I have a potential customer inquiring about paying for service with an International Money Order. Does anyone else accept these and what should I look out for?

TIA

Depending where they are and if they have a CC they could also use Bid Pay (www.bidpay.com). While setup for payign auctions, it can be used for anything. The customer uses their CC and you get a Western Union MO.

Take a look.

Thanks. But they're wanting to pay with an intl. money order.

Check with your bank. Most will handle such money orders if they are in local currency. Fees for handling them range from nothing to a few dollars. If the fee is close to the amount of the MO then it isn;t worth it. Also many full Post Office brances (at least in Canada and US) will cash them as well. Just be sure you specify they be made out in your local currency. Otherwise they are like a certified check.

Thanks for the info NyteOwl :)

Originally posted by DefHosting
I have a potential customer inquiring about paying for service with an International Money Order. Does anyone else accept these and what should I look out for?

TIA

Talk to your bank first. Most banks will not accept ANYTHING that isn't drawn on a US account.

If your bank won't accept it (I would be really surprised if they do) - ask your client SPECIFICALLY for a Western Union Money Order. You can get these in almost any country, and they are drawn from a US bank. :)

--Tina

If you are talking about internacional POSTAL money orders: I have recieved International money orders before. (if they are the same as they were a couple of years ago when I got them-- and assuming the reciving party is in the USA) You first get a note from the postal office announcing one is coming then you get it. It is a postal money order that you are supposed to be able to cash in any postal office in the USA. Frommy experience some postal offices will not know what to do with it (just as they did not know what to do with international replay coupons which you can exchange for stamps) usually bigger post offices will know how to handle them. Or you tell them they are supposed to cash them then they get a suppervisor or someone who knows what to do. They are safe, but to be extra safe you can withhold to give the service until you cash it. The extra fees attached to them are paid by the sender.

Esn

I took an international money order once, and when I went to cash it it went ok. But 3 days later I get a mail saying that they deducted 8.25 because the money order was not possible to cash and wrote a big stamp on it, I forgot what it said.

Then I ask them where in the world I can cash this, and they told me I should have tried in the postal office, and went and they did it. Still haven't gotten a call from the postal office, because they said they never seen an international money order and took my phone number just in case it bounced back.

Sooooo...how do you get a post office to cash a postal order? I mean, how do you PROVE that you are authorized to cash a postal order made out to, say, AffordableHOST.com? My drivers' license doesn't have my business name on it, of course.

With the bank, I can cash checks (drawn on a US Bank, only) made out to AffordableHOST.com, because I have a business bank account.

Seriously, the ONLY way I've ever been able to take non-US orders is either through credit card or Western Union Money Order. I have yet to find a place that will cash a Postal Order. Matter of fact, I have about $800 worth of Postal Orders sitting on my desk right now...uncashable.

--Tina

I'm really surprised at this situation for you guys its really bad that your banks are like this - we have both USA and Uk bank accounts, we have never tried to pay an International Money Order into our USA account but our UK one takes them all the time, with no extra charges - they are just like a 'cashiers check' we have over 100 customers who pay us like this from about 15 countries (especially those where credit cards are not used so much)

On top of that we have actually paid for services to USA companies using International Money orders ourselves and never had a problem from them.

I am talking about International Money orders made out by a bank not the post office, outside the USA any bank will draw one up and its just like cash except its account payee - American Express will even issue them I think they charge about $10 to draw one up at any Amex bureau de change

I called the post office here in NY. I was told you can buy and cash International Postal Money orders in any branch.
an online search at http://www.usps.com/ only yielded:
"We will explore taking our
traditional domestic and international money
order services online to make it easier for cus-tomers
to pay for services and transact business in
the United States and abroad."

When I called the PO I had not seen the post about cashing a IPMO that is in a company name and not your own. I have cashed MO sent in my bands name and not mine. I just added my name and since my ids have the same address it was no problem.

You can also have your client do a direct deposit to your bank account from their bank account. It is a bit more expensive but effective.

Esn

most banks will cash internation money orders too

i use both wells fargo and bank one and they both can do it for no charge.

Originally posted by multipleimage
most banks will cash internation money orders too

i use both wells fargo and bank one and they both can do it for no charge.


You're lucky then. I've contacted banks all over my area and they all tell me "We can only cash it if its drawn from a US bank."

PS: I'm in Michigan. :P"

--Tina

hmm thats weird

i guess i am lucky

i have some accounts with clients over seas that prefer to pay by international money order and i have never had a problem

maybe it is because we are so close to the border with Mexico.

same here - money orders have been peachy. POSTAL orders are hell. If you can get one sent from a bank, through the post, to be cashed at another bank it *should* be fine. Getting one from a post office, to be sent, then cashed at a bank, or another post office is a bit trickier. I usually just get people to send one in my name directly, so when they ask for ID I just pull out the wallet. It's not pure business ideal, but in the end it's about getting paid, and making it easy for the customer.

Of course you milage will vary. My bank itself is one of those oddities that actually trusts their customers, and cashes checks instantly with no waiting period (as long as you have a good history with them). They also remember me by my first name and ask me how my daughter is these days, so I guess I'm lucky that way :D

The USA does tend to be very 'insular' in a lot of ways and wary of foreign business. Oddly, credit unions tend to be a little more open to things liek this than the major banks. I'd be suprised if the big ones like Wells fargo and Bank of America didn't do it though... BoA is my choice of bank when I'm in the states. They even cashed a check for me with nothing more than an overseas passort, and a smile :) Might have also had something to do with a clucky bank clerk and my (at the time) one year old, who can turn on the charm at the drop of a hat *chuckle*, so I suppose having a cute child in tow might work for you too...

.. hmm, maybe not the most practical advice :D

Greg Moore

Originally posted by multipleimage
maybe it is because we are so close to the border with Mexico.

do you live in s.Diego ?