"Wise" problem today

How did you change the verification phone number if you were unable to logon?

I think that wise has a problem with The Philippines. Maybe the system has been used for money loundering.

Somebody living in The Phils wanted to send to my bank USD1000 and was asked a lot of questions. Including about the recipient.

Another bank in Netherlands has asked me to close my account.

No problems with wise... Over $200K transfered over 2 years. They did JUST change their accout number and routing number. If you transfer money in from US banks, you will have to create new external links with those banks using the new numbers.

Wingfat said. . . How did you change the verification phone number if you were unable to logon?

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That's the irony of that . . . .

By uploading my passport, drivers license (PH) and my 13A. You take a selfie with a closeup of yourself & the passport so they can compare the photos of both.
   

   

emvaningen said. . . .    I think that wise has a problem with The Philippines. Maybe the system has been used for money loundering.
Somebody living in The Phils wanted to send to my bank USD1000 and was asked a lot of questions. Including about the recipient.
Another bank in Netherlands has asked me to close my account.

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    Just two days ago I used "Wise" to transfer a small amount to cover an expected aircon repair. Then yesterday my SS direct deposit (3rd Wednesday of the month) came. So I wanted to move enough cash for monthly expenses and ended up with the problem of sending the money to the Philippines.

So for now and into the future or when the problem gets solved, my stepson will handle all my transfers using his Apple phone which has no problem communicating with "Wise" transferring.

   

I use my smart phone to log in on my laptop. When I log in, my smart phone pops up with accept and the laptop login proceeds. Unless that changed...

OK Folks.... in a somewhat related matter ... I can no longer send money into Wise from my American Express Savings account. Since they changed their account # and routing # it is considered a foreign  bank. My account is now locked pending a phone call with a special department within AE. WTF

Wingfat said. . . .  OK Folks.... in a somewhat related matter ... I can no longer send money into Wise from my American Express Savings account. Since they changed their account # and routing # it is considered a foreign  bank. My account is now locked pending a phone call with a special department within AE. WTF

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Are you sure the problem exists AE? My problem was cured by uploading my personal documentation. Wise request was a selfie with my passport directly below my face for comparison.

They approved it by email and I was able to transfer money. Unfortunately in trying to solve the problem we uploaded a new phone number from the confusion, I was thinking my phone was doing the blocking.

So I will give it sometime as any sms will go to my sons phone, not mine. When he has time I'll have him login and change the number back to mine.

My email correspondence was to: wise support@support.wise.com
   

@Enzyte Bob Problem is not with Wise... sort of. They changed their bank in the US to a foreign bank now, AE flagged my account and locked it. I will call at 7PM tonight.

Wise changed their bank? My account still shows a US bank and I have received no notification from them that it is changing

@Filamretire Yes.... You have until Oct 31 to re-establish external links in your US banks using Wise's new account and routing numbers.

Due to an operational change, your local USD account details are changing. To avoid any delays in sending or receiving USD payments, it's important you:

• Share your new details with any friends or businesses that send you money

• Update any direct debits you have authorised

• Update any platforms you use to receive payments, like Amazon or Stripe

• Update your online banking if that's how you add money to your Wise account

You can find your new account details in your USD balance. Or, just click below.

See your new USD account details

Your old account details will continue to work until October 31, 2023. After that, any payments sent to these details will automatically be refunded to the sender. And any direct debits using these details will fail.

We're sorry about the inconvenience during this transition. You can find more information about how your updated account details work here.

My new account details show a routing number that is a US bank

I will know more when I speak with AE tonight.. thanks

@Filamretire I have verified that Routing Number 026073150 - COMMUNITY FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK is indeed an american bank, FDIC insured.

I'll let you know what AE has to say.. it is possible that the agent I was talking to was confused. She was not from the proper department but was trying to help.

