Warning! some banks charge u for buying apps in foreign currency

[Guest nightworker_nn11]

It was when i looked at my bank statement that i noticed that my bank (bank of scotland) was charging me £1.50 per app as i have to pay in either dollars or euro.

I was then posting on the streak forum that i cound out that i wasn't the only one!

As a result i am no longer wiling to buy apps which is sad as this is on of the main reasons that i left winmo to switch to android was because of the app store.

I've already said that u would think that the power of google would allow u to pay in ur own currency, as ur able to do this on paypal!

no wonder u can dwnload apps via torrents but this is not a good way to go and nor will I

Anywy if anyone has any ideas how to get around this without changing banks let me know please.

[Guest Dogmann55]

Hi nightworker_nn11,

Whilst i understand you being annoyed this really isn't an issue with Google at all is it? it's an issue with your bank taking the mickey out of you and ripping you off isn't it? Google aren't taking or making this extra charge from you are they? So just how do you work out it's Googles fault then? As others have reported there banks aren't doing this so it's not like all banks don't have a choice your bank after being bailed out by the tax payers seem content to over charge their users and maintain there greed now if you want to stick with them you will have to pay their extra charges for the privilege. I really don't see just what you expect Google to do but they are by all accounts working on making it possible to pay via Pay Pal but then even Pay Pal will charge you a different conversion rate for paying in dollars with a sterling account don't they it's just the way the finance system works.

Marc

Edited July 2, 2010 by Dogmann55

[Guest battletank]

Anywy if anyone has any ideas how to get around this without changing banks let me know please.

Absolutely. Only buy apps in the market that are written by UK based developers and therefore charged in pounds.

Seriously though, why not change banks? Or at least threaten to. I get no charges on my Lloyds Debit card, and someone previously told you they had no charges on their Barclays Debit Card.

[Guest maskaler]

As temping as switching banks to be able to avoid £1.25 fees is, I do think that purely by comparison to Apple's app store this could be overcome, however I am aware they have different ones based on location which I don't think the Android market does (correct me if I'm wrong).

My main gripe is, I suppose, that I have bought a UK-only, O2-locked Dell Streak; I've put my UK-provided card details into the market app so I can buy apps, and haven't been duly warned that my bank may charge, however obvious this may be to those who are more fiscally astute than myself.

Even if I had naively thought that selecting "United Kingdom" in the location drop down would afford me the ability to buy apps at face value, a bit of a heads-up would've been nice.

[Guest]

I really don't see just what you expect Google to do but they are by all accounts working on making it possible to pay via Pay Pal but then even Pay Pal will charge you a different conversion rate for paying in dollars with a sterling account don't they it's just the way the finance system works.

Google could do quite a lot by charging your card in Sterling and not Dollars, Euros, Yen etc. They have the capability to charge in Sterling so should be able to do so for everything that is sold through the AppStore.

[Guest Webreaper]

Google could do quite a lot by charging your card in Sterling and not Dollars, Euros, Yen etc. They have the capability to charge in Sterling so should be able to do so for everything that is sold through the AppStore.

So you're saying that Google should assume the FX risk and take the loss? That's unrealistic. They'd probably just pass the charge off to developers who would then lose out.

Given that the cost of most apps is a few pounds (at most), and the currency charge is £1.25, I can't see this a big deal. And if you're buying enough apps where it is an issue, just open a second bank account with a friendlier bank and use that card to buy the apps.