Sending money to a friend stuck abroad without a debit card?
A friend of mine is stuck in Spain without a debit card, and I'm trying to send her some cash by whatever means available from here in the US. None of the bank branches near her are American, they're all European banks, mostly CaixaBank, Deutsche Bank, and Banc d'España.
She's a dual American/German citizen, and she has both passports with her. She also has a Wells Fargo account, and could even set up a European bank account if needed as a German citizen.
I have accounts with a few American banks (TD Bank, Wells Fargo, etc.), along with cash.
Is there any way she can walk into a bank in Spain with her passports, with me standing in a bank in the US, and for me to transfer money to her in cash?
Best Answer
I second the comment by B.Liu. Make really sure this is not a scam.
I once used Western Union to send money to a relative abroad. They are still in business and so are several other providers. (Andrew mentioned Moneygram in his comment. I'm not suggesting a specific provider based on my limited transactions. Check their websites and FAQs.)
- Your friend might need identity documents. That should be on the site. Back when I used it, all I had to send a number, but since 9/11 things got more stringent.
- Think about a way to make sure if it is really your friend who is asking. Probably less of a problem today if you can skype.
PS -- US embassies will provide emergency loans to Americans abroad for repatriation, so if this is a sob story and you have the slightest doubt, refer your friend there. Same for the German embassy.
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Can you send money without debit card?
Sending money without debit or credit cards is simple. Sending money without a debit or credit card is as easy as walking into a bank or money transfer store. You can send money to a friend's checking account, make a cash payment to a creditor or send money for someone to pick up at another location.How can you send someone money without a card?
Venmo. Venmo is a popular online service that lets you transfer money via a mobile app. You and your recipient just have to sign up for free accounts. From there, you can send money using someone's email address and phone number.How can I get money from another country without a debit card?
You can use a service like Western Union to send yourself some cash. In some countries, using cash is much more common than using a card. You might need more cash to hold you over and Western Union is an easy way to send yourself money. Look on their website to find locations around the world.Can you send money to someone without a bank account?
Although sending cash is always an available option, it is not recommended. Sending cash certainly allows you to send money without a bank account, but there is a risk involved and a chance that your recipient will never receive the money if it gets stolen or lost in the mail.Cheaper Ways to Transfer Money Overseas
More answers regarding sending money to a friend stuck abroad without a debit card?
Answer 2
In addition to what has already been said (and I second the Western Union or Moneygram option if you are 100% sure it's not a scam), if your friend's cards were stolen or lost, she could also ask for assistance from her travel insurance (of course, provided she has travel insurance - sometimes some debit/credit cards have this for the holder, under certain conditions - and it covers these kinds of situations).
Depending on the coverage they even go so far as to get their local offices to give you cash.
Answer 3
The best way would be to send Bitcoin, which arrives in minutes.
Your friend can get cash from a Bitcoin ATM 24/7, without dealing with a person and normally without any identification.
Have your friend go to a BTC ATM and complete the process to withdraw cash, have them send you a picture of the QR code, you send the BTC directly to the ATM using the QR code, and your friend will have the cash in minutes.
Answer 4
Depending on the amount of money being sent, and the time period in which it is needed, if you both already have a money sharing/payment application setup such as Venmo, PayPal, Google Wallet, etc; you can send her money, have her transfer it to her bank, and then walk into the bank and withdraw it.
If you both have Wells Fargo, it might be easiest to work with them, though again, this will likely take several (business) days. However, you can transfer money to your friend's Wells Fargo account, and then she can add a local (German) bank account and transfer the money there. https://www.wellsfargo.com/online-banking/transfers/
The other option may be a mobile check deposit to a local (German) bank and again, after several days of it clearing will be available for withdrawal.
Overall, if the timeline doesn't matter as much, and she just needs it within the next week or so, then there are a few ways of doing it for free. However, if expediency/ease is of importance here, then a wire is likely your best bet, though you'll definitely pay for the convenience, and there are some other great answers to this end.
Answer 5
If she has a few days to set things up, using a prepaid debit card is possibly the most cost-effective way. It's easy to pick up a card in most places in Europe, and a lot of cards can be directly topped up from another credit or debit card. The only problem is that in order to accept top-ups from another card, she may need to prove identity and address, which may be difficult for a non EU citizen, and the process of approval may take a day or two. It may however also be possible to use a bank transfer to top up the card (to a certain limit) without proof of identity; this is something you'd need to check with individual card issuers.
The fees for this service are usually much lower than those for traditional money transfer services.
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