Foreign currency transactions

Cammo

Well, I have fielded my fifth call today where the customer has enquired about purchasing a pic but was miffed when they saw the US$ symbol. And, looking at my sales quantity this could be a big part of the problem. As nice as it seems to be able to charge in $US and the credit card company do the conversion it just doesn't work well for sales. My customers know me and expect, rightly so, that they will be billed in AUS$. Therefore when they go to buy a pic and the price is in US$ they are mystified and turn away 99% of the time. I have to try and explain how the prices are based upon my AUS$ prices and if they want to check they can go to xe.com. That doesn't work at all - just bamboozles them.

What is the chance of introducing something where, depending upon the location of the photographer, the prices are displayed in their currency? I LOVE the fact that I can stick my pics on Smugmug and the layout is super slick but it just isn't working for me as a sales tool. I honestly thought that the sales would tick over nicely but so far I have as close to none as you can get. Put it this way, I have had more emails and phone calls about the $US rather than AUS$ than I have sold prints.

Is this something that anyone based outside the US can look forward to? I can't imagine it would be too difficult.

Thanks in advance!

Cameron

tsk1979

Cammo wrote:

Well, I have fielded my fifth call today where the customer has enquired about purchasing a pic but was miffed when they saw the US$ symbol. And, looking at my sales quantity this could be a big part of the problem. As nice as it seems to be able to charge in $US and the credit card company do the conversion it just doesn't work well for sales. My customers know me and expect, rightly so, that they will be billed in AUS$. Therefore when they go to buy a pic and the price is in US$ they are mystified and turn away 99% of the time. I have to try and explain how the prices are based upon my AUS$ prices and if they want to check they can go to xe.com. That doesn't work at all - just bamboozles them.

What is the chance of introducing something where, depending upon the location of the photographer, the prices are displayed in their currency? I LOVE the fact that I can stick my pics on Smugmug and the layout is super slick but it just isn't working for me as a sales tool. I honestly thought that the sales would tick over nicely but so far I have as close to none as you can get. Put it this way, I have had more emails and phone calls about the $US rather than AUS$ than I have sold prints.

Is this something that anyone based outside the US can look forward to? I can't imagine it would be too difficult.

Thanks in advance!

Cameron

Wow this would be good. I would think that this fix would require that you enter your curreny requiement, and enter the prices in US$. Then smugmug should print the currenty currency converted date along with a price in US$. This way customers will know how much is the price in local currency and the charges can still be in $.

Andy

Hi Cammo,

As of now, we don't have plans or the ability to do what you are asking. But we'll take it as a feature request, thanks!

harpel1

Currency otions
This is the same for me, i have 2 smugmug site as it is the best site on the web for being able to make your site look pro and cool. Now my first site was for me to play with and was more a family and fun site. But now my son has started his own business and is selling photos in clubs and events. But Ihave set his site up so that the viewer can directly download the pic to there PC. This works realy well. But have had to change the text on the "buy now" button to tell then that it will be £1.50 as the sale is in US dollars. This is the only bug I have with the Smugmug site, I am not the only person I know that has a smugmug account in the UK and it is also there biggest gripe. The people I speak to in the UK feel it is the biggest wall in the NOT selling more photos. (it also might be some of there photos are not worth selling, but I am not going to get in to that one).

So please, please, please can we see a multi currency opion for the next release........

thanks
lee

kened11

Hi,

I'm wondering if there is any update on this feature request? I would like to use Smugmug for print sales but lack of local currency support is stopping me.

Thanks!

Ken

Andy

kened11 wrote:

Hi,

I'm wondering if there is any update on this feature request? I would like to use Smugmug for print sales but lack of local currency support is stopping me.

Thanks!

Ken

Hi Ken, there is no update, I'm sorry.

kened11

Andy wrote:

Hi Ken, there is no update, I'm sorry.

Disappointing! Thanks for the quick response though.

DigitalTasmania

Not Happy either . . .

Cammo wrote:

Well, I have fielded my fifth call today where the customer has enquired about purchasing a pic but was miffed when they saw the US$ symbol. And, looking at my sales quantity this could be a big part of the problem. As nice as it seems to be able to charge in $US and the credit card company do the conversion it just doesn't work well for sales. My customers know me and expect, rightly so, that they will be billed in AUS$. Therefore when they go to buy a pic and the price is in US$ they are mystified and turn away 99% of the time. I have to try and explain how the prices are based upon my AUS$ prices and if they want to check they can go to xe.com. That doesn't work at all - just bamboozles them.

