UK translators receiving payments from the EU after Brexit
Thread poster: Hazel Underwood
Hazel Underwood
Hazel Underwood  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
Feb 10, 2021

Hello All!

Have any UK-based translators had any issues receiving payments from their clients in the EU since Brexit? One of my clients emailed me today to say that their bank would be charging around €50 for them to pay me in the UK, and that the only way around it would be to set up a Paypal account or a bank account in Germany (how could I do that anyway when I live in the UK).

Would be keen to hear if anyone else has experienced similar!

Thanks,
... See more
Hello All!

Have any UK-based translators had any issues receiving payments from their clients in the EU since Brexit? One of my clients emailed me today to say that their bank would be charging around €50 for them to pay me in the UK, and that the only way around it would be to set up a Paypal account or a bank account in Germany (how could I do that anyway when I live in the UK).

Would be keen to hear if anyone else has experienced similar!

Thanks,

Hazel
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
No issues Feb 10, 2021

Hazel Underwood wrote:

Hello All!

Have any UK-based translators had any issues receiving payments from their clients in the EU since Brexit? One of my clients emailed me today to say that their bank would be charging around €50 for them to pay me in the UK, and that the only way around it would be to set up a Paypal account or a bank account in Germany (how could I do that anyway when I live in the UK).

Would be keen to hear if anyone else has experienced similar!

Thanks,

Hazel


I am receiving payments in full, as normal with (AFAIK) no extra charges to the client in the EU (Italy). I think your client's bank is wrong. Or maybe your client should use a different bank.

[Edited at 2021-02-10 15:18 GMT]


 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:38
Danish to English
+ ...
SEPA Feb 10, 2021

There is some information here:

https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/news-insights/news/brexit-1-january-2021-onwards-get-ready-end-transition-period
... See more
There is some information here:

https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/news-insights/news/brexit-1-january-2021-onwards-get-ready-end-transition-period

https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/37140/bank-of-england-warns-of-brexit-payment-disruption

€50 is totally ludicrous. The UK is supposed to remain in the SEPA structure after the transition period.

You can always set up a euro account with TransferWise at no cost to end the debate with your client.
Collapse


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:38
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
@Hazel Feb 10, 2021

Most of my UK customers have been paying me via TransferWise, so I don’t think there will be a problem the other way around. You don’t need to open an account to receive payment as it goes directly to your bank account. I only opened an account to send money to my daughter who’s living in Mexico.

Comunican
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
£ Feb 10, 2021

Teresa Borges wrote:

Most of my UK customers have been paying me via TransferWise, so I don’t think there will be a problem the other way around. You don’t need to open an account to receive payment as it goes directly to your bank account. I only opened an account to send money to my daughter who’s living in Mexico.


A client in Italy has just told me I'll be paid tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if there is any problem about this (which I don't expect).


Comunican
 
Mervyn Henderson (X)
Mervyn Henderson (X)  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:38
Spanish to English
+ ...
Tom Feb 10, 2021

I'm glad to see you back, Tom!! Not just me, either.

P.L.F. Persio
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
No problems with payments here Feb 10, 2021

Glad to see you’re back, Tom.

[Edited at 2021-02-10 18:02 GMT]


Mervyn Henderson (X)
P.L.F. Persio
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Paid Feb 11, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

Teresa Borges wrote:

Most of my UK customers have been paying me via TransferWise, so I don’t think there will be a problem the other way around. You don’t need to open an account to receive payment as it goes directly to your bank account. I only opened an account to send money to my daughter who’s living in Mexico.


A client in Italy has just told me I'll be paid tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if there is any problem about this (which I don't expect).


Paid in full today with no deductions (although as usual, my bank takes a cut; currently their exchange rate EUR-GBP is 1.1574)

[Edited at 2021-02-11 08:14 GMT]


 
Steve Robbie
Steve Robbie
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2017)
German to English
+ ...
Tom, that's expensive Feb 11, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

Paid in full today with no deductions (although as usual, my bank takes a cut; currently their exchange rate EUR-GBP is 1.1574)


That's needlessly expensive. Why not use Transferwise or a similar service?


Comunican
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Time to start taking Brexit seriously Feb 11, 2021

We didn’t take our country back in order to be paid in euros. Bill them in pounds.

Mervyn Henderson (X)
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Transferwise Feb 11, 2021

Steve Robbie wrote:

Tom in London wrote:

Paid in full today with no deductions (although as usual, my bank takes a cut; currently their exchange rate EUR-GBP is 1.1574)


That's needlessly expensive. Why not use Transferwise or a similar service?


Transferwise would also impose an exchange rate + their own service charge for transferring the money into my UK bank account.


 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:38
Danish to English
+ ...
TransferWise Feb 11, 2021

Tom in London wrote:

Steve Robbie wrote:

Tom in London wrote:

Paid in full today with no deductions (although as usual, my bank takes a cut; currently their exchange rate EUR-GBP is 1.1574)


That's needlessly expensive. Why not use Transferwise or a similar service?


Transferwise would also impose an exchange rate + their own service charge for transferring the money into my UK bank account.


TransferWise would charge about 0.5%; UK banks typically take 3%. The only other charge would be a transfer fee of 50p or something like that. Unless it's a very small amount, they are clearly much less expensive than a UK bank.


Christopher Schmidt
Daryo
 
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Sarah Lewis-Morgan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:38
Member (2014)
German to English
+ ...
PayPal Feb 12, 2021

I am in Germany and have a single PayPal account. I do work for clients in the US who pay me through that PayPal account, and I make purchases in the US and UK as well as within the EU using the same account. You can receive/make payments in any currency you want without setting up a separate account. You just have to factor in charges for transfers and currency conversion where applicable.

 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

UK translators receiving payments from the EU after Brexit







Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »