US Bank Account

[jacobsin]

Hi there,

 

I want to use 2checkout, because Paypal places restrictions on people from certain countries (ie they can't pay!). But I really need a US bank account to make it all run smoothly.

 

I have seen this page http://www.bankaccountusa.com/en . But I was wondering what all you people who aren't from America use for your banking arrangements. Do you use a US bank account? If so, how did you do it?

[milo90]

Hi Jacob,

 

I'm from Canada. It is not possible for a Canadian to open a bank account in the States without a US address, but that address can be a post office box. You just have to go over the border to open it.

 

Just looking at that website, I see all red flags. The quotes are from the FAQ page.

 

1) "All you need to provide is a photocopy of your passport." With identity theft so prevalent, this is the #1 red flag. Beware!

2) "Nationals from these countries however may not open accounts: Canada, North Korea, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the UNITA faction in Angola, Syria, and Burma(Myanmar).

3) "There are no fees whatsoever for the first 12 months."

 

In fact, having been in banking for a number of years, I would really question exactly how this person is "handling" your account.

 

The biggest red flag is this one, at the bottom of the page: "Once this technique becomes common knowledge, they will stop taking applications. My advice to you, is to open your bank account now, before it is too late." All security/fraud applications tell you that when you see something like this, to stay away.

 

And if that isn't enough, note that this company has an Affiliate program!

 

There are merchant services that offer dual currency accounts, depending on where you live. If you are in Canada, one of them is InternetSecure which is compatible with oscommerce.

 

On the other hand, if you talk with your banker about dual currency for ecommerce, you will likely be advised that until you have sufficient US volume, you will be better off just having the $US dollars converted when they reach your account.