How to pay additional trophy fees?

Jasper99

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Going on my first safari in April, paid for up front. If you decide to take an additional animal can you pay the trophy fee by credit card or does it depend on the outfitter? Should tips be paid in Rand or US? Thanks!
 
These are questions you should ask your outfitter directly as they will vary from one to another. Generally speaking, I don't think any outfitters accept credit cards, if any do, it's few and far between.
 
It is all up to each Outfitter. Like Phil said, just ask.

There are actually quite a few that accept credit cards.
Paypal is another nice method.
Leeukop Safaris did and it sure helps at the end of the hunt to just pull out a card and get it done with right there.

Tips question. Most of the trackers are going to require assistance processing USD. Rand not so much.
But, I have never seen anyone refuse a USD or CAD tip for that matter. :)
 
I normally carry $5000 US extra in cash. For tips and extra trophies. If that's not enough the outfitter will usually let you wire transfer. Traveller checks are no longer excepted in RSA or Namibia
 
More and more are getting credit card machines to handle payment. I take good old us cash with me to pay what I need to at the end. Cash is king for sure and taken by all. I always ask up front if by chance I take more then planned can I wire the money when I get home. I work with the outfitter as this happens.
 
If you haven't already read the Tipping Advise on the forum here I would recommend it.

I plan on having enough Rand to take care of most of the tips that I will give out, other than that it will be in US dollars. If you don't want to deal with the ATM's in country then check with your bank. My bank requires 2 days notice and charges a $45.00 handling fee to convert US dollars to Rand before my trip.

As was mentioned check with your PH to see just what he requires for payment for additional animals. He may want cash or he may trust you to get home and then do a wire transfer for them. I plan on just shooting what I have on a list that I made up and having the extra cash with me to avoid any problems. I hope that I have the restraint to do as I have planned.

You might also want to check with the taxidermist or whoever you plan on taking care of your trophies and see what they accept. I believe that most accept CC but there may be exceptions.
 
Most (all?) outfitters are familiar with this problem, and many, initially to my surprise, will let you get home and then send the money. Having said that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they will not generally release your trophies until the bill is paid. And I assume that unless they know you well, there will be a limit to what you can run up "on credit".
 
These are questions you should ask your outfitter directly as they will vary from one to another. Generally speaking, I don't think any outfitters accept credit cards, if any do, it's few and far between.
On my hunts for this year both outfitters in SA take credit cards and one of them takes paypal. As Americans we are used to credit cards and I think outfitters who take them will in the end have hunters take more animals if they can charge them on a card, I know i will.
 
I took cash to pay for the extra animals and the part of the hunt that was not pre-paid. I also gave the outfitter/PH/Owner(all the same) cash USA dollars for the tips to the staff. He prefers that so that the staff will show up to work after my hunt is over. I did give my tracker some rand and a knife on the side as well as extra candy before we left. He was really great.
Our original hunt was for 9 animals and we came home with 15.
Our outfitter did not take credit cards.
 
I normally carry $5000 US extra in cash. For tips and extra trophies. If that's not enough the outfitter will usually let you wire transfer. Traveller checks are no longer excepted in RSA or Namibia
Is that accurate? AMEX travelers checks are no longer accepted in South Africa?
 
Is that accurate? AMEX travelers checks are no longer accepted in South Africa?

Yep, to much counterfeiting going on
 
I was told not to bring Amex travellers checks in US dollars last year. I think the still accept Euros, but don't qoute me on that. Things change pretty fast. On one trip I was told at the last minute no bank drafts, no travellers checks. I ended up with $15000 US on me. Now I wire transfer and take enough for tips and a couple extra animals.
 
I think if you have showed your trust in the outfitter and paid for your safari up front before you have even got there, then they will reciprocate this and trust you to wire money on your return home for extra animals. This was the case on my safari.
 
On my first safari, (plains game) my P.H. said he would simply bill me after I was home. This included dip and pack, etc. And by the way, this was an auction hunt he received no income from. Maybe I just have an honest face???? Of course I wired the funds immediately after billing.
 
