Does anything special need to be done before mailing a rather large check?

[Jeff7]

I need to send money to my sister, a few thousand dollars. I've never sent a check through the mail for that amount of money. Is it fine in a regular envelope, or should I get a Priority Mail envelope. Is a personal check ok for this stuff?

I think the biggest check I've ever written was for college tuition, but it was handed directly to a person at the bursar's office. Maybe I'm thinking/worrying too much about this.









No, there shall be no pics of my sister.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

If it is that important, just send it USPS Express for about $15. Otherwise just mail it in a normal envelope wrapped with a piece of paper around the check.

 

[Casawi]

No, the check is in your sisters name and only her should cash it. If she does not receive it by expected date, you simple call the bank and say I report a stolen check number blah ... and you send your sister another check. It is simple.

 

[Canai]

Just get one of those security envelopes and fold a piece of paper in thirds, putting the check inside the folded paper. That way, it won't look like a check if held up to light.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Casawi
No, the check is in your sisters name and only her should cash it. If she does not receive it by expected date, you simple call the bank and say I report a stolen check number blah ... and you send your sister another check. It is simple.

That's all I'm worried about, would be someone else getting it, and a bank not checking ID. (Sure, it's only a few thousand, no need to check ID. )

Should I write "For Deposit Only" on the back, too?

 

[compuwiz1]

Other options:

Wire Transfer
Money Gram
Western Union

And....if she has an account with a national bank and there happens to be a branch near you, you can get her account number and make a direct cash deposit into her account. You can get a receipt from the bank to confirm the deposit. Just ask them to verify that the account does infact belong to her.

 

[Casawi]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: Casawi
No, the check is in your sisters name and only her should cash it. If she does not receive it by expected date, you simple call the bank and say I report a stolen check number blah ... and you send your sister another check. It is simple.

That's all I'm worried about, would be someone else getting it, and a bank not checking ID. (Sure, it's only a few thousand, no need to check ID. )

Should I write "For Deposit Only" on the back, too?

If you want. But I don't think you are responsible if someone else cashes it. They should always check I.D. Plus you can report it stolen in 5mins.

 

[Anubis]

just do a wire transfer

 

[Jeff7]

Never done a wire transfer before. Do I just go to my bank and say "I want to do a wire transfer to this person," or what's involved? Any fees?

 

[FoBoT]

normal should be fine
if you are paranoid, do ups/fedex for the tracking

 

[KevinH]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Never done a wire transfer before. Do I just go to my bank and say "I want to do a wire transfer to this person," or what's involved? Any fees?

If her bank is a national one where there's a branch near you as well you can just do as Compuwiz suggested. I've deposited money into people's account quite a few times that way.

 

[Eli]

I don't think so.

A few weeks ago, I was given a bank deposit for over $600,000.00. :shocked:

It was just in a plastic security envelope.

 

[gsethi]

Why are you so afraid ? We send checks all the time in the tune of thousands of $$ via normal first class mail. just use a plain letter sized paper and fold it into 1/3rd and place the check between the folds so that anyone cannot guess whats inside (if you are really worried).

if the mail ever gets lost, you just have to call a bank and put a stop payment on the check. Banks WILL (or should for lazy bank tellers) check for ID before they will cash a check.

Or if your sister has an account with a branch that you have access to, just go and deposit the check in her account.

 

[eelw]

How much are Paypal fees for a amount this much?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: eelw
How much are Paypal fees for a amount this much?

2.9%, plus 30 cents
It'd be over $100. Hell. No.

Originally posted by: gsethi
Why are you so afraid ? We send checks all the time in the tune of thousands of $$ via normal first class mail. just use a plain letter sized paper and fold it into 1/3rd and place the check between the folds so that anyone cannot guess whats inside (if you are really worried).

if the mail ever gets lost, you just have to call a bank and put a stop payment on the check. Banks WILL (or should for lazy bank tellers) check for ID before they will cash a check.

Or if your sister has an account with a branch that you have access to, just go and deposit the check in her account.

I'm a college student who's never had to make big payments on anything, except tuition, and my car, and those checks were handed directly to a person. The most I've ever sent through the mail was probably an auto insurance check for around $600, back when I was 18.

Looks like I'll just put a check in the mail.

I don't know what bank she uses (I could like, maybe, you know, possibly, ask her; I have the funds in my Wachovia account, which I have yet to close - there are no Wachovia branches anywhere near Erie.

A check in the mail it shall be.
You may all return to your regularly scheduled lives now. Thank you.

 

[Kelemvor]

Do you have an online billpay system setup at your bank? If so, set your sis up as a Payee and send it that way. Then if something happened they can trace it stop it, reissue it, etc all at no cost to you.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Do you have an online billpay system setup at your bank? If so, set your sis up as a Payee and send it that way. Then if something happened they can trace it stop it, reissue it, etc all at no cost to you.

You can do a regular transfer between different banks.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Never done a wire transfer before. Do I just go to my bank and say "I want to do a wire transfer to this person," or what's involved? Any fees?

Yes and you would need her bank's routing number, name and account number.

However a wire transfer is overkill since 1) you know her 2) time isn't of the essence and 3) $0.41 postage is a lot cheaper than $20 - $30 wire transfer fee.

Just make sure that you signed the check, put it inside a security envelope or concealed in paper and address it properly. Call her in a few days to make sure she received it and bitch at her until she cashes it.

/thread

 

[isekii]

Do you both use the same bank ?

 

[alrocky]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: gsethi
Or if your sister has an account with a branch that you have access to, just go and deposit the check in her account.

I don't know what bank she uses - I could like, maybe, you know, possibly, ask her.

If there is a local branch nearby, you can simply deposit the money in her account. (If you deposit cash she has access to it immediately.) This is the fastest and cheapest method.

 

[Tiamat]

you dont really have to worry about it. I've never had any problems just using a normal envelop. I've sent rent checks like this without any problems. I have also sent and received checks to/from my parents without problems in relatively high $ amounts.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
No, there shall be no pics of my sister.

Asshole.

 

[Pepsi90919]

a large envelope

 

[Mday]

i would have suggested fedex. =\

 

[mooglemania85]

I was expecting something more like this