Yesterday I've sent my sister 2€ on ukrainian card and today I see that I was charged for 13€ for this payment. It's raiffeisen bank and I didn't choose instant payment. Their app didn't show me any commissions or that I would he charged for extra fees. If I knew that it would cost me 13€ for the 2€ payment I'd never send it. 1 hour ago I was at the bank and operator said me that's it's my problem and not theirs. They said me that I might to look at my contract and calculate this transaction (such a stupid thing, why do I need them anymore?) and that their app doesn't show any fees because you must know how much you would be charged. Crazy bank. Crazy bank system. The stupidest thing that I've ever seen. I want to move to Revolut bank or Zen bank. Now I'm really thinking about it. But only the one problem is that I can't top up revolut and zen with other atms.

by Comfortable_Bat_2895

7 comments

  1. Every bank will charge you for that and I‘m sure there are some fees from the receiving bank so Raiffeisen app can‘t show all the fees beforehand.

  2. Yes Raiffeisen is not great and the support basically told you to go F!#? Yourself – either switch your bank (ask about how they handle payments outside sepa) or get yourself “Revolut” for online payments – you can even send payments to “card receipients” .

  3. generally I assume that any transfer involving either a recipient account not in EUR, or a payment outside the EU, is going to be extortionate fees.

    I do recommend Wise for international transfers or payments like these.

    For you it is too late though.

  4. How a bank transaction works:

    Your local Raiffeisen Bank transfers the order to Raiffeisen International, which transfers it to Raiffeisen Ukraine, which transfers it to your sister’s local Ukranian bank, if that local bank has multiple offices there could be even more banks involved.

    Every one of these banks will add their fees, plus currency conversion fees. Your local Raiffeisen bank (which you have access to via mobile banking) does not know how large those fees will be for every single other bank out there so they can’t tell you how much it’ll be beforehand.

    I know it sucks but you’ll run into similar issues with any other bank. Revolut may say they’ll do the payment cheaply, but the recipient bank(s) in UA will still charge their fees without you being warned.

  5. If you transfer money to a foreign account, you will be charged. There is usually a basic fee and on top some percentages of the sum you are transferring. IMHO I would guess, that the € 13,00 is the basic fee and the € 2,25 is too little to kick in. Plus, when you transfer you are even asked who will pay the fee and you can take it or split it or whatever.

    We did not yet find a way to avoid any of this, as we regularly transfer money to the States. Services like Wise or Western Union charge you as well or have “less favorable” rates. E.g. Western Union doesn’t charge, but gives you 1.1147 USD for 1.000 EUR while Wise gives you 1.130,39 EUR (so 16,60 EUR more) but charges 6.21 EUR. You see, when you transfer money to a foreign account you are always fucked.

  7. Change the bank, they don’t understand that online accounts are a thing.
    all European banks should be heavily regulated and insured up to 100k per person.

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