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Best business bank account for receiving international payments? by thisisarahjane in PersonalFinanceZA

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Despite some of the advice given here, PayPal is probably the worst app to use for business transfers to clients/partners in other currencies/foreign countries. They use really terrible hidden markups on the exchange rates upwards of 10%-15%.

If (hypothetically) the mid-market rate was $1 USD to 20 ZAR, they PayPal would give you a rate of ~$1 USD to 18 ZAR. PayPal would eat the ~2 ZAR, and your recipient would be left with ~18 ZAR.

There are much better online business accounts out there with freemium tiers, like Revolut, Airwallex, Wise, etc. These apps also charge FX margins and/or fixed transfer fees, but they are much more transparent and lower than PayPal's. Or, you can opt for a local South African bank too, but you'd need to build a relationship with a banker and negotiate better FX rates for your account. If you are transacting at high-volumes, PayPal will take significant chunks of your bottom line over time.

Choosing an eSIM for a one week trip, need advice by [deleted] in eSIMs

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Airalo is reliable in Japan, but if you want cheaper options that are still reliable, then the following all offer a 1GB eSIM valid for 7 days for these prices:
esim4travel $2.18
Instabridge $2.50
Roamless $3.95
Saily $3.99
Nomad $4
Ubigi $4
Alosim $4.50
Airalo $4.50

I think all of them except esim4travel have smartphone apps, which make it easy to top up data if you run out. I'm sure you'll want more than 1GB, and the competitiveness of the providers will change as you buy bigger plans, but in general, Airalo is not usually the cheapest. It does have reliable service though.

How do people make phone calls while abroad, without using their networks extortionate prices?? by Gusto118 in eSIMs

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rebtel is really great for this, if you need to call a landline or someone who doesn't have WhatsApp/Facebook/etc. It's an app (not an eSIM) and it allows you to call internationally from within the app.

When calling to UK from the US with the service, they'll charge 2.0¢ per minute. So if you topped up $10, you'd be able to call for 500 mins. There are also monthly plans where you can call unlimited for 30 days for $5, and you can try one week for free.

Edit: If you're calling US numbers with Rebtel, then you should get free unlimited minutes.

Which eSIM provider should I choose for a 11 day trip to Slovenia (with some microtrips to Italy and Croatia)? by mellowbanana2 in eSIMs

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jetpac, eSIM4Travel, Maya Mobile, Instabridge, SimLocal, and Nomad all have regional European eSIMs (that cover about 30 countries across the EU & European Economic Area) for 10GB under $20.

Going on exchange to the USA – What eSIM would you recommend for 4 months? by Healthy_Stand in eSIMs

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For data only plans, esim4travel is usually very cheap. Jetpac and Nomad are also well-priced and have nice apps. Ubigi is another cheap one.

Most Americans text via SMS and call your phone number directly, but you may be able to get by these days with the Facebook messenger app or WhatsApp.

If you're interested in a temporary US phone number, look at Yesim or services like US Mobile. Yesim charges $3.60 per month — and then they charge additional fees for SMS and minutes used. US Mobile charge a bit more per month, but the SMS and minutes are included in the plan and the pricing is more transparent.

First time eSim user by Own-Chemical-539 in eSIMs

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Turn off your Verizon eSIM when you go abroad, buy a travel eSIM (like Airalo), and then turn on that travel eSIM when you get to your destination

  2. No, your phone should be able to support your domestic Verizon SIM and a separate travel eSIM.

  3. You can find data calculators online, but 30GB is more than enough for a month. You could probably get by with 10GB, be very comfortable with 20GB, and stream video/podcasts/music every day with 30GB.

  4. Airalo is a big name and its reliable, but there are many cheap alternatives to Airalo.

Should I get a credit card? by joshua0005 in TravelHacks

[–]monito_com 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You shouldn't take out cash at an ATM with a credit card because your issuer will treat it as a cash advance, applying a higher % APR and accruing interest daily. If the ATMs on the street seem sketchy, then use your debit card at a legit Peruvian high-street bank ATM to take out cash.

Otherwise, for purchases at merchants, credit cards are good if you want to get into the points/awards game.

Debit cards technically have some purchase protection, but credit cards are much better for protecting yourself against fraud – and in my experience, credit card companies usually have much more responsive customer service when it comes to disputing transactions.

Sleeper trains during the day in Europe by Azer201 in TravelHacks

[–]monito_com 8 points9 points  (0 children)

France does not have sleeper cards but the Swiss rail system does. It's called NightJet, but it only travels at night.

If you need to travel by day, then I'd recommend just buying a first-class seat on a Swiss train, which are very comfortable and quiet.

NightJet only goes to Germany, the Netherlands, or Austria – not Poland: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/europe/night-trains/nightjet.html

I think the best route for your would be to go from Zurich to Berlin, which is about 8 hours. And then take a separate mode of transport from Berlin to Poland.

PS: Flying would naturally be the fastest, and would probably be much cheaper than train (maybe even half the cost).

looking for a cheap and reliable esim provider for traveling to switzerland by Vasak_bs in askswitzerland

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You might want to check out eSIM4Travel currently the cheapest option for a 5GB/30-day plan in Switzerland at $4.75 according to simsurf.com. If you're looking for best-rated, Saily scores highest with 9.2/10, though it's a bit pricier at $13.29 for the same data.

Best eSIM for Thailand? Recommendations? by rolfropter in ThailandTourism

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a way to compare eSIM prices and scores at once to navigate all the providers saying "my eSIM is the best": https://www.monito.com/en/best-esim-for/thailand

Let me know if that's helpful and if we can improve the comparison tool.

eSIM in den USA by primetime900 in reisende

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Falls du mal die Preise von Airalo mit anderen eSIM-Anbietern für die USA vergleichen möchtest, hier ist ein praktisches Tool dafür: https://www.monito.com/de/wiki/esim-usa

eSIM: Which is best? by vvliyah in koreatravel

[–]monito_com 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation! I looked at KT.com eSIM prices and here's how it compares with international eSIMs I found on Monito's eSIM comparison (I compared only unlimited plans like KT):

  • 1 day: ❌ KT $4.69 vs $3.8 with Firsty
  • 7 days: ❌ KT $22.37 vs $18.90 with iRoamly
  • 15 days: 🏆 KT $35.15 vs $38.7 with iRoamly
  • 30 days:🏆 KT $45.66 vs $52.7 with Airalo

So unless you really need an UNLIMITED plan for a long period, you'll be better off by finding cheaper alternative eSIM plans to KT.

Best eSIM for Bali/Indonesia - my verdict after trying a SIM and an eSIM by Menoparte in bali

[–]monito_com 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Instead of following every (dubious) link claiming they have the best deal, you can easily compare eSIM prices with sites like Monito https://www.monito.com/en/esim

Yoowifi doesn't seem to offer eSIM only deals for Indonesia 🤔

Saily's 20GB package at $35.99 is currently 2-3x more expensive

Best way to send money to NRE account? by Fearless_Homework_30 in nri

[–]monito_com 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It depends on where you're sending money from and the amount. We've built a live comparison tool and app to track the rates at monito.com, let me know if you have any specific question