What is the chance of introducing something where, depending upon the location of the photographer, the prices are displayed in their currency? I LOVE the fact that I can stick my pics on Smugmug and the layout is super slick but it just isn't working for me as a sales tool. I honestly thought that the sales would tick over nicely but so far I have as close to none as you can get. Put it this way, I have had more emails and phone calls about the $US rather than AUS$ than I have sold prints.

Is this something that anyone based outside the US can look forward to? I can't imagine it would be too difficult.

Thanks in advance!

Cameron

G'day Cameron (et al),

I'm also unhappy about this issue, mate . . . it is, IMHO, the single biggest handicap for non-US Smug Pro's from making money.

I've put in requests and emails about this in the past - over the past 1.5 years, roughly. Unfortunately, this issue wasn't clear to me until after I signed up.

SmugMug is an awesome service that is "world class" in everyway but one, IMHO. How this US-centric inflexibility handicaps Non-US accounts and undermines print sales.

I also have a serious "branding" issue with being a "proud Tasmanian business" but asking my clients to pay in US$.

I can only imagine that there are not enough overseas users to make changing the system worthwhile financially for SmugMug. Disappointing - until this is sorted there is an opening for a UK-centric or Australia-centric or Euro-centric service filling the gap in those regions and others.

I love SmugMug, their service otherwise has been great. I, for one, hope they listen one of these days and provide a better service for their non-US accounts.

Cheers from Tassie,

Thomas

Dealbh Alba

I concur
Just wanted to add my suppoort to the request for a non-US currency feature. To be honest it should be there by default, not a feature, and it does look rather amateurish to have to explain that prices will be converted to local currency. As a UK photographer Snapfish (WIP) is much better for my purposes, and I'm quite annoyed that there was no mention that this function was not available prior to sign-up. The world isn't America and if SM is to succeed globally, then it needs to think globally.

Andy

Dealbh Alba wrote:

Just wanted to add my suppoort to the request for a non-US currency feature. To be honest it should be there by default, not a feature, and it does look rather amateurish to have to explain that prices will be converted to local currency. As a UK photographer Snapfish (WIP) is much better for my purposes, and I'm quite annoyed that there was no mention that this function was not available prior to sign-up. The world isn't America and if SM is to succeed globally, then it needs to think globally.

Hi, welcome. Ouch, I'm really sorry that we don't have this for you. It's something we'd love to have, but unfortunately, we don't yet. I'm sorry that it's causing you to be so annoyed. If you'd like, we'll give you a full refund, no worries, just say the word. Email to our help desk http://www.smugmug.com/help/emailreal and put ATTN: Andy in the subject, I'll take care of it for you.

Andy

Cammo wrote:

Thanks in advance!

Cameron

So, I'm curious about something - I was looking on your site for an example pricing page, in local currency, and couldn't find one. Wouldn't it be rather easy to setup a page like this:
http://andydemo.smugmug.com/gallery/2242951

And of course you can go much fancier, too. Just holler if you (or anyone!) wants help doing this.

Andy

Andy wrote:

So, I'm curious about something - I was looking on your site for an example pricing page, in local currency, and couldn't find one. Wouldn't it be rather easy to setup a page like this:
http://andydemo.smugmug.com/gallery/2242951

And of course you can go much fancier, too. Just holler if you (or anyone!) wants help doing this.

Added to the Pro Wiki:

http://smugmug.jot.com/WikiHome/Pros/ProSalesTips

Art Scott

Having a page on your site that shows the currency conversions, whether they are live or approx. is not as profession as having it showing up in the shopping cart and the actual price list....like is done on ebay....they show the price in the posters country (mostly for british pounds, auzzie dollars & canadian dollars) with US$ amount in () directly below it.....Now for a group of super hero code jockies like we have here.....there shouldn't be any reason why that could not be implemented on SM.

Is it truly a case of it is too darm difficult or what exactly?

Maybe SM really doesn't need to be worried about foreign clients as long as they have plenty of americans to support them.....

I personally would like to see at least the various dollar amounts and british pounds plus euros at least implemented at least like ebay does it....as my european move will be to a country using euros even so they prefer their own currency and will usually give you a price break if you pay in the native currency.

