Welcome to the 21st century?

[silvertistel]

I called my bank today asking them to assist me with connecting my bank account to my PayPal account. The lady on the other side of the phone line went "WHAT IS THIS PAYPAL ON THE INTERNET YOU SPEAK OF? I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY SUCH THING

Comments

[zakalwe7]

You swedes are so backwards.

I think it's because you use wooden computers.

[silvertistel]

You mean the rest of the world doesn't use wooden computers? I am shocked and outraged!

[silvertistel]

Errh Sweden. We don't have any post offices anymore. Long story, but having post offices was too expensive, so instead we have post services in convenience stores and stuff, but they usually don't have the full service of a post office.

[icemannorth]

What do you need stamps for? don't you have e-mail? :p

[zollo_the_fat]

Re: stamps, Gunnel knows (also she has stamps you can use, just put some money on her desk).

What do you mean, your account can not be linked to PayPal? Surely you can link it to your card and hence, your account? I have. Or maybe there are more options that I haven't looked into?

[skylarkthered]

I'm guessing they don't have online stamp purchasing then? :p

[silvertistel]

Hmm might be an idea actually, I should check that! I know the National Post has a homepage. Who knows? :D

[after_nightfall]

Do they mail your stamps to you? :-D

Anyway, using PayPal is really simple. All you need is a credit card (VISA, MasterCard, etc.) and fill in its info in your PayPal account. That's it. The amounts you pay go from your credit card.

[silvertistel]

Yes, that I managed, but I now GOT money sent to it, and I want to transfer it to my bank account. :p

It should be an account setting in PayPal, except I don't know what the route code and check digit correspond to. And the bank failed at being useful, at least initially. :p

[kalbear]

Routing codes are what the banks use to tell everyone in the world where their checks are supposed to go. They say not only what bank to go to, but what main area of the world they go to. I don't know how the EU does their routing for checks, but I'd imagine it's a similar principle.

Normally in the US it's the number to the lower left, a nine-digit number that isn't your bank account. It should be on each check and should be the same on each check. I'd just go with that, if it's there.

[silvertistel]

Hmmm sounds like it's not really applicable here since nobody uses checks. I have not used a check in my life, don't think anyone has since the early 90s.

We have something called "Clearing number" and I know you can get EU specific codes, but how that corresponds, no idea.

Thanks for telling me tho. :)

[eefster]

Have you asked for your account's IBAN (international bank account number)? It'll be of the form 'SE' plus a two digit validation code and then 20 more digits representing bank code (4) and account code (16).

There are some online IBAN calculators, but I haven't found any for Sweden.

Unfortunately this isn't what they ask for for an Irish account (just the component parts of branch code and account code, as well as bank name and location), so I can only guess whether they want an IBAN for Swedish accounts.

[silvertistel]

I googled some stuff about PayPal and Swedish banks, and it seems all the want is the branch code and the account number, so it should be fine. :)

I'd like to torment my bank all the same tho, that's what they get paid for. :p