Advice on sending cash to Australia from the UK

[PrincessFiorimonde]

A friend usually sends $20 in a birthday card to a grandchild in Australia. Normally she buys the dollars from a travel agency, but the agency isn't open at the moment and apparently there are no A$ available at her local post office. And my friend can't order the dollars from the post office as the amount is too small.

How would it work if my friend just puts £20 in the card instead? If the grandchild (or a parent) cashes the UK note at an Australian bank, obviously they would be charged commission. But is it likely that there would also be a minimum charge for changing the note? E.g. if £20 is worth (say) A$30, and (say) there's a 10% commission, that means the grandchild would get A$27. But if the bank charges a flat fee of (say) A$20 for changing any foreign currency, then the £20 would be worth almost nothing.

Any advice would be very welcome.

(Please don't suggest sending the money electronically, as my friend is very keen to send actual cash in her grandchild's card!)

The number of times we've received birthday cards with a slit in the envelope and have had to make a call to ask relatives whether or not there was cash in it... it's so awkward. I have begged well-meaning older relatives not to do it, and almost always without fail the cash goes missing along the way.

I mean, if your friend can afford to lose it then crack on, but when there are quicker and easier ways out there I fail to see why you wouldn't use them.

the relatives would probably not tell her that the envelope had been split and money taken.
and birthday cards look so obvious. they are a target.

I know it’s a bit old fashioned, but could she send a cheque? Then there is still a gift inside the card, but it can be cancelled if it goes missing, and I believe it can be written out in $ instead of £.

I would pop to a bank and see if they've got Aus$, or ask on FB and see if anyone locally can swap some £ for Aus$ (covid safely at a distance of course) at the current rate.

I know she wants to send cash, but that's a real 'cutting your nose off to spite your face' mentality these days.

Can't she PayPal the money or similar to the child's parent, ie her own DC and have them put the money in the birthday card?

Or are other bureau de change open? Eg those in supermarkets or M&S?

We use PayPal

@Myneighboursnorlax

I know it’s a bit old fashioned, but could she send a cheque? Then there is still a gift inside the card, but it can be cancelled if it goes missing, and I believe it can be written out in $ instead of £.

This will also incurr processing costs, if the cheque can even be paid into an overseas bank, which it may not be.

I would never send cash. We’ve lived here for 13 years and the only post that has ever gone missing was a card with cash in it.

Paypal is your best bet. Although one relative sends my son Euros, the bank is happy to accept them but the exchange rate isn't brilliant. Cheques are a pain, they take ages to cash.

Don't send cash. Especially not £ as she will end up with very little.

Can she not send the card only, with the flap tucked in not sealed and once it arrives asks the child's parent to shove in the AUD note and seal it to give to child?

If they need to be reimbursed then PayPal

We find cheapest way is bank transfer, to parents account if needed. Fees are not took bad.

Or send book via book depository, they have free shipping

My sister lives in Australia, I just buy her vouchers online from local retailers instead, usually Westfield shopping centre ones or for department stores like David Jones.

TransferWise is amazing and many expats use this, including me. Can transfer between my NZ account and UK account in literally seconds, the days of lengthy international bank transfers are well behind us

Leave card open and put inside another envelope sealed and addressed to parents. Send parents bank transfer and ask them p
To take the cash out and put in envelope and seal it.

Sending the money to parents via PayPal and asking them to slip it into the card is the best. Or, buying an electronic gift voucher for a popular Australian store.

If she's adamant about sending cash the best bet is to do a FB post asking if anyone has a $20 that she can buy from them.

I agree with Transferwise. Really good service, good rates and very cheap.

Dear posters. The OP has said Please don't suggest sending the money electronically, as my friend is very keen to send actual cash in her grandchild's card!)

Yes I know TransferWise and PayPal are great but it doesn't help her much

@DianaT1969

Sending the money to parents via PayPal and asking them to slip it into the card is the best. Or, buying an electronic gift voucher for a popular Australian store.

This ^

My mum did what the PP suggested for my children 2 envelopes, parents put the cash in. Cash was transferred electronically

Paypal. I have family in Canada and this is how we transfer money. If she wants to give the actual cash to the grandchild, send via paypal and then take it out and give the cash itself.
Much safer and easier to do.

@Malin52

Dear posters. The OP has said Please don't suggest sending the money electronically, as my friend is very keen to send actual cash in her grandchild's card!)

Yes I know TransferWise and PayPal are great but it doesn't help her much

Well in that case, she'll just have to carry on using less secure, more expensive and slower methods, after scratching around to find a lesser spotted AUS$20 note then won't she?

Does she do her washing by bashing it on a rock in the stream or does she use a common modern convenience designed for the task in hand?

I'd ask her to do it electronically as DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. You shouldn't really be going to the bank/money exchange unless really urgent, so it could be a long long wait before your child get any useable form of the money because of this. At least if it's electronically sent, you can always withdraw it in cash or help your DC spend it online.

Your relative could always draw a fake note so there is something in the card whilst sending the real money electronically.

Do a bank transfer? Or to his parents?

Thanks for all your replies. I'm going to suggest she puts the card inside another envelope addressed to the parents, ask them to put the $ in and sort out reimbursement (if required) later.

Barbara