With a slogan like “easy your life”, I’d like to have some feedback from knowledgeable Forumosans before I give them too much access into my finances…
It would be convenient to be able to make small payments for things like online auctions, online stores and suchlike in Taiwan using my Post Office account money, though. The “easyatm” thing seems to be some sort of arrangement where you get a physical card reader and attach it to your computer, and it reads your ATM card just like a physical bank ATM. (Only thing is, I don’t think cash comes out of your CD-ROM drive.)
With a slogan like “easy your life”, I’d like to have some feedback from knowledgeable Forumosans before I give them too much access into my finances…
It would be convenient to be able to make small payments for things like online auctions, online stores and suchlike in Taiwan using my Post Office account money, though. The “easyatm” thing seems to be some sort of arrangement where you get a physical card reader and attach it to your computer, and it reads your ATM card just like a physical bank ATM. (Only thing is, I don’t think cash comes out of your CD-ROM drive.)
Anybody know more about this??[/quote]
Just looks like the million other services where you buy a generic card reader for $300 to buy stuff online… err, kind of like how I use my credit card but with no machine required. Never saw the point really.
Well, since I am not in Taiwan, but I earn money in NT dollars which goes into my Post Office account, and since I would like to be able to buy things online in NT now and then (books, CDs, DVDs, the odd household electronics, and so on), it might be useful to me from time to time. Of course the ultimate use would be to find a way to get the money out and into US dollars, but I doubt this is the solution.
(Bear with me once more as I comment how irritating it is to earn money legally, pay tax on it, and be unable to get it out conveniently. My employer will not pay in dollars, using PayPal, MoneyBookers, or anything else.
[quote=“ironlady”]Well, since I am not in Taiwan, but I earn money in NT dollars which goes into my Post Office account, and since I would like to be able to buy things online in NT now and then (books, CDs, DVDs, the odd household electronics, and so on), it might be useful to me from time to time. Of course the ultimate use would be to find a way to get the money out and into US dollars, but I doubt this is the solution.
(Bear with me once more as I comment how irritating it is to earn money legally, pay tax on it, and be unable to get it out conveniently. My employer will not pay in dollars, using PayPal, MoneyBookers, or anything else. [/quote]
Can’t you do online transfers from your Taiwanese account to your US account???
Nope. Taiwan Post Office account is in NT dollars…AFAIK they won’t let me do this, although I’ll check in more detail next time I’m over there. The fact that I do not hold an ARC at present seems to bother them, although generally I just say “I’ll bring it by the next time I’m in, okay?”, which has worked for 2 years now.
Taiwanese ATM cards are supposed to work in most Western countries (at any ATM machine that is connected to the Cirrus network). So can’t you use your ATM card in whatever country you are in now?
But it wouldn’t be free. The fee to make a withdraw would depend on which bank the ATM machine is connected to. For example, in the US, most banks charge 75¢ (about 25 NT) for each withdraw that is from a different bank, and it’s the same fee whether you withdraw money from a domestic bank or an international bank.
Well Ironlady doesnt need to withdraw money (from what i read?) but wants to buy things online with the ATM card but the taiwan account isn’t backed by MC or Visa so can’t be used like a CC.
My dad has a card reader deal like this and its good for account transfers and other things.
I’d like to be able to withdraw money in US dollars, but I’d settle for improved capabilities, as being at least some progress. Buying books and other things would at least be nice.
There are quite a few sites like Yahoo auctions, airlines etc. that let you pay by ATM card if you have a generic USB card reader hooked up (a few hundred NT$ from most computer stores in Taiwan). Most of the services are backed somehow by one of the major Taiwan banks. Getting hold of a generic reader would only be as troublesome as the EasyATM reader. The only extra feature I can gather that EasyATM gives you is to transfer money like using a regular ATM. If you just want to buy stuff on sites that already accept ATM cards I would just buy a generic reader and bypass these guys altogether.
