Chat Rooms & Pen Pals

[Member #1088]

Just for clarity I was referring to the Debit card issued by Wise, not the method off transfer to or topping up the account. The Wise Card can hold numerous currencies, is attached to the Wise account and has the same (minimal) charges etc. Far better than a regular Card when travelling.

3rd Party transfers are getting faster and faster. From my account to someone else's SEA account same day isn't unusual.

Cheers.

Is there a way to get a virtual sim that it can be connected to gcash?

[Goferring]

I send using Sendwave using my debit card. There is an option for ACH draft, but that takes days to process.

I will check out Wise and see if it fits my needs. I currently like Sendwave a lot. My only gripe is that it sends email / text to recipient to tell them the amount and a transaction code for pickup, but it is sometimes late and I have to give it to my wife myself.

Just for clarity I was referring to the Debit card issued by Wise, not the method off transfer to or topping up the account. The Wise Card can hold numerous currencies, is attached to the Wise account and has the same (minimal) charges etc. Far better than a regular Card when travelling.

3rd Party transfers are getting faster and faster. From my account to someone else's SEA account same day isn't unusual.

Cheers.

[Aml3740]

Do Sendwave allow you a Debit card or only to transfer? If not, maybe look at Wise. They offer cash transfer to yourself or others and you can request a Debit card that you can use at home or overseas for direct purchases or ATM withdrawals. Fees and FX rates are not zero but much less better than my bricks and mortar bank.

The card is super convenient when I'm travelling.

Enjoy. G.

I send using Sendwave using my debit card. There is an option for ACH draft, but that takes days to process.

I will check out Wise and see if it fits my needs. I currently like Sendwave a lot. My only gripe is that it sends email / text to recipient to tell them the amount and a transaction code for pickup, but it is sometimes late and I have to give it to my wife myself.

[Goferring]

I'm in the US most of the year, and my wife is in the Philippines for a couple of more years. This is what I use:

1) To send money, I use Sendwave most of the time.... I use it to send my wife cash and myself, too, if I'm there from my US bank account. I also send myself to my or anyone else's GCash for free. Xoom also does not charge to send to GCash.

Do Sendwave allow you a Debit card or only to transfer? If not, maybe look at Wise. They offer cash transfer to yourself or others and you can request a Debit card that you can use at home or overseas for direct purchases or ATM withdrawals. Fees and FX rates are not zero but much less better than my bricks and mortar bank.

The card is super convenient when I'm travelling.

Enjoy. G.

[Aml3740]

I'm in the US most of the year, and my wife is in the Philippines for a couple of more years. This is what I use:

1) To send money, I use Sendwave most of the time. The exchange rate is higher than Remitly or Xoom and there is no transaction fee for any of it. I use it to send my wife cash and myself, too, if I'm there from my US bank account. I also send myself to my or anyone else's GCash for free. Xoom also does not charge to send to GCash.

2) Since my GCash is set up already, I can use it while home in US. I pay some bills for our home in the province, such as Wi-Fi, from here using GCash to save her time going to pay it in person and waiting in line. I can also use it to pay for gifts I order in Lazada so it isn't COD. I also have one girl I see when I am in Manila, and have used it to send to her while I'm there and from here to help her with a dentist bill I told her I would help with.

Obviously, sending money for pickup is not anonymous. GCash can be, as it marks out part of the name with asterisk, but not totally anonymous. Like everyone else, my advice is to really think before you send anything. If you're nice, that is a good thing. Many of these girls are dirt poor, but that is no reason to let them take advantage of you.

[Goferring]

Getting blocked usually means that there is more than 1 person sending money to this same persons account or you are sending money to more than 1 girl. To keep getting blocked to a minimum I would limit sending money to one remittance platform per girl.(this does not apply when sending BTC)

Coins. Ph allows you to pay bills outside the Philippines. Including NBI clearance and government offices, cable bills, electric ect. Just about everything.

While your methods are certainly valid, a couple of cautions for newbies.

1/. Any girl I know smart enough to be able to set up a BTC account and handle cross platform exchanges is also 100% smart enough to be sending the same requests to multiple guys, each one thinking he is the only one.

