Crossed Postal Orders

[grizzly bear]

I have a post office savings account & I regularly pay cheques into it. Today someone sent me a crossed postal order, which I understand is as good as a cheque but when I went to pay it in the staff refused it and told me it can only be paid into a bank. As I dont have another account they told me I needed a refund on the postal order and gave me the relevant info. I am confused as to why the post office account is unsuitable when it takes other cheques. It seems so silly that you can buy a crossed postal order but not pay it in at the post office.

[Cloverjo]

I didn't think you could pay a postal order into the bank. I always thought the PO were supposed to give you cash for it.

[Mamyalynne]

You could use it to pay a Bill at the PO, according to this link, daft isn't it?


//When someone receives a crossed Postal Order, they can only pay it into their bank account, savings account or use it to pay bills at a Post Office branch.//


http://www.postoffice.co.uk/postal-orders-faqs

[Cloverjo]

Well, it's all changed since I last cashed one.

[Tilly2]

I haven't seen a postal order for years. I had no idea that they still existed. :-)

[grizzly bear]

Cloverjo, they told me I could have cashed an uncrossed one.
Mamyalynne, where it says savings account surely the one I have qualifies?
I'll think I'll ring the manager on Monday before I waste time sending it away.
Thanks for the link.

[New Judge]

Crossed Postal Orders were never exchangeable for cash, Cloverjo. They always had to be paid into an account. I must say that I am surprised that they cannot be paid into a Post Office savings account but then again nothing that the Post Office does these days surprises me.

[Mamyalynne]

I too would expect them to accept it into your PO Account.

[EDDIE51]

I think you were given the wrong information, you should have been able to pay it into your account.
An uncrossed postal order can be cashed by anyone who takes it into a post office.

[Jackdaw33]

I can remember when we used to have to cross cheques personally and write A/C payee only between the lines.

[Baldric]

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/postal-orders-faqs

[SirOracle]

Is there no such thing nowadays as the Post Office Bank.?

In my PO there are leaflets trying to cajole me into moving to their bank,which I think is associated with an Irish bank.

[Baldric]

Eddie, click on "what is the difference" in my link ^^^

[Mamyalynne]

Or mine ;-)

[Mamyalynne]

Years since I had a Postal Order.

[ABerrant]

Hmmm... A Post Office Savings Account is a Savings Account operated by a Bank (Bank of Ireland UK) - seems to fit two of the three options open for a crossed Postal Order transaction.

To save a phone call you could enquire digitally...

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/postal-orders-enquiry

[EDDIE51]

Baldric your link says that a crossed postal order can be paid into a bank account or savings account. Which means grizzle bear should have been allowed to pay it into his saving account.
It also says an uncrossed postal order is just like cash and can be cashed at any post office , which is what I said.