Andy

Art Scott wrote:

....there shouldn't be any reason why that could not be implemented on SM.

Is it truly a case of it is too darm difficult or what exactly?

it's not that simple. It's a huge job, and one that would be at the expense of lots of other stuff that pros and everyone want.

Maybe SM really doesn't need to be worried about foreign clients as long as they have plenty of americans to support them.....

That's not how we think or operate, and you know it

I personally would like to see at least the various dollar amounts and british pounds plus euros at least implemented at least like ebay does it....as my european move will be to a country using euros even so they prefer their own currency and will usually give you a price break if you pay in the native currency.

Thanks for telling us how important it is to you!

Andy

Andy wrote:

Hi, welcome. Ouch, I'm really sorry that we don't have this for you. It's something we'd love to have, but unfortunately, we don't yet. I'm sorry that it's causing you to be so annoyed. If you'd like, we'll give you a full refund, no worries, just say the word. Email to our help desk http://www.smugmug.com/help/emailreal and put ATTN: Andy in the subject, I'll take care of it for you.

Refund applied, thanks for trying us out

Art Scott

Andy wrote:

it's not that simple. It's a huge job, and one that would be at the expense of lots of other stuff that pros and everyone want.
Okay it is a huge undertaking......but is also a huge smack in the face to foreign users, which I am not YET, but will be.......american businesses are not making a lot of friends in Europe and other places because of OUR attitude about things like this......to expalin a to bit futher.....A couple of times a year I buy flowers for namedays, birthdays and such for friends in the Czech Republic.....I have to pay in either CZECH KORUNA not us$...but their site is set up to show prices in both currencies.......I am refering to a small flower shop...not worldwide FTD florist.....but the customer service is almost like SM.

That's not how we think or operate, and you know it

actually this how MOST of american businesses DO think and operate...it is the same expectation that MOST americans have about language when traveling...everyone in the world should speak american english.....For some reason it is in our nature to be so conceded and self centered.

NOT SAYIN' SM is....... just MOST americans' whether companies or individuals.:D

Thanks for telling us how important it is to you!

I do not think any one expects to see an implentation of currencies for the 193 or so ( isay or so beacuse at any moment a coup could happen some where it it could sprout one or more smaller countries in the blink of an eye) different countries and their currencies......

Really HUGE JOBS are what make companies grow and stretch....yes with muscle pains and aches....but in the end it is worth while for all.....

It very well could help up the sales of all the POWER and PRO users of SM.......

Thnks forthe speedy reply....sorry for the use of yellow font above but it really is the only way to have a good separation with in the quote:D

Ann McRae

I will add my voice to this feature request list - believe I have done so by email before. Not being able to display cdn $ in the shopping cart has truely cost me sales, despite emails with potential customers that prices have been adjusted.

I agree with Art that being able to display in a variety of currencies should help all pros, even those based in the US. After all customers should come from all over - thats what the web is all about.

ann

caroline

Ann McRae wrote:

I will add my voice to this feature request list - believe I have done so by email before. Not being able to display cdn $ in the shopping cart has truely cost me sales, despite emails with potential customers that prices have been adjusted.

I agree with Art that being able to display in a variety of currencies should help all pros, even those based in the US. After all customers should come from all over - thats what the web is all about.

ann

I hate to do an "And Me" but I would like to add support for this feature request. I'm not yet in a position to expect sales of any kind from my site and equally I wouldn't expect them to be hugely significant, rather just another egg in the basket. There have been a few other posts from UK photographers so I would like to join them in making this request. I've no doubt we are just a small number compared to your US customers and I appreciate that the cost/effort of implementing this may not be viable, and if that is the case well I'll have to live with it.

Smugmug is great value in all respects, it can't be all things to everyone, but it comes pretty close. Personally I can't be bothered to go looking at other services in any great detail, Smugmug jumped off the page when I first came across it and nothing since then has done anything to detract from that impression.

Caroline

jcp

Hi there, I am another who is rather bothered that this feature is not on the "very important" list.

I understand the priorities that Smugmug have, but please believe me, this is a very important issue for the rest of the world. It's a rather simple rule that people prefer to shop in their own currency.

