensure that a small administrative error doesn’t result in a costly or time-consuming delay. Exactly what you need when you want to make sure the big day runs smoothly.
Choose a specialist provider
Specialist remittance services may not be something you are familiar with, but they are generally far easier to use than regular banks when transferring money overseas. They will tend to be much faster, considerably more flexible, and charge you a lot less for the transfer.
It’s also important to note that exchange rates change across service providers, and that a specialist provider will be able to offer you a competitive and transparent rate.
To make your choice, you should focus on finding a provider that is known to be transparent regarding the fees, has minimal charges, and does quick transfers. This will ensure that you can pay your venue and your caterer without stress or delay.
Verify your identity
Supplying an HD image of your photo ID, not to mention your full name, address, and date of birth, is standard practice when you sign up to use a specialist remittance service.
Having these details ready and making sure they are correct will ensure that you can get things moving without delay.
Perfect when you want to be able to take a lot of the stress out of the little jobs no one else sees when it comes to organising a wedding abroad.
Double-check the fees
Before you make the payment, checking the fees for a second time will ensure that you have enough in your account to cover the associated costs.
If you find you have to make a number of transfers, check the fee structure of the transfer specialist, which will help you with your budgeting and allow you to plan in a way that makes your money go that little bit further.
Send the transfer
You will need to choose the delivery method (bank deposit being the most common) and the payment method (credit card, debit card, or bank transfer) as part of formalising the transfer.
Once these details have been entered, you can initiate it and send the money on its way. The rest of the hard work will now be handled by the transfer service.
Track the money
Sending money internationally is not an instant process, as the transaction often needs to work through the books of several intermediary banks.
They could be spread across various time zones with different opening times, meaning that there may not be a full working day’s overlap between the various institutions.
The solution? To check the tracker that the transfer service has provided, so that you can make sure bottlenecks don’t slow things down.
Now that you know how it works, the next step is to pick a transfer service and allow them to do the hard work so you don’t have to. Just what you want to hear when you’re looking to plan the destination wedding of the year from your home in Bedford.
By Katie Howe
Advertising feature with Swift Codes
