Korean Job Discussion Forums

[somekindofwonderful]

I do not have a checking account in my home country (USA) at the moment, but I need to pay a creditor there. So, wiring money from a Korean account to a US account first, then paying the bill online is not possible. Is it possible to pay a bill through a Korean bank that allows online banking and bill pay? Would KEB perhaps allow this? Or, is it possible to send a Korean bank issued cashier's check in US funds (not won, obviously) made payable to the creditor? I apologize if these questions seem simpleton but I truly can't find the answer and would appreciate any ideas or information. Thank you.

[laguna]

[somekindofwonderful]

Thank you for the suggestions. Hmm, if I used a credit card to pay the bill, then I'd still be in the same position because how would I pay the credit card off?

Anyone have any experience with paying bills from back home directly through a Korean online bank account? If so, could you suggest a bank and the type of account? Thanks.

[thegadfly]

I used to get traveler's cheques, make them out to the company (Visa, MC, SallieMae), with my account information on them, and pay that way -- I had to pay in round amounts, rather than an exact amount, but I sent the cheques in an envelope in the mail, and never had a single problem with any of them. My Korean bank did not charge a fee, and the few hundred won for postage was much less than the wiring fees...though I DID have to plan ahead in order for my bill payments to arrive on time...it wasn't THAT hard to keep up, once I got into the rhytm of it, though....

<edit> No, you are not supposed to mail traveler's cheques, but if they got lost in the mail, I would have simply reported them as "lost" rather than "lost in the mail." Yes, you are supposed to sign the second time in front of the merchant, but Visa, MC, and SallieMae never had any problem cashing my cheques, so I didn't worry about it.

[crossmr]

No, you're not likely to be able to pay a bill back home through a korean bank account, not even KEB. usually I think there has to be an agreement between the bank and the company in order for them to take your money and pass it on. At least in Canada it seems that way. When it was getting started I remember you couldn't pay every bill from every bank.

They often have a list of companies you can pay.

There would be very little reason for any Korean bank to make that kind of agreement with any companies back home.

[Pyxis]

Is there someone back home who you really trust and can act as an intermediate? Transfer or wire money to a family member or close friends and pay the bill from those funds?