30.11.2021
It’s finally time: you’re about to take your first big trip without your parents. That’s great! But don’t forget that you’re also responsible for managing your own money now. We list a few scenarios to be aware of and explain the workings behind international payments.
Explore the world, gather experiences, enjoy your time travelling – and finally without your parents. It’s an incredibly exciting time when you’re about to go on your first big trip alone or with friends. Everything is packed; you have your backpack at the ready. The big day approaches. Perhaps you hide a few tears as you say goodbye and embark on your trip. But a lot can happen when you’re travelling. And some of it can be stressful, especially when it comes to money. For example:
A few drinks, a night out at a club – travelling without your parents can get pretty expensive. Before you know it, you’ve run out of spending money and there’s nobody to help you out.
You weren’t expecting it, but suddenly it hits you: you’re homesick. Your friends are starting to get on your nerves and the journey seems to be going on forever. You long for a shower and a good meal at home, and you want to go shopping to buy your loved ones something nice.
You get distracted for a second on a crowded subway and before you know it, your wallet and all your cash is gone.
You’re enjoying a train journey with your friends. The others have nodded off and you finally have time alone with your thoughts. As you list the next stops of your journey in your head, you realize with horror that despite booking the hotel for the last stage of your trip through Europe, you’ve yet to pay the invoice you were e-mailed.
With a PostFinance Card and prepaid credit card for worldwide cash withdrawals (e.g. when your spending money runs out) and for making payments in shops (e.g. souvenirs for your parents!), you are perfectly equipped for your journey. But there are also situations where you may have to pay sums directly from your own account to an account abroad whilst on the go (e.g. to pay an outstanding invoice for a hotel, a travel agency or a car company). You can do this using international payments in e-finance. These are also called Giro international or SEPA for payments within Europe.
How do you pay outstanding invoices from service providers while abroad? You take out your smartphone, log in to e-finance and make an international payment under “Transfer”. When you choose the amount, the currency, the recipient, and transfer type “Account transfer”, you trigger an automatic Giro international payment for worldwide transfers or a SEPA for transfers within Europe. With Giro international, the amount is settled within two to four days, with Giro international urgent, it is generally settled on the same day. SEPA payments are credited within one working day. These are free of charge within Europe, provided they are settled in euros and the IBAN of the recipient is known.
