How do I transfer money from my account to another person's ?

~^ beancounter ~^ said something like:

That's just it: the answer from them is a resounding "nope", at every bank I've asked (3).

The reason has to do with this little bizarity: You must endorse a check in order to deposit it.

This may seem only slightly related to the issue, but it is at the crux of the debacle---you cannot just "drop" money into someone else's account. The only exception that I can see so far in this are actual /wire transfers/ which cost more than I'm willing to pay.

Does anyone else know of any way around this? That paypal $500/month limit is nuts (perhaps a goverment limitation? I dunno), and paying for a service like this seems nutsier somehow. TANSTAAFL seems to be alive and well....

With web banking you are not issuing a check.

The funds are transferred electronically.

I do it all the time in Australia. It's called EFT - Electronic Funds Transfer. It a attracts a small fee if the transfer is to another bank, otherwise it's free and the limit depends on what you set up with your bank.

Cheers, Rusty