I sold a photo to an Italian magazine for $250. There is a treaty between Italy and US which requires them to withhold 22.5%, unless I send documents which would cost me significant money, time, and aggravation to obtain. So I opted for the withholding. I received the check for $193.75 on Friday, and it turned out to be a "bank draft". Now my bank says it will have to charge $75 to collect the funds. That will leave me $118.75 from a $250 sale. Doesn't that stink!!!?
I am slowly learning. I made one sale overseas, and was paid by check in British pounds. That cost a significant fee to have it converted, so this time I asked for US dollars. Still everyone else is getting the lions share of the money. The best method I have found so far is PayPal. One company paid me in Euros through PayPal, and I was charged a nominal fee by PayPal for conversion, and the money was deposited directly to my bank within hours of the sale going through. Hurray for PayPal, and I think that is the only way I will do business overseas from now on. |
