There are three ways to make a payment for your trip to Bhutan. Each one may have their advantages and disadvantages. Note: All payments should be made in USD.
- Traditional Wire Transfer / Bank To Bank Transfer
- Using An Online Payment Gateway/ Payment By Credit Card
- Third Party Money Transfer Using www.wise.com
Bank To Bank Transfer:
Advantages: Low transfer fee. Disadvantages: Obsolete, Confusing and takes days for money to reach Bhutan.
This may involve visiting a bank, filling up a wire transfer form and getting it processed for transfers. Some banks have the facility of making money transfer through their website and making the payment online. Most of our guests transfer money through their bank’s website. If your bank has online money transfer facility, check if Bhutan National Bank is on their list of banks you can transfer money to. If Bhutan National Bank is on the list, you can wire the money straight to the bank without channeling the transfer through the correspondent bank (Bank of America or Standard Chartered Bank or any other bank listed on the list of correspondent banks).
If the only way to transfer the money is by visiting the Bank and filling up the wire transfer form, do note that there are two SWIFT codes. One of for the correspondent bank and one is for the bank in Bhutan. Many people get confused with the two SWIFT codes given on the bank details for making the transfer.
While making the wire transfer, the most important swift code that you need to mention is Bhutan National Bank’s SWIFT code which is BNBTBTBT. So, if there is only one space for one bank and one swift code – ignore the foreign bank (correspondent bank) and mention Bhutan National Bank and its SWIFT code. If you are making the transfer online and the bank give you the option to choose Bhutan National Bank in Bhutan, you do not have to channel the transfer though the Correspondent Bank.
Online Payment Gateway:
Advantages: Easy, Instant Deposit and can use a Credit Card. Disadvantages: High bank fee of 4-5% on the total amount to be deposited.
If this is the prefered option, we will create a payment request and you send you the link of the payment portal. On clicking the link, you will need to fill up your card details. The amount on the invoice will be higher by 5%. This 5% is topped up by the bank as service fees.
Third Party Transfer Option: www.wise.com
Advantages: Easy and Low Transfer Cost. Disadvantages: Currency conversion may be a concern.
Of late a lot of our guests have found this option to be the best way out. You will have to register on www.wise.com and make the transfer. Our bank ‘Bhutan National Bank’ is already on the platform, so the process of making the transfer is much simple. The disadvantage would be that you will first need to deposit the money into your Wise account using your card and then make the transfer to our bank account in Bhutan.