Buying Postal Orders - not a vent, just confused

Pollycat

Hi
I went into a main Post Office to buy some postal orders last week and the helpful lady behind the counter told me there was a charge (which I already knew).

She also said I had to pay cash, I said OK, as I had my Switch card with me.

But she really, really DID mean cash!
Pound notes!

It wasn't a problem for me as I'd actually got the money in my purse, but I always thought that paying by Switch was the same as paying cash because the money was taken out of your account straight away.
She said they used to accept Switch but they'd changed the policy a while ago.

I know when we buy travellers cheques or foreign currency, we can pay by Switch so I just wondered if anyone knew the reason behind Post Office Counters Ltd's reasoning on postal orders.

Thanks
Polly

custardy

perhaps the fee's charged for the card services?

Pollycat

Custardy
definitely not.

For years & years buying postal orders has always incurred a fee - actually it's called 'poundage' and it varies according to the value of the postal order, so there must be another reason for POCL not accepting Switch.

Regards
Polly

fedupconsumer

was it a switch or maestro card you tried to use?

custardy

Pollycat wrote: »

Custardy
definitely not.

For years & years buying postal orders has always incurred a fee - actually it's called 'poundage' and it varies according to the value of the postal order, so there must be another reason for POCL not accepting Switch.

Regards
Polly

i meant the fee's the PO pays for taking the card payments

roddydogs

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Andy_L

Perhaps they are trying to discourage people from buying Postal Orders so they don't have to provide a (loss making?) service

zappomatic

Quite bizarre considering you can withdraw cash from most bank accounts at the Post Office counter!

Jarvissa

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago.. I also tried to pay with my switch card, and the p.o. lady told me they they only accept cash (no cards at all, be them switch, visa, debit, credit).

According to her, it was some fraud safeguard they brought in fairly recently. Not sure how one could defraud if paying by card (maybe claim later you didn't carry out the transaction?)

Brooke_Daver

Jarvissa wrote: »

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago.. I also tried to pay with my switch card, and the p.o. lady told me they they only accept cash (no cards at all, be them switch, visa, debit, credit).

According to her, it was some fraud safeguard they brought in fairly recently. Not sure how one could defraud if paying by card (maybe claim later you didn't carry out the transaction?)

Buy loads of postal orders with a stolen card and then encash them and make off with the reddies?

custardy

ah now that makes sense