ESTA

[pbcold]

Does anyone know the cost of an ESTA please? I have just applied and was charged £54.54. Thanks.

[SteveJ]

How many of you? It’s $21, I fear you have applied via an unofficial channel.

If it’s not a “.gov” site you’re in the wrong place.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

It’s $21 per person

And if it wasn’t this site then chances are it’s a scam one

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

[pbcold]

Thank you for the swift replies, I appreciate it. I am travelling alone and did indeed use this address https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

I have just received an email from them:

Only two last steps remain to obtain your United States ESTA!

Complete your application with details about your trip to receive it in your email in 1 – 7 days (depending on your visa choice). Finish the last steps here:

Complete my ESTA application

Please note that the ESTA is mandatory for all travelers to United States.

If you cannot complete the application due to any technical issue, or you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Customer Service Dept.
apply-travel.us

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

How has it come through on your credit card?

Is it possible there was some sort of hic up and you clicked “pay” a few times

The spot rate today for $21 is £ 17.46 and three times that is £52.58 so pretty close to the £54.54 you seem to have been charged.

[pbcold]

Thank you again. My curve card says this, oddly!

£54.54 / 8690.00 JPY – Esta Online Center

[nectar collector]

Apply-travel.us website seems to be one of the unofficial ones that charges it’s own fees on top of the $21 US government fee, so odd you’ve had an email from them if you started the application process on the .gov site. When I applied for an Esta a few months back , the confirmation email I received was from No-reply-esta3@cbp.dhs.gov 

[pbcold]

Thank you – I have confused the issue because I started the process with apply-travel but then changed to the .gov website. When I clicked on the above email they wanted £96! I have received confirmation from No-reply-esta3@cbp.dhs.gov.

[nectar collector]

It looks like ESTA online centre are another site that charges it’s own fee for fronting the official US Government application – they quote their service fee as 8690 JPY, which matches what’s on your Curve. Have you been charged another USD21 separately somewhere for the actual ESTA?

Don’t know if it’s too late to cancel/get your money back.

The (sort of) good news is that if you have an application reference number and status tracking link in an email from No-reply-esta3@cbp.dhs.gov
You should be verify that your ESTA is in progress, albeit somehow you have inadvertently gone through a third party.

[davefl]

My mum got caught by the same scam site a couple of years ago.

Google and the US authorities could easily shut these down or move them down Google’s search list but Google earn good money from the clicks and it’s not illegal so they won’t do anything.

All they’re doing is allowing you to fill the form in on their site instead of the official one, charge you for the priviledge of submitting the data to the official site.

I don’t like this bit – “Complete your application with details about your trip to receive it in your email in 1 – 7 days (depending on your visa choice). Finish the last steps here:”

Your ESTA isn’t tied to a particular trip, you can apply any time and it’s valid for 2 years (or until your passport expires whichever is the sooner)

[Philondon]

I accidentally used a dodgy ESTA site last year. I contacted them about it when I realised. They asked me not to do a charge back with my credit card and they refunded the additional charge. I was lucky. So may be worth contacting them.

[pbcold]

Thanks for all the advice.