Menu
Expat.com

Trying to Run a virtual Practice

Post new topic

deborahbryon

I am a psychologist moving to portugal and I need to find a way to charge US credit cards for payment of my services. I have the credit cards and charge customers after each session. Do you know any company (like Square but Square doesn't do it)?


Also does anyone know anyone in Maderia that can help me get set up?

SimCityAT

I am a psychologist moving to portugal and I need to find a way to charge US credit cards for payment of my services. I have the credit cards and charge customers after each session. Do you know any company (like Square but Square doesn't do it)?
Also does anyone know anyone in Maderia that can help me get set up? - @deborahbryon

Wouldn't it be better to have a business account from a Portuguese bank, that uses the the Euro instead of Dollars?

deborahbryon

@SimCityAT

Thanks for your response. All my clients are in the US so pay with dollars. The currency is less an issue I just need to find a company (like Square in the US) that I can charge creditcard payments through.

JohnnyPT

@deborahbryon,


Square is a credit card that uses the American Express international payment system (IPS).


In Portugal, the most widely used IPS are Visa and Mastercard. American Express is the least used by consumers and card acquiring companies. All IPS charge high fees to consumers for using international cards and for currency conversion.


It seems to me that the most advantageous way for you is to open an account with Wise. You can then activate the multi-currency account and manage your balance in over 40 currencies. Your customers transfer in dollars to your Wise account, the conversion (within Wise) is very favourable and competitive from dollars to euros. And then you can use your Wise debit card on the ATM Portuguese Multibanco network (or doing this by using App Wise) to transfer euros to your Portuguese bank account (in euros) free of charge and without any commissions. Wise debit card can also be used on the multibanco network, but it probably has fees associated with it, so I don't recommend it. You should use a portuguese debit card on the multibanco network to avoid any fees.


https://wise.com/

Fred

Surely the OP's best bet us just to use her US bank.

JohnnyPT

Surely the OP's best bet us just to use her US bank. - @Fred


Why surely? Banks' conversion rates & IPS's fees and conversion are much higher than at Wise. There are solutions for everything, it's just a question of what you're willing to pay...

Articles to help you in your expat project in Portugal

  • Banking in Portugal
    Banking in Portugal

    Expats moving to Portugal may wish to open a bank account in their new country of residence. Having a local ...

  • Dating in Portugal
    Dating in Portugal

    If it's true that dating in general can be tricky and present its challenges, even more so when we talk about ...

  • Phones and Internet in Portugal
    Phones and Internet in Portugal

    Whether or not you are a tech-savvy person, this is still quite an important part of everyday life – and it ...

  • The Portuguese lifestyle
    The Portuguese lifestyle

    Moving to a new country means you will be discovering a new culture and exploring different habits, as well as a ...

  • Work visas in Portugal
    Work visas in Portugal

    Portugal can be a great place to live in. This Southern European country is known for its great weather, ...

  • Renting options in Porto
    Renting options in Porto

    Over the past few years, rent prices in Porto have been soaring. As the city's popularity grows among ...

  • Student life in Lisbon
    Student life in Lisbon

    So, you have found the perfect university in Lisbon and got accepted. Congratulations! It's time to start ...

  • Weekdays vs Weekends in Lisbon
    Weekdays vs Weekends in Lisbon

    So you've taken the leap, left the comfort of the familiar and decided to relocate to one of Europe's most ...

All of Portugal's guide articles