Firstly the top option is via an international payment network SWIFT or SEPA whereas the lower option is via their own arrangements with a local partner bank in the destination country, so routing of funds is potentially different (dependant on the arrangements in place with that local partner, and arrangements may vary from partner to partner).
Secondly though it is not clear from the screenshot example above, sometimes the time taken to send the money differs depending on the choice you pick.
Finally, the cost difference, thru local partners is typically cheaper than thru the standard payment network.
Because the backâend system which will clear cheques between different banks, using the cheque imaging system isnât fully rolled out yet. End of this year, according to the company in charge: Image Clearing System - Pay.UK
Not sure if it actually goes at the weekend but you can set one up then and have the funds taken from your account then.
As a user the fact I can set it up and know it is going is better than being told sod off and come back in a couple of days to do it, or even setting one up in advance but not having the money deducted until it goes on Monday (or Tuesday if a bank holiday). Having the money taken then (even if it shows as pending until it has been sent) means I donât have to worry about spending money as if I set up a transaction but the cash wasnât taken I may overspend and then the transaction would not go thru when the time comes to send it.
You may be able to set up advance or recurring foreign payments with Monese, but I donât know for sure as I just make payments ad hoc, even for regular monthly commitments.
One thing that annoys me about the Starling app is that once your balance if below a certain level it asks you to âtop upâ. This is a bank account, not a PAYG mobile or prepaid. If you normally have your wages paid into the account and itâs getting towards the end of the month what the hell are you supposed to top it up with? It just seems a bit daft to me.
What if you have accidentally overspent and you have direct debits/standing orders still pending? What if you removed money for a purpose and forgot to replace it? I donât see anything wrong with it. Not much different to RBS sending me a text every Monday morning with my balance in it.
Itâs completely different. This isnât a notification you can set when your account gets to a certain level, you know like almost every other bank has. This just a message to top up. Top up with what? Where this magic cash come from considering they want people to use it as their main account. There ought to be a setting to turn on or off various alerts.
ÂŁ25. I do agree the terminology isnât great - reminds me of when I needed my Dolphin plan refreshing
I did also send them a message saying that their new payments feature called âforeignâ wasnât the best because foreign can mean strange, unfamiliar and suggested they rename it the more appropriate âinternationalâ and the CS agent seemed to agree.