Sounds good! I show the same bank as well, good deal! Simple change then

Spoke with AE ... they claim that COMMUNITY FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK actually rejected the transfer. Don't know if that's true but my account was locked until I spoke to them and told them I had done the transfer. My account is unlocked but I hesitate to transfer to them again if they really did reject the transfer.

Outcome: Spoke with AE security and they just needed to verify it was me who initiated the transfer. My account was unlocked and I was successfully able to transfer into Wise. He mentioned some smaller banks don't show the recipients name and they also verified it was my account.

Last time I Sent money thru Wise was October 8th. I'll see if I have any issues when I transfer early November. I do remember them alerting that Philippines Bank Accounts would be subject to a VAT Tax, since they were making some changes and were now considered a Philippines Company for Transfers here - But, I did NOT experience any extra Fees on October 8th. What I HAVE discovered lately is that The Exchange Rate for my USA Credit Cards is always better than the WISE Exchange Rate. WISE has been about 56.3 lately and all of my credit cards are exchanging at about 56.5 or higher. So I have been paying for Groceries, Grab, Lazada, Landers, etc. with my USA Cards and just paying off at the due dates, and consequently Transferring less via WISE, plus it gets me another 30 days Cash Flow.

   talambam said. . .. Last time I Sent money thru Wise was October 8th. I'll see if I have any issues when I transfer early November. I do remember them alerting that Philippines Bank Accounts would be subject to a VAT Tax, since they were making some changes and were now considered a Philippines Company for Transfers here - But, I did NOT experience any extra Fees on October 8th. What I HAVE discovered lately is that The Exchange Rate for my USA Credit Cards is always better than the WISE Exchange Rate. WISE has been about 56.3 lately and all of my credit cards are exchanging at about 56.5 or higher. So I have been paying for Groceries, Grab, Lazada, Landers, etc. with my USA Cards and just paying off at the due dates, and consequently Transferring less via WISE, plus it gets me another 30 days Cash Flow.
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I deal with various banks charge cards and occasionally use them for purchases in the Philippines. They all don't handle the fees the same way.

(1) One bank just charges a flat 3% of the actual charge. (from the register)

(2) Another charges no fee and but gives a lower exchange rate.

(3) Another merchants uses BDO as their clearing house, the merchant charge is pass onto the customer (me) and subject to my home banks fees. Resulting paying two fees.

But I was talking about in my original post is transferring money from a USA bank and a Philippine bank using Wise.  As far as your 30 day cash flow you can even extend that by paying attention to your billing date, by using your credit card one day after your billing date gives you almost two months interest free by paying in full.

The account details that have changed are for receiving money into your Wise account from other people, not for adding or sending money

Filamretire said. . . .The account details that have changed are for receiving money into your Wise account from other people, not for adding or sending money
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In my case I'm the sender (USA) and Wise is the transfer medium and I'm the receiver in the Philippines.

I'm sending & receiving the money.

   

What I do is to send (adding) Wise money from my account in US (account is not changed). Once received I then send it from Wise to my BDO account. Since I am adding, there is no change. If I ws receiving (ie other people) then there is a change.

Filamretire said. . . . I use my smart phone to log in on my laptop. When I log in, my smart phone pops up with accept and the laptop login proceeds. Unless that changed...

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Why do you use your smartphone to log into your computer? Why don't you log into Wise using your computer and then receive the SMS on your smartphone?
   

 

Filamretire said. . . What I do is to send (adding) Wise money from my account in US (account is not changed). Once received I then send it from Wise to my BDO account. Since I am adding, there is no change. If I ws receiving (ie other people) then there is a change.

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I'm getting a little confused here.

When you send money through Wise the charges are actually deducted from the proceeds the receiver gets. For example, I'm using the following figures for a demonstration only. Suppose you send $500, Wise would deduct a $5 fee and the receiver would get $495.

You said adding money to your account,  do you have funds sitting in a Wise account? or is it just passing through Wise?