2/. Take the usual precautions to ensure the bill / debt is real (covered earlier).

3/. I have NEVER had a girl refuse to see me because I didn't pay her power bill while I was away.

Anyone who has found a girl worthy of supporting awhile still at home, more power to you. However, I'll stick to being generous while I'm in town and leave it at that.

Enjoy. G.

[Locamotive]

Two items here:

1) Blocking. I got blocked by all of them eventually (for not complying with their requests for me to send pics of my ID, then later pics of myself with the intended recipient). As a last straw, I decided to send such documents to one of those remit companies mentioned. They re-instated my account. About every 18 months they suddenly stop this or that simple p1000 send for no apparent reason. They call me on the phone to ask some security questions, then allow the transfer. No problems for another 18 or so months.

2) Paying a girl's bills. Good news. As you never know if a girl is telling the truth about why she's requesting money. Many of the utilities (water and electric) now accept electronic payment (especially GCash). Anyone with GC can make a payment to these companies. If a girl tells me that she needs p1500 for electric cut off, I have her send me a pic of the recent electric bill. All the data needed to pay the bill by GC are on the bill: Account number, Account owner's name, amount due. You can open GC (or possibly Paymaya or other), click on PAY BILLS, choose from a long list of Phils utilities (the girl's electric company), enter the account number, owner's name, and amount due, and pay the bill (or any portion you want) immediately via GC. You will get a GC confirmation with reference number, which you can screen capture and send to your girl.

If you are outside of Phils, this obviously doesn't work. You could send the money to a more trusted person's GC in Phils, and ask them to pay the girl's utility thru GC. That would get you a screen capture of the actual payment via the trusted person.

Yeah wish we had GCash here. When in Phil that's a piece of cake. Yes I've done the bill paying that way but sometimes they just need 50 bucks for some food. Medical scams was another one I stopped long ago as I know two Dr. As they lived in my building. Them or kid or mom or dad sick, ok that fine here is Dr. Card go see him and Ill drop him a text, I can pay him online with a credit card. One or two were really sick but most of them funny how they started feeling better.

[Locamotive]

If you are being blocked your best option is Bitcoin to Coins. Ph:

BTC-Bitcoin, use any bitcoin broker to buy bitcoin and then transfer this bitcoin to coins. Ph to convert it into pesos. Their is no way anyone can stop you from doing this.

So you buy your main store of currency in BTC and then you can dole it out to your girls coins. Ph accounts. One caveat is that depending on your BTC broker your conversion cost could be as much as 10-20%.

You can leave it up to them to sort out how to transfer the BTC to PHP as you are doing your part by sending them the money.

If you are unfamiliar with BTC this is how this works:

You buy BTC with a debt card (instant) or bank transfer (3-5 days) and this goes into "YOUR" BTC wallet (their are other coins but for your purposes you only want to deal with BTC).

Your girls sign up for Coins. Ph and get a Coins. Ph BTC wallet.

You then send money from your wallet to the girls wallet at which time your girl will receive the money in about 30 min to an hour? She will then convert the BTC to PHP within the coins. Ph app and then proceed to cash out, cash out options are plentiful they include Cebuana Lhuillier, for physical pick ups and all of the digital wallets for convince as well as just about everything else.

By far the easiest would be a service like remitly / wise and you do lose some money in the conversation to BTC but NO one can stop you using this method even if they wanted to as many girls as you see fit.

FYI: BTC can be volatile and storing BTC can lead to massive losses or a rapid appreciation in your funds just depending on when you purchase the bitcoin. Just keep this in mind. I would recommend sending the BTC as soon as you get it to avoid any implied volatility.

Thanks for the info. It should not be this difficult to get money to the poor. I thought we were a country that just loves to stick our nose into other countries business a send them tons of money (Ukraine good example) I guess it must involve the military industrial complex, it was never really about the people, the hell with them. Even Western union lady said its just stupid as many like me get blocked except for south of the boarder countries. They come in all the time to send money to Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras. Just meet you a girl from down there you'll never be blocked. This country is fucked as everything now involves politics.

