Purpose
The purpose of Money Orders (MO) and Postal Orders (PO) is to provide a secure means of transmitting funds through the mail, as it is not safe to send actual currency through the mail.
Post Office Responsibility
Post Office staff:
a. May not pass on any information to anyone other than sender or the payee of each Order; and
b. Will provide all possible help to customers who want to use MO and PO services, but once an order has been paid, the Post Office is not liable for any further claims for payment.
Customer Responsibility
Persons who send MOs and POs:
a. Must save the proof of purchase portion, that is the small numbered coupon from the MO or the counterfoil from the PO – until they receive acknowledgement that the order was received.
b. Must clearly address the envelope as fully as possible and ensure that it is completely sealed.
c. Should consider sending the envelope by registered mail, since the registered receipt facilitate tracing undelivered letters.
ORDINARY MONEY ORDERS
Countries involved:
St. Lucia issues money orders for payment in all other Eastern Caribbean (EC) Countries and Barbados.
St. Lucia pays money orders issued by all other EC Countries, Barbados, British Virgin Islands (Tortola), Canada and the United States of America.
FAX MONEY ORDERS
A reciprocal fax money order service exist between the Countries of Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada and Guyana with St. Lucia.
The following conditions apply to both the ordinary and fax money order services (except crossed MOs):
Amounts & Fees
The maximum amount on a MO that is issued in St. Lucia is EC$240.00.
MOs issued in St. Lucia for payment overseas are made out in the currency of the paying Country.
Completing Orders
The sender must complete in ink a MO Requisition Form, which is supplied free at every Post Office, and enter:
a. The Amount required, in the currency of the paying Country.
b. Paying Office. The name of the Office at which the MO is to be paid and the Country. If the Sender wants to have the MO paid out only by a Bank, he should cross it on the front.
c. Payee Name/Title. The full legal name and address of the payee.
d. Sender Name/Title. The full name and address of the remitter.
Valid Periods
a. An inland MO is valid for 3 months after the date of issue.
b. An MO payable overseas is valid for 12 months after the date of issue, after which time it becomes void.
c. An MO from overseas payable in St. Lucia is valid for the period of time stipulated by the issuing country.
Payment of Orders
a. Payee Identification. All MOs presented for payment must be properly receipted by the payee or an authorized person by the payee. For all MOs, the payee must satisfy the paying officer that he is the rightful payee.
b. Payment to an Organization: if an MO is made payable to an company, corporation, firm, the name of the organization must be stamped or written in the space for the receipt, and below the stamp must appear the signature and description of the position of an authorized officer.
POSTAL ORDERS (British)
St. Lucia is among the Countries, which participate in an arrangement with the United Kingdom to issue and pay British Postal orders.
Value of POs
Denominations range from 25 pence to 20 Pounds.
Service Charge
A fee is chargeable on every PO issued. This amount is additional to the amount paid as the actual face value of the order. The fee:
a. Varies according to the face value of the order
b. Is affected by fluctuations of the foreign exchange rate.
Completing Orders
The sender must complete the PO in ink:
a. Paying Office. The name of the Post Office at which the PO is to be paid in the UK. If the Sender wants to have the PO paid out only by a Bank, he should cross it on the front.
b. Payee Name/Title. The full legal name and address of the payee.