I receive other peoples money  (stepson) in the UK for his siblings. I have never have received a charge on the receiving end. So what you are saying OFW's sending money home through Wise, the receiver has a fee?

    Filamretire said. . . . I use my smart phone to log in on my laptop. When I log in, my smart phone pops up with accept and the laptop login proceeds. Unless that changed...
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Why do you use your smartphone to log into your computer? Why don't you log into Wise using your computer and then receive the SMS on your smartphone?     
   

    -@Enzyte Bob

Soon as I log into Wise it pings my smart phone which pops up with Accept button (only in PH, in US doesnt do it)

    Filamretire said. . . What I do is to send (adding) Wise money from my account in US (account is not changed). Once received I then send it from Wise to my BDO account. Since I am adding, there is no change. If I ws receiving (ie other people) then there is a change.
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I'm getting a little confused here.
When you send money through Wise the charges are actually deducted from the proceeds the receiver gets. For example, I'm using the following figures for a demonstration only. Suppose you send $500, Wise would deduct a $5 fee and the receiver would get $495.

You said adding money to your account,  do you have funds sitting in a Wise account? or is it just passing through Wise?

I receive other peoples money  (stepson) in the UK for his siblings. I have never have received a charge on the receiving end. So what you are saying OFW's sending money home through Wise, the receiver has a fee?
   

    -@Enzyte Bob

I adjust the money I'm sending to add the fee to it, therefore in example I would sent $505. Yes I have money sitting in Wise account, actually Chase bank in the US, which gets a good interest rate. I thought thats how it was done. 

@Enzyte Bob

Hi, you wrote:

My email correspondence was to: wise support@support.wise.com

I mailed to support@support.wise.com and got an error message.

Could you please confirm the email address you used?

I got the same problem you described that my phone number was blocked.

Thanks,

Claus

        Filamretire said. . . . I use my smart phone to log in on my laptop. When I log in, my smart phone pops up with accept and the laptop login proceeds. Unless that changed...*************************************Why do you use your smartphone to log into your computer? Why don't you log into Wise using your computer and then receive the SMS on your smartphone?              -@Enzyte BobSoon as I log into Wise it pings my smart phone which pops up with Accept button (only in PH, in US doesnt do it)        -@Filamretire

I think you have an authenticator app on your smartphone, probably Microsoft. The later versions of 2FA do that because it is allegedly more secure than the SMS method. With the authenticator, it is all dependent on you using the right phone and it must assume that only you use your phone. Verification of phone occurs between your phone's authenticator app and the external service. When that is satisfactory the authenticator asks you to approve.

That is what the authenticator app does; I think we all should read up on this because we are affected by living in a foreign country Country, and worse yet it's the Philippines. This 2FA method is becoming hugely popular but it's workings are not necessarily intuitive...I had to think about it for a while to digest. But when it works, it is extremely simple and you just push the approve button.

@Enzyte Bob

I definitely like Wise so far but I am only using as a tourist. As I won't have a permanent UK address when I finally move over  Wise will ask that I use their Filipino version of Wise, which demands 12% VAT on each aspect of the transaction, not just one 12% fee, plus other small fees. That sound horrendous.

I am looking for ways to get my UK pensions (state and small private pension) to the Philippines with as little cost as possible. From my position at the moment it is looking complicated.

@aragornbella

Why don't you look at PNB Europe, which is based in London. Once your account is set up with a UK address, it will still be functional even after you lose your UK address. The typical transfer fee is £8 for £1,000 but this outweighed by the consistently higher exchange rate when compared to the likes of Wise and Remitly etc. Once your account is set up everything is done online.

FindlayMacDsaid...,.    Why don't you look at PNB Europe, which is based in London. Once your account is set up with a UK address, it will still be functional even after you lose your UK address. The typical transfer fee is £8 for £1,000 but this outweighed by the consistently higher exchange rate when compared to the likes of Wise and Remitly etc. Once your account is set up everything is done online.