[WestCoast1]

Getting blocked usually means that there is more than 1 person sending money to this same persons account or you are sending money to more than 1 girl. To keep getting blocked to a minimum I would limit sending money to one remittance platform per girl.(this does not apply when sending BTC)

Coins. Ph allows you to pay bills outside the Philippines. Including NBI clearance and government offices, cable bills, electric ect. Just about everything.

Excellent intel. Go team MM.

[Member #4794]

...I got blocked by all of them eventually...

...If you are outside of Phils, this obviously doesn't work. You could send the money to a more trusted person's GC in Phils, and ask them to pay the girl's utility thru GC. That would get you a screen capture of the actual payment via the trusted person....

Getting blocked usually means that there is more than 1 person sending money to this same persons account or you are sending money to more than 1 girl. To keep getting blocked to a minimum I would limit sending money to one remittance platform per girl.(this does not apply when sending BTC)

Coins. Ph allows you to pay bills outside the Philippines. Including NBI clearance and government offices, cable bills, electric ect. Just about everything.

[Member #4794]

Anyone have a tip how I can get around being blocked or another way to do this would be appreciated, I'm out of ideas.

If you are being blocked your best option is Bitcoin to Coins. Ph:

BTC-Bitcoin, use any bitcoin broker to buy bitcoin and then transfer this bitcoin to coins. Ph to convert it into pesos. Their is no way anyone can stop you from doing this.

So you buy your main store of currency in BTC and then you can dole it out to your girls coins. Ph accounts. One caveat is that depending on your BTC broker your conversion cost could be as much as 10-20%.

You can leave it up to them to sort out how to transfer the BTC to PHP as you are doing your part by sending them the money.

If you are unfamiliar with BTC this is how this works:

You buy BTC with a debt card (instant) or bank transfer (3-5 days) and this goes into "YOUR" BTC wallet (their are other coins but for your purposes you only want to deal with BTC).

BTCWALLET1: 23 efsdfsdfskidfj3423 edsfsdsdfsdfsfd.

Your girls sign up for Coins. Ph and get a Coins. Ph BTC wallet.

COINSBTCWALLET1: 3453534523 ewdfsrfwefsda34 rdsfsdf.

You then send money from your wallet to the girls wallet at which time your girl will receive the money in about 30 min to an hour? She will then convert the BTC to PHP within the coins. Ph app and then proceed to cash out, cash out options are plentiful they include Cebuana Lhuillier, for physical pick ups and all of the digital wallets for convince as well as just about everything else.

By far the easiest would be a service like remitly / wise and you do lose some money in the conversation to BTC but NO one can stop you using this method even if they wanted to as many girls as you see fit.

FYI: BTC can be volatile and storing BTC can lead to massive losses or a rapid appreciation in your funds just depending on when you purchase the bitcoin. Just keep this in mind. I would recommend sending the BTC as soon as you get it to avoid any implied volatility.

[WestCoast1]

Since you guys are discussing transfers maybe someone can give me a solution. Over 15 years have I sent various girls money. Did I get suckered a few times, I'm sure I did. I learned my lesson for the most part but I still have two or three I know I like to help with food, power or rent. It seems on the money services there must be some kind of data base. Western Union has limited me to 3 transfers per month in their stores, online no and Remity, RIA, Moneygram, Wise and a couple others have blocked me completely. I'm guessing there must be a data base as if I sign up for a new one, which there are several more it blocks me immediately. I've even changed emails a few times but somehow they got wise to that. A couple girls do have bank accounts so I can do a bank to bank wire but at $25 per wire that gets pricy. I'm sending from US so I know we are probably getting sticky on sending money out of country unless its to Latin America countries then you can send all you want.

Anyone have a tip how I can get around being blocked or another way to do this would be appreciated, I'm out of ideas.

Two items here:

1) Blocking. I got blocked by all of them eventually (for not complying with their requests for me to send pics of my ID, then later pics of myself with the intended recipient). As a last straw, I decided to send such documents to one of those remit companies mentioned. They re-instated my account. About every 18 months they suddenly stop this or that simple p1000 send for no apparent reason. They call me on the phone to ask some security questions, then allow the transfer. No problems for another 18 or so months.