In my short time here at Smugmug, I have had emails already asking why they can't purchase in their local currency. Since the majority of my photos are in Europe, I would expect the majority of my customers to be European. In fact, my only sales so far have been to Americans (using American currency) This just seems illogical. I love my American sales, but I am sure my biggest market would be for European sales if the currency was right.

Also, keep in mind that Smugmug makes a profit from our sales. Adding this feature would not only increase Smugmug's customer's sales, but also your own revenue.

I really hope that Smugmug will reconsider the importance of this feature request and move it up the ladder. At least by starting with some of the more important currencies out there, Euro, Pound, Yen, Aust/Can dollar etc.

Anyway, excellent hosting site here, I don't want to complain or anything, but like those others here, it is very important to us.

Andy

jcp wrote:

Hi there, I am another who is rather bothered that this feature is not on the "very important" list.

Ouch - I'm sorry we're falling short in your eyes on this issue!

Thank you for telling us how important it is to you, we appreciate it very much.

caroline

Art Scott wrote:

Maybe SM really doesn't need to be worried about foreign clients as long as they have plenty of americans to support them.....

I personally would like to see at least the various dollar amounts and british pounds plus euros at least implemented at least like ebay does it....as my european move will be to a country using euros even so they prefer their own currency and will usually give you a price break if you pay in the native currency.

Would it be possible to link to this
http://www.printbutton.com/pbcom_service.html
from Smugmug, while you are unable to provide a multi currency option ?

Caroline

Andy

caroline wrote:

Would it be possible to link to this
http://www.printbutton.com/pbcom_service.html
from Smugmug, while you are unable to provide a multi currency option ?

Caroline

And do what?

EDIT: I guess I should say, we don't have a way to integrate with Photobox's cart stuff, sorry.

Chockstone

AUD Currency issue

Andy wrote:

Hi, welcome. Ouch, I'm really sorry that we don't have this for you. It's something we'd love to have, but unfortunately, we don't yet. I'm sorry that it's causing you to be so annoyed. If you'd like, we'll give you a full refund, no worries, just say the word. Email to our help desk http://www.smugmug.com/help/emailreal and put ATTN: Andy in the subject, I'll take care of it for you.

I'd also like to voice my dissappointment on the lack of AUD currency as an option. My print sales have gone from quite healthy down to almost nothing since moving my site over to SmugMug and this is the only factor I can see as being at fault.

My site is here:
http://www.chockstone.org/PhotoSales

I've tried adding a pricing conversion table to the site footer so it appears on every page, hoping to thus avoid customer confusion, but so far it's not made any difference. I've lower prices. I've added another page explaining in detail how to make a purchase. Nothing helps. Oz customers just don't like ordering from the US for an Oz product.

Even the fact that pricing on SmugMug appears in US dollars is not made obvious to the customer from the shopping cart view. All we see is a price in dollars without a currency symbol.

I bought a SmugMug pro account so I could avoid the hassle of printing and mailing photos myself because the sales we getting more than I could handle. Now I have no hassle, but also no sales

David Tomic

I have to admit that not having a foreign currency feature is [by FAR] my single biggest disappointment with SmugMug.

I also understand though that implementing a system to charge in different currencies is no easy feat either.

Yes, I know we can add links to currency conversion websites, or add pricing tables for individual prints into our galleries, but neither of them are particularly elegant soloutions to the problem.

It means that the customer still has to a) visit a seperate website, and b) work out the conversion rate/total amount manually.

Here's the thing though ...

Whilst I obviously can't speak for everybody else who's already commented here, from the people [customers] I've spoken to personally, MOST of them DON'T actually care if the final amount is charged their credit card is in US dollars. They just want to see the cost of prints, and the total of their shopping cart in local currency [Australian dollars], WITHOUT having to visit some thrid party conversion website and calculate the totals themselves [manually].

IE - Show what their actual order would be worth in a chosen currency, and then just charge the equivalent amount in US$.

Just having the [equivalent] cost automatically calculated/displayed in the shopping cart total would be an absolutely HUGE improvment over the current system.

With all the brains floating around at SmugMug, SURELY this can't be such an impossibly hard feature to impliment?!?

Andy

David Tomic wrote:

I have to admit that not having a foreign currency feature is [by FAR] my single biggest disappointment with SmugMug.

I also understand though that implementing a system to charge in different currencies is no easy feat either.

