[LGM] Transfer Methods

[Jehan Pagès]

Hello!

On Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 6:46 PM, Joao S. O. Bueno <gwidion at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 29 November 2017 at 15:33, Frank Trampe <frank.trampe at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Unless we run multiple organizations (one in North America, one in South
>> America, and one in Europe, perhaps), it will be necessary to disburse money
>> across the Atlantic. The European and American banking systems are rather
>> different. Europe uses IBAN transfers and shuns checks; the United States
>> uses checks and lacks IBAN support. SWIFT transfers would work, but they are
>> expensive, so we probably need to look at outside services that can route
>> between banks.
>>
>> What are people's thoughts on these?
>>
>> PayPal Bank-to-Bank (0.5% to 2%)
>
> Paypall actually take a 6% gross share from whatever is paid through them.
> They can be "simple" but they are not cheap
>
>
>> Transferwise (1%)
>
> Transferwise is good!
> It has some restrictions, I don't know if in all countries, but,
> from Germany a Company could not use Tranferwise to send
> money to my Company in Brazil.
>
>
>> Western Union Bank-to-Bank ($10)
> This seems to work, but as the only time I actually used it, it was so
> much bureaucratic burden on my end, I would save this as last option.
>
> Cryptocurrencies:
> Dave mentioned en passant that "bitcoin transfers are expensive".
> They are not. And even if they are, one can use other of a number of
> cryptocurrencies, like Ethereum.
>
> I've been using that professionally: it is a fraction of cost, and 0
> time money transfer -
> it is just that, in some cases, the recipient will have to know how to cash it.
> Not even in all cases. In Brazil, for example, there is a service that
> can take any amount
> in several of these cryptocurrencies and pay immediately any bank account.
> The major drawback of using crypto, IMHO, is for the sending entity
> justify purchasing the
> cryptocurrency as part of the refund (or other payment) process . That
> initial purchase is everything
> that would show up in any tradicional accounting methods.
>
> I'd say that among these 5 options, this is a settled matter until we
> have to actually make
> any of thes e transfers.

Seriously though, it would be good to have an European entity,
especially since as several said, the bigger part of participants are
from Europe.

In Europe, we all use IBAN transfer, which are usually free (I'm not
sure if the inter-EU transfers are now free of charge by European law
or simply every bank just aligns its prices to others; yet in France,
I don't know any bank which charges anymore for transfers inside the
European Union).
Most participants are in Europe.

=> it seems obvious to me that the organization to manage the funds
should either be based in Europe, or have a European account at least
(if not mistaken, when GNOME reimburse travels for European events, it
pays through a European account even though the foundation is based in
the US, or some similar trick; though I think it is a recent change).

I remember the discussions that some participants even want that LGM
only goes to Europe (which I don't agree with, by the way, just for
the record; I'd prefer it go everywhere), and in any case it will
*mostly* go to Europe. So that feels like a lot of waste if all funds
are managed from an organism which cannot reimburse without big fees
or through using annoying third-party entities (seriously if I were
reimbursed by LGM, I would really not be fond of being reimbursed by
any cryptocurrency, Paypal, WesternUnion, or whatever any other third
party).

Jehan

>   js
>  -><-
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