I paid off my safari last year prior to going, with the exception of the trophy fee for the blue wildebeest that I really wanted to take. I was told by my booking agent that my outfitter would take traveler's checks, so I paid off most of my final bill (side trips, extra animal, tips and gratuties) with the traveler's checks. I did get some Rand prior to going; glad I did, as I didn't get a chance to convert at the airport as my booking agent suggested. Getting the Rand here in the states was a bit problematic and the cost was a bit high, IMHO.....but I did want some Rand and I had no other options.
Getting more and more difficult......told not to travel with large amounts of cash, yet most wont take travelers checks or credit cards.......what is a person to do? You either don't take the extra critters you would like or have time for, and it ends up being a lose/lose situation for both. Not really keen on paypal or other internet accounts, what with all the hacking & identity theft going on nowadays. After being a victim of identity theft, I am really leery of putting anything out there on the web.
On a side note, we went on a family vacation to California about 8 years ago......we got American express travelers checks from AAA (they no longer do this), and when we got to California we had a very difficult time cashing them.....very few people would take them because of counterfitting/fraud. THank goodness I took some extra cash and the credit cards weren't maxed out. Ironically, we saw a AAA office while we were having lunch and decided to have them cash a couple so we had some money, and.........you may have guessed it..........they REFUSED to cash the checks (stating fears of fraud), even though THEY WERE THE ISSUING AGENT AND WE WERE MEMBERS.
Guess who is no longer a member of AAA!!
 
The last hunt I was on said they would take a card for the amount above the deposit. When I was doing the end of the hunt payment. He asked how much I wanted to add for the tips to the people I was involved with.
I said I had brought cash to do that.
I would rather hand the people that I work with their tip in person. Some of the people are going to be native and I think they would rather get Rand for their tip they might not have a bank to chang it to rands. The trackers, skinners, house hold people etc! Some of them your tip might be more than their weekly/monthly salary. If you leave it with someone they might not get it.
From my last two safaris I know that the banks in SA will not take US dollars that have any marks on them. They should also be as crisp as possible but not as important. Our cash machines will put marks on bills to help count them.
I used the tip post for my numbers and I gave my skinner/driver/tracker this time more than I should have but he was great. I tipped my PH over 8% that was the best level. This time I only had two that I delt with the eight days I was there.
Tom
 
Amex charge crazy commissions on their credit card transactions, double that of visa and master card.

Also be sure to ask your outfitter that, if they do Accept credit cards if they add a commission to the total charge, some do 3 - 4% so ask just to avoid any surprises.

On checks, all checks even cashiers checks create a massive delay in funds being issues.

1.) our banks can not release funds on your banks behalf, so the check is mailed (in this day and age) to the U.S. or foreign based bank.
2.) your bank releases funds but it is wired to our bank in SA or Moz or Gibraltar or Isle of Man or which ever, our bank still does not release the funds until your bank mails the check back again. Only once it is re received will they release funds into the beneficiaries account.
This is about a 6 - 8 week process.

As many have said we love Mr. C. Ash, it's a non tax reflector and it helps with our travels abroad as well.
Most will accept PayPal and or wire transfers as well.
US based banks dont really issue travelers checks any more.

You have a couple of good options so it should not be a major concern.

My best always
 
.............
Also be sure to ask your outfitter that, if they do Accept credit cards if they add a commission to the total charge, some do 3 - 4% so ask just to avoid any surprises.
...........

The card company prohibits these fees being passed along here in Canada and if found out the retailer won't be allowed to accept CC in the near future.

But, it's a good heads up Jaco.
 
I was told not to bring Amex travellers checks in US dollars last year. I think the still accept Euros, but don't qoute me on that. Things change pretty fast. On one trip I was told at the last minute no bank drafts, no travellers checks. I ended up with $15000 US on me. Now I wire transfer and take enough for tips and a couple extra animals.
The problem with that much cash (apart from that much cash) is that you cannot cross any border without having to declare the money and fill out paperwork - $10,000 seems to be the common threshold. In fact, you cannot even leave the US with that much cash without declaring it to US Customs and Border Protection:

However, travelers leaving or entering the U.S. are required to report negotiable monetary instruments (i.e. currency or endorsed checks) valued at $10,000 or more on a "Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments" form FinCEN 105

(From CBP website)

Same thing entering and leaving (most?) other countries. And I, for one, don't like having to tell someone in an African airport that I am carrying massive amounts of cash.
 

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