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At this moment the exchange rate at Wise is 72.1176.

The Wise fee is 6.01 for 1,000.

All numbers are in pounds
   

    Wingfat said. . . How did you change the verification phone number if you were unable to logon?**********************************That's the irony of that . . . . By uploading my passport, drivers license (PH) and my 13A. You take a selfie with a closeup of yourself & the passport so they can compare the photos of both.                -@Enzyte Bob

I am currently in the Philippines and am having a similar problem using my Halifax Clarity Credit Card. Transactions at ATM machines have been declined and when I try to log into my mobile banking app on my iphone, a code comes up on screen with a message saying I will receive a phone call and must quote the code when answering. The phone number on my account is correct but i suspect that since they dont know I am in the Philippines, they will not known to use the international dialling code and i have no way to change the number. I did inform the bank of my travel plans before coming but they just said it would not be a problem and I am having no such issues with my RBS bank or debut card.

I am lucky because I took about 47k in pesos, £200 and also transferred about 20k in pesos to myself via Western Union before I left the UK and like I said, my RBS debit card works fine.

Cherryann01 said. . . .I am currently in the Philippines and am having a similar problem using my Halifax Clarity Credit Card. Transactions at ATM machines have been declined and when I try to log into my mobile banking app on my iphone, a code comes up on screen with a message saying I will receive a phone call and must quote the code when answering. The phone number on my account is correct but i suspect that since they dont know I am in the Philippines, they will not known to use the international dialling code and i have no way to change the number. I did inform the bank of my travel plans before coming but they just said it would not be a problem and I am having no such issues with my RBS bank or debut card.
I am lucky because I took about 47k in pesos, £200 and also transferred about 20k in pesos to myself via Western Union before I left the UK and like I said, my RBS debit card works fine.

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That's a problem using a credit card overseas, even when notifying your bank of traveling plans. They're so afraid of fraud they make it difficult for their honest customers to use their cards. Also trying to get cash advances on a credit card overseas raises a lot of Red Flags.

I had a similar problem some time ago, I have a duplicated credit card in my stepsons name mainly used for payments of prescriptions for my wife & myself. The card was lost and we placed a stop on the card which also stopped mine. I had new cards sent to my re-mailer and FedEx'd them to the Philippines. When using the replacement cards for purchases they were denied. It took five telephone calls to the states. Each time after the call they told me that they had made the necessary notations and it's now ok to use the card.

I have a number of credit cards, some I can use and some get rejected for payments (Philippines) and I would never use them for cash advancements. The rejected cards are now only used for auto payments originating in the states, in order to keep the cards active so they're not cancelled from  the lack of activity.

SoCherryann01, you should use RBS debit card to withdraw cash as needed.
   

   

@Enzyte Bob

Yes Bob true and the whole process with my RBS bank account was easy. simply download their app, log in and there is a section where you can let them know when you travel overseas. I just informed them I was in Malaysia and the Philippines and entered the dates I would be in each country so they know where my card will be used.

Transferring some money to myself via Western Union before I left the Uk was a good idea too and worked well.

Well my Halifax Clarity Credit Card worked at  the BDO Bank near our hotel yesterday. I noticed that in the transaction process that was offered 3 options this time rather than just the two I remember from my failed attempts before. There was Savings, Credit like before but this time also Current which was the one I selected and bingo, success.

@Cherryann01

Well my Halifax Clarity Credit Card worked at  the BDO Bank

Surely that's an expensive way to withdraw money using a credit card at an ATM as you start paying interest on the cash immediately

Why not use your debit card?

