For you who travel a lot abroad, it would be very important to have an account in Wells Fargo, being one of the cool ways to escape the IOF and save on your travels, having a checking account in dollars, would make your life much easier and you would still have significant savings with exchange rates.
If you are thinking about opening an account at Wells Fargo, read this article and get your questions answered.
But what is Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo was founded in 1852 by Henry Wells and William Fargo to serve American customers. The new company offered banking services (buying and selling gold, selling bank drafts on paper as good as gold), and express (fast delivery of gold and or any other valuable thing).
It is a bank that is often sought after by Brazilians, who are in the United States because of the possibility to open a checking account even if you are a tourist.
Wells Fargo’s shares are growing every day, giving more security to its clients.
For tourists and foreigners who do not have Social Security (equivalent to our CPF) the bank has an option called Wells Fargo Opportunity.
WHY OPEN AN ACCOUNT AT WELLS FARGO?
If you plan to spend a good amount of time in the United States, it is natural that you will want to open a dollar account.
To make it easier to handle your money, you won’t need to carry around so many bills and you will be able to make purchases without the fees of an international card.
If you are traveling, you can send money little by little, taking advantage of the low dollar exchange rate.
And when you travel to countries other than the United States, the bank does the automatic currency conversion.
Their spread is much better than changing money at a currency exchange office. Therefore, it is much better to use debit than to convert money.
If you want to start a business in the USA, it is very important to have a bank account in an American bank.
Is Wells Fargo a good bank to open an account with in the United States?
Wells Fargo is a bank with an excellent reputation in the USA. And you can get help at several branches around the country.
At Wells Fargo customers are valued. The service is fast and optimized so that the customer does not waste a lot of time waiting to be attended to, and his or her wishes are fulfilled in a short period of time.
If you have a good relationship with the bank, you can get good deals on rates and products.
Is it possible to open a Wells Fargo checking account in Brazil?
Since there are no branches in Brazil yet, you can only open your account directly at a branch in the United States.
Thus, you can open your account as a tourist.
REQUIREMENTS FOR OPENING AN ACCOUNT AT WELLS FARGO
You need to know the requirements and fees for opening a checking account at Wells Fargo.
There are different types of accounts that also have different conditions of use. In the case of tourists, the most suitable account is the Everyday Checking¹ account.
HOW TO OPEN YOUR ACCOUNT AT WELLS FARGO BRANCH IN THE USA
- You must have a photo ID (preferably your passport);
- You must pay a minimum initial deposit of $25, which must be paid in person (in order to confirm the identity of the account holder)
- Be between 17 and 25 years old
- Have a proof of residence, it can be from Brazil. But it must be a utility bill such as electricity, water or gas.
The final debit card will arrive at your address in Brazil within 8 days.
FEES CHARGED BY WELLS FARGO
First you have to deposit a minimum of $25 in order to open your account.
You will also be charged other fees according to the type of service you want:
- ATM withdrawal from Wells Fargo is Free;
- Non-Wells Fargo ATM withdrawal within the U.S. is $2.50 per withdrawal;
- Non-Wells Fargo ATM withdrawal outside the U.S. is $5 per withdrawal;
- Domestic wire transfer receipt (within the US) costs $15;
- International wire transfer receipt costs $16;
- Domestic wire transfer receipt costs US$30;
- Use of international debit card 3% of the purchase amount;
MAINTENANCE FEES FOR YOUR WELLS FARGO ACCOUNT
Usually you will be charged a monthly fee of $10 to maintain this account, although in some cases this may not be the case:
- if you use the debit card 10 times or if you have a balance of at least $2,000.
- Have so-called direct deposit totaling $500 or more, which is when you receive wages in the account;
- Keep $1500 in the account; or have a campus connection in the case of students.
ADVANTAGES OF BEING A WELLS FARGO CLIENT
After opening your Wells Fargo account you will have access to Internet Banking and you can use a Platinum Debit Card (It is a debit card) to be able to make your purchases.
The application is also very easy to use and contains all of your Wells Fargo account information. They recommend that you always log in and check your account.
Another very good advantage is the deposit of money in the ATMs. We also have this in Brazil, but in the USA you have much more security in carrying the money to deposit in an ATM.
The account will stay open forever as long as you keep the balance positive.
Having an account at Wells Fargo may be a solution for those who travel a lot to the United States, and for those who can afford to leave at least US$2,000 in the account to keep the account in good standing and not have to pay the US$10 maintenance fee.
Having an account in the United States can open some doors for those who are interested in investing, living, studying, or entrepreneurship in the country.
Wells Fargo serves you very well and you don’t need to leave a lot of money in the account to avoid fees, compared to other banks.
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