Yes, I know we can add links to currency conversion websites, or add pricing tables for individual prints into our galleries, but neither of them are particularly elegant soloutions to the problem.

It means that the customer still has to a) visit a seperate website, and b) work out the conversion rate/total amount manually.

Here's the thing though ...

Whilst I obviously can't speak for everybody else who's already commented here, from the people [customers] I've spoken to personally, MOST of them DON'T actually care if the final amount is charged their credit card is in US dollars. They just want to see the cost of prints, and the total of their shopping cart in local currency [Australian dollars], WITHOUT having to visit some thrid party conversion website and calculate the totals themselves [manually].

IE - Show what their actual order would be worth in a chosen currency, and then just charge the equivalent amount in US$.

Just having the [equivalent] cost automatically calculated/displayed in the shopping cart total would be an absolutely HUGE improvment over the current system.

With all the brains floating around at SmugMug, SURELY this can't be such an impossibly hard feature to impliment?!?

Impossibly hard? No. But it must get prioritized along with everything else

Thanks for letting us know how important this is to you!

And, welcome to Dgrin!

rmcd

Andy, you can add me to the list of requestors for this feature. I live in Canada and have been shooting hockey teams this spring for their team photos. I looked into the Pro account which does pretty much everything I need, except for the currency issue. I can't bring myself to spend the money for a Pro account without this feature...

Having a Pro account will be a huge time saver for me when this feature is implemented. I am currently processing every order myself and it is time consuming! I wonder how many other photogs have turned away because this feature isn't there...

If I had my choice, I would like the customer's buying experience to be entirely in Canadian funds, including the credit card transaction. Anything that puts some form of questioning or doubt into the customer's mind is a detriment to sales.

I'm sure you will get to this feature some day, I just hope it is sooner rather than later. Even if you don't nail it the first time around, offering support for multiple currencies would be a step forward. I'm a strong believer in incremental change as it will get you where you need to be faster than trying to get the whole thing the first time.

Perhaps there are other ways of offering this type of service. Is it possible to have certain SmugMug sites hosted elsewhere, like in Canada, the UK and Australia? I'll bet that the organization you are working with for your credit card processing can set you up that way... It's just a suggestion that I don't even know is possible or not. There is frequently more than one way to address a particular issue.

Thanks for the great site and incredible customer service. It's a pleasure dealing with you guys.

toadlet

A Possible Solution
I would like to add my voice as I have been wanting to sell my prints for some time now, but like others, I have not wanted to because of the confusion that would probably arise from having to pay in US dollars, insetead of AUD.

I have been thinking of just upgrading to a power user account, set up a gallery called 'prints for sale' and within the bio list prices for 2 standard sizes, such as A4 and A3. I was then going to add a code below each photograhph (say landscape001) and then customers could purchase prints by this description. I could send along payment options, make the prints myself, save from having to pay a internation cheque fee, and not have to worry about US conversions.

What do others think?

Dna

An email from one of my customers.

"Hi,
I have orded a photo from your website through smugmug? What is the price in AUD? Everything is in US$. The postage charge of US$3.50 (for airmail delivery) surely does not apply for you photos taken in Victoria and mailed within Victoria?
If you could clarify this I would be most appreciative.
Regards,

Gary"

Andrew

Ann McRae

So I found this currency convertor on my local camera store web site.

Is it possible/feasable to copy and make use of the code that runs this page? That would be coooooool.

ann

denisegoldberg

Ann McRae wrote:

So I found this currency convertor on my local camera store web site.

Is it possible/feasable to copy and make use of the code that runs this page? That would be coooooool.

ann

I don't know if this helps any, but I usually use a currency converter from xe.com when I am looking for rates in a different currency (and no, I don't have it on my smugmug site...). I just popped over to their web site, and it can be used from other sites, for free with an ad (of course), or embedded with a license fee. Worth a look?

Of course it probably doesn't really help since the rates could (will?) change between when they are displayed and when the transaction goes through...

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

--- Denise

Dna

And another one.

"Hi guys, l have just ordered photos off the lsv (Lifesaving Victoria) website and are very surprised to see l will be billed in US dollars. ls this correct? lf so why? l look forward to hearing from you.
Regards Barry Davey"

Would there be some way to have a pop up link in the cart to a currency converter. To me, that is the place where they need it.

Andrew