How to setup a US bank account?

**Tom Morrow** · 22-06-2009, 10:22 AM

Hi we'd like to setup a US bank account to hedge against the pound and dollar exchange rate, pay certain bills and save for future holidays.

I imagine in this day and age it's really difficult but perhaps Im wrong. Has any uker tried this? do you have to have a US address? do you have to pay a subscription? what ID do you need?

thanks

**uscwest** · 22-06-2009, 11:47 AM

I know that Slowhand has one, but he does have a US address also.

**Disfan** · 23-06-2009, 09:20 AM

hmmmm I'd be interested in knowing this too but only if it can be done without a US address

anyone know?

**simonwebb74** · 23-06-2009, 09:25 AM

This is the only one I know about.

International Banking Services - Citibank

There may be others but I am an existing customer and was sent an email about the dollar accounts

**Lisa1976** · 23-06-2009, 09:52 AM

I have a US bank account with Sun Trust. Hubby and I opened a joint account with them when we were there in January. All we needed was our passports and driving licences as proof of identity. Its a free checking account and can be accessed online too. We both got a visa card. I do however think it has to be opened in person, not entirely sure on that point.

**Tom Morrow** · 23-06-2009, 10:07 AM

thanks everyone and thanks Lisa! Lisa, was it ok that you had a UK address or have you got a US one that you could use?

Is there a suntrust close to disney?

**uscwest** · 23-06-2009, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Tom Morrow

thanks everyone and thanks Lisa! Lisa, was it ok that you had a UK address or have you got a US one that you could use?

Is there a suntrust close to disney?

There is a Sun Trust located across the street from DTD.

**Lisa1976** · 23-06-2009, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Morrow

thanks everyone and thanks Lisa! Lisa, was it ok that you had a UK address or have you got a US one that you could use?

Both of us signed up with a UK address. The staff at the bank were very helpful and friendly, it was very easy to open the account and we were given a pack to take away with us with our account number on. We got to choose our own pin numbers for our cards which was all done through a nifty little device in the bank and our cards were sent out within about a month.

We were originally going to use it for paying our DVC monies but since we have had to sell DVC we are just going to use it for our spending money when we are in Orlando as we can top up the account through Paypal easily at a minimal amount.

**disneymom** · 23-06-2009, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Lisa1976

we are just going to use it for our spending money when we are in Orlando as we can top up the account through Paypal easily at a minimal amount.

That's what I'd really like to do so that when we go it's all sorted

Do you know those atms they have and some are suntrust, if you use a suntrust card on a suntrust account at a suntrust ATM

do you still have to pay those ATM fees of $2.50 and so on?

**uscwest** · 23-06-2009, 01:36 PM

Sun Trust cards used at a Sun Trust ATM do not require a fee. Also depending on the type of account Sun Trust will allow you x number of transactions a month at other ATMS without a Sun Trust surcharge, though the other ATM may charge you.