What is the best way to send money to Peru? I've been using Moneygram, but would like to find a more efficient way to send money to my fiancee's family once she comes to the States with me. I was thinking of opening a savings account at Citibank (which exists in Peru as well as NY) and giving her family a debit card. Any advice would be appreciated!

Does your fiance have a bank account? If she does you can wire her the money from your bank account in the U.S.

From the U.S. to Guatemala it only costs $10.00 per transaction. The downside is that her bank will acredit the money on the local currency (according to their exchange rate)... but I imagine that if you open a bank account in dollars for her in Peru, then the money would be acredited in dollars too.

We have a local Mexican store that will wire it to their bank accounts for free.

Great question, I too use emoneygram. More out of convenience than anything else.

Banks generally charge a fee for wire transfers. The idea you have is a good one, just open the bank account and send them a card and tell them the pin later. I wish I would have done this when Isabel was in Peru, I just did Western Union and it was pricey. Good Luck!

I don't know if Peruvian banks are similar to Mexican banks, but so much money gets eaten up in charges whenever we deposit money into my mother-in-law's account. My US bank doesn't charge me like that.

We haven't done it yet, but we're going to try out the debit card thing. I talked to my bank and the employee said my husband can open a new account and add my mother-in-law as a secondary person as long she has a passport number. That way a debit card connected to our main checking and savings acct isn't roaming around Mexico but we can transfer money to the acct without charges.

We used to transfer money for a $10 fee.

My mom is a secondary user on my credit card and there is no problem with it, they didn't even ask for a passport number nor a SSN, i just gave them her name. I just pay whatever she charges on it.

I'd kinda rather avoid the whole credit card issue. Many places that she would use the card/money wouldn't take credit card anyway.