Just a one off while awaiting funds to land in my RBS account

    Cherryann01 said. . . .I am currently in the Philippines and am having a similar problem using my Halifax Clarity Credit Card. Transactions at ATM machines have been declined and when I try to log into my mobile banking app on my iphone, a code comes up on screen with a message saying I will receive a phone call and must quote the code when answering. The phone number on my account is correct but i suspect that since they dont know I am in the Philippines, they will not known to use the international dialling code and i have no way to change the number. I did inform the bank of my travel plans before coming but they just said it would not be a problem and I am having no such issues with my RBS bank or debut card.I am lucky because I took about 47k in pesos, £200 and also transferred about 20k in pesos to myself via Western Union before I left the UK and like I said, my RBS debit card works fine.************************That's a problem using a credit card overseas, even when notifying your bank of traveling plans. They're so afraid of fraud they make it difficult for their honest customers to use their cards. Also trying to get cash advances on a credit card overseas raises a lot of Red Flags.I had a similar problem some time ago, I have a duplicated credit card in my stepsons name mainly used for payments of prescriptions for my wife & myself. The card was lost and we placed a stop on the card which also stopped mine. I had new cards sent to my re-mailer and FedEx'd them to the Philippines. When using the replacement cards for purchases they were denied. It took five telephone calls to the states. Each time after the call they told me that they had made the necessary notations and it's now ok to use the card.I have a number of credit cards, some I can use and some get rejected for payments (Philippines) and I would never use them for cash advancements. The rejected cards are now only used for auto payments originating in the states, in order to keep the cards active so they're not cancelled from  the lack of activity.SoCherryann01, you should use RBS debit card to withdraw cash as needed.               -@Enzyte Bob

Hey Bob, slightly different issue here. I did have a WISE account set up as an alternative in case my principal method of cash withdrawal and payment from the US were ever endangered. Right now, my principal method in handling my USA money transfers to the Philippines involves a very old long-standing account with my US credit union and Remitly. But WISE looked like a good alternative, offering a checking account with all the national and international numbers plus a debit card and excellent rates. It seemed to be really good for travelers. Certainly, WISE's own business model must assume that much pf their clientele is US or other western expats living in foreign countries like the Philippines. Occasionally, I had been keeping the account active by transferring small amounts into it and then using the debit card to withdraw. Everything worked very well, UNTIL..a few weeks ago, WISE decided to make a change to my debit card and without even asking, they simply sent a new debit card to my USA address on file, canceling my old card while, all the while, I had been planning to renew that card amongst several others during my next trip to the States when the card was set to expire. Here, they arbitrarily cancelled my current card and said I must now (as of June) use the new card. The only problem is, I will not have physical possession of it; they "moved up" the expiration date by 6-7 months and I was not prepared for that. Now, my daughter has received the card at my USA address and if I wanted to, I could pay her $100,00 to DHL the card over to me but I refuse to put her through the inconvenience and me the extra payment just because WISE made some misguided decision (OMO) to renew my card 7 months early. So, I contacted WISE and asked them to send the new  card to my Philippines address and, somehow, I was not surprised that they will not send it to an expats *foreign* address even though the expat obviously lives there much of the year. So, what about their business model assuming an expat overseas customer base? They insist we must play by their policy. If I don't go through the trouble and expense of having my rep in the USA send the card to me here by DHL, I just don't have a WISE debit card. And I Won't have a WISE debit card at least until 2025 and also: They will not guarantee they will activate it when I return there after 7 months. So...that's their policy, I have several different options to have a debit card from the USA or even here with a BDO account which I will be setting up using it in conjunction  with remitly (or I could use zoom or western union etc.). I am no longer too impressed with WISE, a company by whom you never know when they will arbitrarily change your debit card's expiration date for non-fraud reasons, and you don't know if or when they will do it again 6 months from now for that matter. They assume you live in the USA and I suppose take short vacations overseas lol. If that is the case, then they are useless as a debit card alternative for me. Also, I assume they have done this or are doing this with many other expat accounts other than myself; this was not done for fraud deterrence. I will try to activate my card when I visit the US next year but will not consider it a big loss if they refuse to activate because it took me too long to physically access the card.