2) Paying a girl's bills. Good news. As you never know if a girl is telling the truth about why she's requesting money. Many of the utilities (water and electric) now accept electronic payment (especially GCash). Anyone with GC can make a payment to these companies. If a girl tells me that she needs p1500 for electric cut off, I have her send me a pic of the recent electric bill. All the data needed to pay the bill by GC are on the bill: Account number, Account owner's name, amount due. You can open GC (or possibly Paymaya or other), click on PAY BILLS, choose from a long list of Phils utilities (the girl's electric company), enter the account number, owner's name, and amount due, and pay the bill (or any portion you want) immediately via GC. You will get a GC confirmation with reference number, which you can screen capture and send to your girl.

If you are outside of Phils, this obviously doesn't work. You could send the money to a more trusted person's GC in Phils, and ask them to pay the girl's utility thru GC. That would get you a screen capture of the actual payment via the trusted person.

[ThomasCasey]

Amazing resource. I started Remitly but if I use it will use it for PayMaya. Thanks for the insight. Much appreciated!

Valid Anon options:

Remitly to payMaya.

Wise to payMaya.

Coins. Ph to Gcash / payMaya.

Bitcoin to Coins. Ph.

Business paypal to paypal.

I need to post a retraction for Remitly and Wise to Gcash it may or may not send your name along with the money, I have confirmed that it both does not and does send the name of the sender.

I don't know why it is not consistent however, Paymaya does not show the senders name for now. I have updated this list to reflect the valid anon payment methods.

I learned that in some rare cases GCash will actually show the person name that sent the money but it is intermittent. I just did a few transfers and paymaya still does not show the senders name and coin. Ph to Gcash does not. Why I am sending the money is "secret" however it is NOT to bar girls LOL!

One way to send money to someone in phils is to find a girl you trust to receive the money and then distribute it and break her off a tip. I sometimes do this if I want to make sure I am not identifiable. Bar girls will sometimes use their friends paypal / bank account to receive money in order to accomplish this as well. They will use the excuse that they don't have ID.

[Locamotive]

Since you guys are discussing transfers maybe someone can give me a solution. Over 15 years have I sent various girls money. Did I get suckered a few times, I'm sure I did. I learned my lesson for the most part but I still have two or three I know I like to help with food, power or rent. It seems on the money services there must be some kind of data base. Western Union has limited me to 3 transfers per month in their stores, online no and Remity, RIA, Moneygram, Wise and a couple others have blocked me completely. I'm guessing there must be a data base as if I sign up for a new one, which there are several more it blocks me immediately. I've even changed emails a few times but somehow they got wise to that. A couple girls do have bank accounts so I can do a bank to bank wire but at $25 per wire that gets pricy. I'm sending from US so I know we are probably getting sticky on sending money out of country unless its to Latin America countries then you can send all you want.

Anyone have a tip how I can get around being blocked or another way to do this would be appreciated, I'm out of ideas.

[Member #4794]

Valid Anon options:

Remitly to payMaya.

Wise to payMaya.

Coins. Ph to Gcash / payMaya.

Bitcoin to Coins. Ph.

Business paypal to paypal.

I need to post a retraction for Remitly and Wise to Gcash it may or may not send your name along with the money, I have confirmed that it both does not and does send the name of the sender.

I don't know why it is not consistent however, Paymaya does not show the senders name for now. I have updated this list to reflect the valid anon payment methods.

I learned that in some rare cases GCash will actually show the person name that sent the money but it is intermittent. I just did a few transfers and paymaya still does not show the senders name and coin. Ph to Gcash does not. Why I am sending the money is "secret" however it is NOT to bar girls LOL!

One way to send money to someone in phils is to find a girl you trust to receive the money and then distribute it and break her off a tip. I sometimes do this if I want to make sure I am not identifiable. Bar girls will sometimes use their friends paypal / bank account to receive money in order to accomplish this as well. They will use the excuse that they don't have ID.