Hi,
Is there a cheap/free way of getting a US$-denominated money order? It only needs to be for $10, but the bank will charge me more than that on top!
Unfortunately the only forms of payment the recipient accepts are money orders and certified cheques, whatever they might be.
Thanks
- Ian
Will they really not accept a $10 bill or even a $10 signed travellers cheque in the mail?
Money orders are long dead in the UK - what your bank will give you (for that hefty fee) is effectively a certified cheque. Thomas Cook do something similar, but the last time I enquired it was a flat fee of £10.
Unfortunately not -- it's the City of New York I'm sending it to, and they're not exactly being flexible.
- Ian
The only thing I can think of is if you have a colleague going to the US on holiday (or business) is to get him to buy a US money order there from a Post Office and reimburse him. Or possibly a contact in a US university, if you have one. Send him some cash, get him to buy one.
The Post Office here long ago gave up on money orders - they now offer a fairly expensive moneygram service internationally and postal orders domesticly. The latter are cashable overseas but only in smaller commonwealth countries. Banks will provide you with foreign currency cheques, for a large fee, or do an electronic transfer, ditto. Small sums, especially to larger inflexible organisations, are a nightmare, as you've found.
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