# Question regarding sending a monetary gift to friend in Australia...



## jmclaney (Aug 8, 2009)

Hello all!

I have Googled this topic until I can't Google any more, and I found this forum so I figured I'd ask here.

I live in the U.S. I have a friend in South Australia who is getting married next month. I want to send them a card with a little money as a gift.

I can't find anything, anywhere, that will tell me how to do this. 

I'm guessing I can't simply write them a check drawn from my bank (Wachovia), and apparently Australia doesn't recognize International Money Orders. If I just send U.S. Currency, can they easily convert it? (Not that I like the idea of sending Currency through the mail, but I'm running out of ideas)

Any advice would be so appreciated! 

Thank you

Edited to make sure I am subscribed to the thread.


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## Roseliz (Aug 8, 2009)

Hi,I recently sent money to my sons Australian bank account from my US account using the international wire system,which I feel is safer and quicker than any other way, the charge was $35 but my bank waived the fee as it took them so long to do the admin, he got the money the same day with the time difference.
Hope this helps


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Hi jmclaney, 

Does it have to be money? 

The other way we've received gifts from abroad is through gift cards. People have sent us either Amazon or wish list gift cards and we can spend them over here. 

Although we don't have an Australian amazon website, sadly it can be cheaper to buy things at either the UK or US Amazon websites and have them shipped to us in Australia rather than buying it here 

Wish list means that you can spend the money on the card at various stores. 

The good thing about a card is that that track it, money isn't sent through the post, and I don't think there are any extra charges like bank transferral fees. I know that Amazon actually send the gift link through email. 

Hope that helps,
Karen


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## Roseliz (Aug 8, 2009)

Thats another way a gift card, i've gone on a UK shops website for example Marks & Spencers and had delivered a gift card to someone in the UK complete with a personal message, so I expect you can do the same for Australia


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Roseliz said:


> Thats another way a gift card, i've gone on a UK shops website for example Marks & Spencers and had delivered a gift card to someone in the UK complete with a personal message, so I expect you can do the same for Australia


Be warned - some Australian gift card sites don't accept overseas addresses so people from overseas can't send them. I know how daft that sounds in today's world but some Aussie websites are behind the times. 

We had this problem when people from the UK wanted to send us gift cards....


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## sheraz90 (May 9, 2008)

I think one other way can be to get from a Bank / exchange company Demand Draft on his name and post it to him.


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