Why do almost all African safari operators and taxidermy shops insist on being paid by wire transfer?

[Labman]

I have a brokerage account with Ameriprise Financial. I just call my financial advisor and give him the applicable numbers and the wire transfer is done at no charge.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I only wire transferred on my first safari. It was a pain to do at small town banks. Second and third Safaris my PH/Outfitter has a USA bank account. I WhatsApp him a picture of a check made to him and two days later it’s cleared my bank and in his US bank account. He transfers when he wants to to South Africa. On dip and pack last two trips I carried enough cash to pay shop for dip and pack. If I was short as in last hunt by a few hundred dollars. PH took care of it and let me send money to his US bank. So I didn’t have to worry about wire transfer.

 

[Foxi]

Did not answer my question.

Credit card companies simply charge too much.
For transfers, I recommend Western Union.
5000.-Euros costs € 3.90 fees,the recipient is paid out in USD at the daily rate and it goes in minutes

 

[JimP]

I only wire transferred on my first safari. It was a pain to do at small town banks. Second and third Safaris my PH/Outfitter has a USA bank account. I WhatsApp him a picture of a check made to him and two days later it’s cleared my bank and in his US bank account. He transfers when he wants to to South Africa. On dip and pack last two trips I carried enough cash to pay shop for dip and pack. If I was short as in last hunt by a few hundred dollars. PH took care of it and let me send money to his US bank. So I didn’t have to worry about wire transfer.

That's nice when you have a personal connection with the recipient to be able to use a personal check. But 99% of the outfitters have no idea of who we are or how repatable we are as far as accepting a personal check. So they request a guaranteed form of payment, and you can't blame them.

As for when a check clears, it can take almost a month in some instances for a check to clear and even longer for other forms of payment.

I have no problem doing a wire transfe. My bank charges $30 to do one and I just chalk it up to the cost of the safari.

 

[Tucketed]

Edge, my credit union in both NY and Pa do not allow for whatever reason. My Bank of America account is the only link.

 

[wesheltonj]

I use USAA FSB, just a phone call (from anywhere in the world), give them the SWIFT or IBAN number and done.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I use my company (major US oil company) credit union account to do online bank wires. Quick, efficient and most importantly, my wife doesn't see it.

Note to OP: it's not just African outfitters, as my hunts in Canada and New Zealand have also required a wire transfer.

 

[outwestidaho]

Does Venmo work in Africa ? I have sent checks to banks hear in USA that my outfitters have. I have also wired money , I live extremely rural and my bank is 30 miles away. So kinda a big deal to wire money.
I would also think paying with credit card they are worried about charge backs on cards ?

 

[JimP]

It isn't like they want the money "right now" where you can't plan on stopping by your back when you are near it. There is really no need to make a special trip to it just to send off a wire transfer. That is if you just plan ahead on when you will be near your bank.

 

[Tanks]

Takes however long it takes for me to type in the address, account number and the SWIFT code in and zero fees. If first time, I have to enter a verification code sent to my phone to confirm. On subsequent transfers I just enter the amount and I am done.

You need a better bank.

 

[JimP]

The problem with saying that we need a better bank is that not all of us live in a city where we have a dozen different ones available to us. If you live in a rural area you'll be lucky to have access to a couple of banks.

If I want access to more than a couple I'll have to drive 100 miles.

 

[Tanks]

The problem with saying that we need a better bank is that not all of us live in a city where we have a dozen different ones available to us. If you live in a rural area you'll be lucky to have access to a couple of banks.

If I want access to more than a couple I'll have to drive 100 miles.

Well, main branch of my bank is 3,000 miles away. Last time I visited was in 2019 when they changed the banker handling my accounts and I wanted to meet her face to face. We communicate via WhatsApp on a regular basis.

In the age of Internet one does not need to go to the bank physically as long as the technology of the bank is up to snuff and secure.

 

[JimP]

I agree, 99% of my banking is done online but there are times that you need to go into a bank that is local to you and if you don't have a account in that bank they will charge you through the yazoo do do something for you.

I guess that a person could open up a couple of accounts to do banking. One in a local bank and then in one miles away for other things. But most want to keep things simple.

 

[crs]

MMMM, IIRC, I paid with a check at the end of the last day with the outfitter.
This issue seems overblown to me. Of course some of the outfitters have stayed at my house or hunting property in Texas and they knew me before the hunts/Safaris.
Maybe I just look too smart to be dishonest WRT paying off debts to guys with guns who know where I live.

 

[Edge]

Edge, my credit union in both NY and Pa do not allow for whatever reason. My Bank of America account is the only link.

Interesting…I have a local CU that only does US transfers but some of the Operators have US accounts which makes it even cheaper on x-fer fees. The other CU I use is large and handles all types of transactions and charge $25. Could be my location since I live in an area with a high military personnel presence and possibly more wire transfers occur?

if you can find a CU that does wire transfers, runs about 50% of cost vs a regular bank in my personal experience.

 

[Troubleshooter]

OP, you have your answer: credit card fees and the fact that the outfitter doesn't know you from Adam (unless you've hunted with them previously).

The problem with saying that we need a better bank is that not all of us live in a city where we have a dozen different ones available to us. If you live in a rural area you'll be lucky to have access to a couple of banks.

Maybe, maybe not. My experience with the small bank where I formerly lived, was that the clerk processed the transfer quickly and charged about $30. I did have to call back the next Monday to verify that it went through. About a year later, that bank was bought-out by a regional bank. Different clerk, but would have charged $60 if she had been able to figure out how to perform the wire transfer (which she could not).

I went to a small community-based bank where I also have an account, and they got a wire transfer accomplished the next business day for $40.

At the end of the safari, I paid the balance to my outfitter using a credit card. Despite setting up authorization for overseas transactions, the card from the national-level bank was repeatedly declined (although it had previously worked fine at both the airport and the hotel). Fortunately I traveled with a "spare" credit card, and it was the card from that same small-town bank that saved the day. So in both instances, the small-town bank has actually been more useful than the larger regional and national level banks (both of which require a much longer drive than the local bank).

I brought back a couple of $5 keychains from Africa for the ladies at that small-town bank as a way of saying "thanks for your help" and they continue to provide me great service at processing transfers for the dip & pack and (hopefully soon) shipping. Pretty sure that I'll get a free calendar when they become available next month, too.

 

[Wheels]

In ten years there is a decent chance that many of us will be paying with crypto. The crypto will probably be transferred in a few seconds for a few cents on your phone or computer. There will be no banks or exchanges involved. The funds will be moved from a private wallet to another private wallet with no institutions or government involved.

 

[rinehart0050]

Credit card companies simply charge too much.
For transfers, I recommend Western Union.
5000.-Euros costs € 3.90 fees,the recipient is paid out in USD at the daily rate and it goes in minutes

View attachment 437336

1 EUR = 1.01 USD! That exchange rate is rough- maybe they're taking thier 10% cut that way...

 

[jeff]

My credit union is East Idaho and the branch here is small and we are remote it's best to go in person internationals are $40 and domestic $20 and since we have only 9000 people in the county I am just about the only one here sending internationals so it always takes them a little time to figure it but in 20 safaris and a pile d&p plus shipping exporters they have always went through without problems.

 

[wesheltonj]

In ten years there is a decent chance that many of us will be paying with crypto. The crypto will probably be transferred in a few seconds for a few cents on your phone or computer. There will be no banks or exchanges involved. The funds will be moved from a private wallet to another private wallet with no institutions or government involved.

Doubtful, no way for the governments to keep track of the money.