(PSA)Postal Money order problem...

[Jadkins87]

Hey everybody wanted to give y'all a heads up. I accepted a postal money order for payment.
I received the money order today took it into my local post office to cash it and was informed that they did not have enough cash in the register to cash it. I was blown away how they don't have the cash on hand to cash them but sale them all day. I was informed that most people are paying with cards for them. Which leave them no cash to cash them. Post master told me to try my bank and it was closed by the time I got there she did inform me that some of the banks in town will not accept them. So I have to check back in tomorrow and spend more gas being I live out in the county.

Anyone else have this happen..??

God Bless

JDAS

[15meter]

Always have cashed them at my bank with no problems, plus the tellers are nice kids who are pleasant to do business with.

[M-Tecs]

The USPS will/should confirm the serial number. With the USPS once they pay you if it is fake that is their problem. With a bank if it comes back fake they will take the money from your account.

If the amount is large I call the PO and inform them I will be cash a USPS MO for this amount on an agreed upon date within a day or two. After a friend got burned with a fake USPS MO I only cash them at the PO.

[kevin c]

I got the same story from the PO about 5 years ago. It didn’t help that I was going to pay back most of it on outgoing Priority Mail shipments.

[Shawlerbrook]

Always cashed them at my local bank and never had a problem.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I've encountered that a number of times. I just routinely deposit them in my checking account. I've never had one bounce, nor have I seen a fake USPS money order, but I've heard that they exist.

DG

[marlin39a]

I have the exact problem with my small PO. And the banking app on my phone won’t accept them as a mobile deposit. A round trip to my bank is 60 miles.

[Finster101]

As a buyer if a PO is the only form of payment accepted, I will pass on the item. They are not worth the effort.

[RustyReel]

I have had the same issue cashing them at the PO. The one time they had enough $$ to cash one the clerk had to go into the back and call someone, somewhere, to verify it was good. Took a LONG time for her to do that. Like others, I just cash them at my bank and if I run into a teller who is concerned about it I simply deposit it. I always check on line to see if the MO's are good.

[schutzen-jager]

ongoing problem with my local USPO for years - never have cash. even in small amounts -

[Dusty Bannister]

If I am only mailing a package, I go early in the day. If a USPS MO is involved, I go later in the afternoon. Some do not have that option. I usually request USPS MO so if that is a problem, please do not feel upset if I decline accepting a personal check on the first transaction.

[Kestrel4k]

The 'funny' part is that the Post Office (at least mine) won't even take them as payments for buying money orders. :-/

[jdgabbard]

I have the exact problem with my small PO. And the banking app on my phone won’t accept them as a mobile deposit. A round trip to my bank is 60 miles.

Yep, my bank is my hometown bank which is a 3hr driver from my actual home. Their primitive mobile App doesn't allow for depositing remotely. Making MOs, whether USPS or another impossible to cash. I've got one for $10 that's never been cashed and I'm using as a book marker at the moment...


As a buyer if a PO is the only form of payment accepted, I will pass on the item. They are not worth the effort.

Ditto. I understand why people like them. But they are far too much of a hassle to deal with. There are WAY too many other options for payment these days. Ok, you don't like government overreach of taxes, and fees to use the service. Who does... But even my barber shop charges for coffee these days. If you don't like Paypal (which is like the universal payment for anything these days), or you're concerned that they wont cover you if there is an issue since it is firearm related, use GunTab!!! It literally was designed to be the Paypal for Firearms. They hold the money in trust until the buyer receives the item and inspects. If there is an issue they can file a dispute, and either coordinate a return, or help with a resolution. That way neither buyer nor seller gets scammed.

But seriously though, there are zero good reasons to only accept PO MOs. Get with the times...


If I am only mailing a package, I go early in the day. If a USPS MO is involved, I go later in the afternoon. Some do not have that option. I usually request USPS MO so if that is a problem, please do not feel upset if I decline accepting a personal check on the first transaction.

PO MOs are terrible to get any time of day in my experience. That said, I won't take it personal, I don't like sending people personal checks these days. Your account number is right there on them. It is too easy to use a personal check to set up eCheck payments. You literally just gave someone all the information they need to do an eCheck on your account. Then the burden is on you to prove it wasn't you. I'll pass too on sending MOs or Checks.... MOs are a PITA, and Checks are no longer secure.

[Rickf1985]

I am in the same boat with getting money orders for payment. I am disabled and my post office is far from ADA compliant. Which means standing in line. I cannot stand for much more than 3-4 minutes without walking. So if a sale says MO only I will pass on that sale. People seem to think going through Paypal is against their principals due to them being anti gun. Well, check your bank and credit cards, Those companies are also . Are you going to hide your money in the mattress and send cash through the mail for payments? I am pretty sure you will find the USPS is also antigun. If you want to do business anymore you have to accept the fact that payments will be through some form of electronic payments.

[hoodat]

I'm hearing about Venmo all the time. My wife has an account, and uses it to transfer money to her daughter and among other family members. I'm kind of clueless and wondering it something like that might be a possibility for easy internet, and mail commerce. jd

[ascast]

I have always found them, to be a PITA for all the reasons mentioned. Electronic payments are the way to go. I hate gong out of my way to get them or cash them. It lowers my bid ceiling by 10-15$ for the inconvenience to me.

