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FYI while America seems obsessed with cheque’s still, the rest of the world has moved on.

brudgers 8y ago
I'm not obsessed with checks. Writing checks is technically simpler and has fewer dependencies and distractions. This question exemplifies the cost of other approaches: the OP is spending time researching alternatives to a simple and proven solution. For what? Mostly appearing sophisticated at the cost of increased financial attack surface, secret management, and uncertainty regarding future availability of the business handling the transactions. Solve the problem at hand by writing a check and moving on. In a year things may or may not be different enough to warrant change.
- stephenr 8y ago
  The OP is talking about remote workers. In my home country (Australia) foreign currency cheques apparently take up to 8 weeks to clear. The bank my Thai business uses say it can take “up to several weeks”. Sending a check isn’t solving anything it’s creating a fucked situation for the person you’re paying because paper cheque’s are an antiquated method of payment. In countries outside the US domestic bank transfers are usually free or very cheap with instant - a few days clearing time (we pay about 12 baht on transfers - 38 us cents - scheduled two days ahead, or 20 baht for same day). Even foreign wire transfers are relatively cheap - I made a $300 “donation” to an open source maintainer last month. I elected to pay the fees at both ends, it cost $36 (and that’s a fixed cost, it’s not % based) and arrived in a different country the same fucking day. Edit: oh and despite you constantly claiming “no fees” for cheque’s, every bank I’ve checked said they charge a fee for processing a foreign cheque, and none of them specify how much. A bank fee that they won’t tell you before you’re in front of them in the branch is a fee that’s too ridiculous to publicise.
  - brudgers 8y ago
    The OP did not mention foreign workers in the question. Just remote. Not trying to contradict your experience. Just clarifying the context of my answer.

I'm not obsessed with checks. Writing checks is technically simpler and has fewer dependencies and distractions. This question exemplifies the cost of other approaches: the OP is spending time researching alternatives to a simple and proven solution. For what? Mostly appearing sophisticated at the cost of increased financial attack surface, secret management, and uncertainty regarding future availability of the business handling the transactions. Solve the problem at hand by writing a check and moving on. In a year things may or may not be different enough to warrant change.

stephenr 8y ago
The OP is talking about remote workers. In my home country (Australia) foreign currency cheques apparently take up to 8 weeks to clear. The bank my Thai business uses say it can take “up to several weeks”. Sending a check isn’t solving anything it’s creating a fucked situation for the person you’re paying because paper cheque’s are an antiquated method of payment. In countries outside the US domestic bank transfers are usually free or very cheap with instant - a few days clearing time (we pay about 12 baht on transfers - 38 us cents - scheduled two days ahead, or 20 baht for same day). Even foreign wire transfers are relatively cheap - I made a $300 “donation” to an open source maintainer last month. I elected to pay the fees at both ends, it cost $36 (and that’s a fixed cost, it’s not % based) and arrived in a different country the same fucking day. Edit: oh and despite you constantly claiming “no fees” for cheque’s, every bank I’ve checked said they charge a fee for processing a foreign cheque, and none of them specify how much. A bank fee that they won’t tell you before you’re in front of them in the branch is a fee that’s too ridiculous to publicise.
- brudgers 8y ago
  The OP did not mention foreign workers in the question. Just remote. Not trying to contradict your experience. Just clarifying the context of my answer.