publish - 11:21 am on Mar 24, 2005 (gmt 0)

Actually, Barclays "Negotiation" has a £4 minimum charge (plus a small percentage), but only if the sum is over £50. Under £50 and it's free.

With a "Negotiation" the money appears in the account within a day or two, but can be taken back if the payment doesn't go through.

You can also do a "Collection" which I believe has a basic fee of £16 and a percentage. That takes weeks to appear in your account.

Exchange rate is competitive (certainly more competitive than getting USD through PayPal!)