[jdgabbard]

I'm hearing about Venmo all the time. My wife has an account, and uses it to transfer money to her daughter and among other family members. I'm kind of clueless and wondering it something like that might be a possibility for easy internet, and mail commerce. jd

I wouldn't suggest Venmo. It doesn't have any type of buyer/seller protection. GunTab does. I prefer paypal for most things. But once I get over a certain amount, say a few hundred, we're into the "need to protect the purchase" territory. Meaning that either Paypal or GunTab is the way to go.

Also, keep in mind, there are ZERO PROTECTIONS for buyers who use MOs. You can dispute it all you want, but if it went to the intended party and they cash it, the money is gone.

[imashooter2]

I have had the PO say they were short cash. I was told to come back in a few hours and they should be able to cover. That was in 2019 or so. I can see how the accelerating use of credit cards for all transactions due to recent events would be impacting their cash on hand. Certainly something to think about.

Oh, and here in the suburbs there are half a dozen *** within 5-10 minutes driving.

[Rickf1985]

I wouldn't suggest Venmo. It doesn't have any type of buyer/seller protection. GunTab does. I prefer paypal for most things. But once I get over a certain amount, say a few hundred, we're into the "need to protect the purchase" territory. Meaning that either Paypal or GunTab is the way to go.

Also, keep in mind, there are ZERO PROTECTIONS for buyers who use MOs. You can dispute it all you want, but if it went to the intended party and they cash it, the money is gone.

What is guntab? Never heard of it and I have never seen it suggested as payment on any forums.

[jdgabbard]

What is guntab? Never heard of it and I have never seen it suggested as payment on any forums.

It's been mentioned a lot. But you won't hear of it much these days because Gunbroker sort of killed it as a payment option. They were planning on releasing their own version of a payment system like Paypal or Guntab, but simply dropped the ball after they removed Guntab.

In short, it's a payment platform like Paypal. Only with differences, see this: https://www.guntab.com/help/articles/how-does-the-guntab-process-work



GunTab is escrow, so our process is slightly different from a payment platform. We hold the buyer’s payment:

1. First, the Buyer can send a payment offer or the Seller can send a payment request or post a “Pay with GunTab” button, then the counterparty accepts. (See Getting Started to learn more.)

2. For a firearm, or anything else that requires transfer through a gun dealer, GunTab helps the Buyer find a local gun dealer who can accept the firearm shipment and conduct the background check. For other transactions, GunTab asks the Buyer for an ordinary shipping address. Then GunTab collects the Buyer’s payment information and gets the payment processed.

3. After the payment has been processed, GunTab sends shipping instructions to the Seller.

4. When the shipment is marked as delivered, the Buyer’s 3-day inspection period begins. Any dispute must be filed in this period. If there is no problem, the buyer can accept early or allow the inspection period to end automatically.

5. As soon as the inspection period ends without a dispute, GunTab disburses the funds directly to the Seller’s bank account.


Think of it as a third party to oversee payment, and make sure nobody gets screwed. I personally LOVE it. I only wish more people used it. Like you said, you've never heard of it.... But the feels are pretty low too. Basically 3% for the service, buyer pays a 3% Credit Card fee if they use that option. I personally have it setup with my banking information so I don't pay that extra 3%.

[lightload]

My post office is always short on cash. I will take a check from old heads here. Sometimes I send cash in the mail at my own risk. I learned that if a letter with a money order gets lost or stolen, I still lose. Pay Pal burned me. No thank you. Money orders are a pain.

[farmbif]

ive never had a bank where I had an account refuse a US postal money order and I dont do much online anything so I dont have PayPal, hello or any of them other things

[mf79]

do wal mart money orders, they charge but they cash them

[scattershot]

Happened to me a few years back, so now I avoid them like the plague.

[jmorris]

Yes. If I want to cash one, I never go there in the morning, I wait until later in the day (the closer to close, the more cash in tills).

My bank also takes them but then, you may as well accepted a check...

[HATCH]

Yes. If I want to cash one, I never go there in the morning, I wait until later in the day (the closer to close, the more cash in tills).

My bank also takes them but then, you may as well accepted a check...

This is exactly what I was about to type.
I found out years ago. The USPS opens the drawer with less then $200 in small bills/change.
I would walk in with a $800 money order and was told the exact same thing. Didn't have cash.
So now I just deposit it in my bank and not worry about it. My bank will not cash a USPS money order. They will only deposit it.

They only have large amounts of cash when people bring in cash to purchase money orders.
Money orders can only be purchased with Debit cards (with pin) or cash.

[maddog13]

Never had any trouble cashing postal money orders. I can do it at my bank or even better I just take it to my local liquor store and the owner of the store does it for me no problem, no charge

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

My favorite clerk at my small town post office, starts work at noon or 1pm? Anyway, her drawer is always light of cash until 3 or 4 pm.
I go, when I go, if they are light on cash, I got to my local bank (2 blocks away)...it's nice living in a small town...and after reading this thread, I am gonna ask the USPS clerk to confirm the serial number before I head off to bank, thanks M-Tecs for that bit of info.

[35 Rem]

Since I only buy and practically never sell anything I just realized that I've never received a Money Order but I would assume that most would take it to a bank to cash. I would have never thought to take it back to the post office to get cash for it.