Crossed Postal Order

essexhoney

im slightly confused as to why it would be crossed in the first place to be honest! i mean apart from the fact it has to be paid into a bank account which is only a pain for the person recieving it why would you send it crossed in the first place?

jenniferpa

I assume, so that it HAD to be paid into an account in the name of the person to whom it was sent, rather than being cashed "over the counter".

frivolous_fay

Exactly, it can only be paid to the person it's intended for.

essexhoney

but surely with the names being printed on them now rather than written thats the case anyway?

frivolous_fay

I've never received a postal order that wasn't crossed

jenniferpa

I think it's a throw-back to the previous situation where PO's (and cheques) could be cashed (as opposed to being paid into an account). Lots of us who are older (!) can remember that it was considered unsafe to mail such a cheque or PO without it being crossed, so we would automatically expect to "cross" a P.O.

soolin

I always ask for my postal orders to be crossed due to many cases of tampering with my mail. If it has a name on and is uncrossed it is supposed to be signed by the receiver and proof of ID seen before it can be cashed, but that is rarely the case, most PO will just cash them on a signature. Therefore as far as I am concerned an uncrossed postal order is as unsafe as cash where my mail is concerned.

A crossed one should be like a cheque, payable only through a bank account to the person named on the order. Less convenient by a long way, but safer.

Soo

essexhoney

ah i see what you mean now. thanks jennifer

its a reasonably new thing for me i have only ever recieved 2 postal orders that were crossed the first wasnt a problme as it was only for a fiver and i was going to the bank the day it turned up anyway, and it was money that somebody owed me not something i was selling so i didnt take any notice of when it cleared etc!

i think it is the fact that the have changed the way postal orders are issued now that didnt help to confuse me lol, its bad enough when i take on eto the post office and they ask me to sign it even though there is no where to actual sign!

either that or its my pregnancy brain working rather than my normal brain again lol

essexhoney

soolin wrote:

I always ask for my postal orders to be crossed due to many cases of tampering with my mail. If it has a name on and is uncrossed it is supposed to be signed by the receiver and proof of ID seen before it can be cashed, but that is rarely the case, most PO will just cash them on a signature. Therefore as far as I am concerned an uncrossed postal order is as unsafe as cash where my mail is concerned.

A crossed one should be like a cheque, payable only through a bank account to the person named on the order. Less convenient by a long way, but safer.

Soo

i see what you mean soo but what confused me is the way the new postal orders are the name is printed on them at the post office, and there is no where to put a signature on them. i dont think they thought the idea out very well before they introduced it personally

spottydog

essexhoney wrote:

i dont know if they function that way but i have never been given any deposit slips from them.

im just wondering does it need to clear and can it be cancelled etc? as if not then i will probably hold onto it until after i have had the baby and post it out regardless, but i dont want to post it if it can be stopped if you see what i mean

I assume you have online banking with your nationwide account (as you don't live close to your bank and will want to check what is going through your account). Nationwide have paying in slips online that you complete then print off and put in with your cheque in an envelope, otherwise just phone your local branch and ask them to put a couple of blank ones in the post plus ask them to order you a paying in book too.