Antje: Do what I do. Check today's exchange rate.
http://www.xe.com/ With this knowledge you go down to the liquor store or Post Office and buy a money order. It costs between 35¢ and 95¢ depending on where you go. Make sure they sell international money orders, otherwise go somewhere else. There's no extra charge for international money orders and that's what you need when Filip goes to cash it in at his bank or they'll charge him for it. Buy the money order and then mail it to Filip in the Czech Republic. Postage was 80¢ the last time I did this. I just checked, it appears rates have gone up. It is now 84¢
Airmail Letter Post 4 - 7 Days $0.84
http://ircalc.usps.gov/intl_speed.asp?CID=10086&MailType=envelope&Pounds=0&Ounces=1 There's a link on the rates page about what can be sent to the Czech Replubic.
Ask Filip for the mailing address. When you mail the money order include your account number and handle with it. And put some neat stamps on it for Filip. :)

I haven't tried the customer service route in the United States. Seems like Eriisa has been doing it for awhile, it works well, and the postage is less for domestic mail.
http://brainking.info/service.html Customer Service link

Walter Montego: Do you find that you get a good exchange rate at the liquor store or Post Office? My experience is otherwise, with UK Post Offices.

tonyh: The exchange rate for Euros at the moment is pretty good.

WatfordFC: I agree that the daily rate is good - but Post offices deduct their take from the rate - or charge you a commission. And Banks are worse. If the Euro is 1.44 to the £, then you can bet the banks will be giving you 1.38!!

tonyh: I am sorry but i have to disagree, i recently went abroad and got the full amount back, there was no commission, the rate was 1.41 and that was exactly what i got. That was from a small sub post office not a main post office.

WatfordFC: I will check tomorrow!!

tonyh: Please do, you must shop around, there are alot of travel agents now who offer no commission.

tonyh: I just realized that you're in England. Perhaps it works differently there or in other countries other than the United States.

Edit: Wait a minute. England? Doesn't England use the euro? Why bother with an exchange? Just get a euro money order and send it in. 30 euros in England is 30 euros in Czech Republic, right? Just like a buck in California is a buck in Nevada.

Walter Montego: The euro is today the currency of 12 of 25 European Union countries: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland.

gogul: I don't see Czech Republic in your list, but Fencer takes euros. :)

25 countries? They've been doing some expansion lately, eh? What's with the other 13? Don't like the euro for some reason, or is it a case of national sovereignty and money? Do they other 13 have to accept euros?

Walter Montego: For specific reasons. Some choosed not to use the euro, some maybe not fulfill the conditions and for the new countries it will take some time. Next year Slovenia will introduce the Euro. Many of the Eastern European countries use the euro as a complementary currency. Czechia also belongs to the countries that don´t want to use the euro I think.

tonyh: What exchange rate? I buy the money order in U.S. dollars. I send it to Filip in the Czech Republic. If it's an international money order, they don't charge him anything to cash it. Least ways that's what he told me. If you send him a personal check or a domestic money order that's something else and the Czech Repbulic has very high rates for those transactions.

Example:
Today a one year Rook membership costs 30 euros. The exchange link says that today 30 euros is the same as 37.7058 dollars

30.00 EUR = 37.7058 USD http://www.xe.com/

I go to the liquor store and buy the international money order for $37.71. There's no exchanging involved for me or anyone. That cuts out the middle man for Filip too. There's the cost of the money order and the postage, plus you have to wait a few days for it to get to him, but that's it.

Walter Montego: thanks for that info. Ill try through Eriisa first, then if that doesnt work (since its Paypal??) that will have to be my next choice. i didnt know you could buy international money orders, thats a whole lot cheaper than international fundss transfer through a bank, which i thought was the only way! ill have to remember that for next time. Thanks for that info!

Antje: Your profle say you're in Germany and married to AndersP. I thought he lived in Pennsylvania? If you're in Germany, it might be real easy seeing how that's right next to Czech Republic. If you're in Pennsylvania, you should be able to do as I can here in California. Each state has different laws. Believe it or not, most countries of the world tightly control access to money, especially money leaving the country and they place all sorts of controls and fees on doing it. Also, the governments run the banks in most countries. The United States doesn't do that and private businesses can sell money orders and wire transfers. They charge what the market bares and in some cases it's free. You own bank, if you're in Pennsylvania, might have the money orders for free with your account as part of the service. They might have the wire transfers too, but it sounds like you've checked into that and found it to expensive.