Handling of Cash, Postal Orders & Cheques Policy

Reviewed: 29 January 2026

At a glance

  • We do not accept cash, postal orders or cheques as payment for UK Postbox service fees (see PCI DSS Compliance Policy).
  • If such items are received in your mail, we will handle them only under this Policy and your instructions, with strict limitations.
  • Cheque Banking / discretionary deposit of postal orders may be available subject to eligibility, AML checks and fees. Cash deposits are exceptional and require senior approval.
  • Items suspected to be linked to fraud/AML concerns will be held, escalated to the MLRO, and may be reported to authorities (no tipping‑off).
  • Carrier “insurance” often expressly excludes negotiable instruments even when purchased.

Purpose

To set clear rules for how UK Postbox handles mail that contains cash, postal orders or cheques to protect customers, staff and the business, reduce fraud/AML risk and comply with law and carrier restrictions.

Scope

  • In scope: physical currency (any denomination), UK Postal Orders, bank cheques (including banker’s drafts), money orders issued by other providers, and instruments of similar nature that arrive in customers’ mail.
  • Out of scope: card payments/tokens (handled by PSPs), bank transfers, or e‑money handled electronically.

Definitions

  • Cash: coins and banknotes of any currency.
  • Postal order: a prepaid paper instrument (e.g., UK Postal Order) that can be cashed or deposited subject to issuer rules.
  • Cheque: a written order to a bank to pay a stated sum, including banker’s drafts.
  • High‑risk item: any of the above which is high value, shows signs of tampering, forgery, or is associated with suspicious activity.

Policy statements

Non‑acceptance for UK Postbox fees

We do not accept cash, postal orders or cheques as payment for UK Postbox services under any circumstances.

Cheque/postal order deposit (no encashment)

We can deposit cheques or postal orders to your nominated bank account where eligibility and KYC/AML checks are met. We do not cash cheques or postal orders, and we do not routinely accept cash for deposit; exceptional handling requires senior approval and is subject to strict limits. We may refuse or return items at our discretion (e.g., incomplete, altered, out-of-date, suspected fraud or sanctions concerns).

Handling risk and liability

If your mail contains cash, a postal order or a cheque, handling (storage, forwarding or return) is performed solely on your instruction and at your risk. UK Postbox is not liable for the face value of these items, any failure of encashment, expiry, or bank refusal, even if loss occurs in transit.

Carrier and customs restrictions

Many carriers prohibit or exclude insurance for cash, cheques and negotiable instruments. International forwarding may be restricted or prohibited. We comply with carrier terms and will not forward where prohibited. Where forwarding is allowed, shipments are normally sent on DAP/DDU terms (Delivered at Place/Delivered Duty Unpaid – duties and taxes payable by recipient). Insurance is as offered/selected by the carrier and may exclude these items.

AML & fraud controls

Suspicious items (e.g., forged instruments, unusual volumes, mismatched identities, adverse media, sanctioned names) are quarantined and escalated to the MLRO. We may request additional verification, refuse handling, or report to authorities and the issuer. Staff must avoid tipping‑off.

Cheque Banking & Discretionary Deposit of Instruments

Service scope. UK Postbox offers a Cheque Banking Service and may, at its discretion, deposit cheques or postal orders on a customer’s behalf. Cash deposits are exceptional and subject to additional checks and limits.

Eligibility.

  • UK accounts only. We will only deposit to a UK bank account in the same name as the UK Postbox account holder (payee‑match rule).
  • Payee match. Cheques/postal orders must be payable to the account holder’s legal/registered name; we will not accept instruments payable to third parties or trading names unless verified and recorded.
  • Document quality. Instruments that are incomplete, altered, stale‑dated (cheques dated more than 6 months ago are typically rejected by banks), damaged or appear suspicious will be rejected and escalated to the MLRO.

Operational limits. We may apply value/frequency limits, require step‑up verification, and refuse deposits at our discretion. Current limits are available on request from support@ukpostbox.com.

Process & recordkeeping. We log instrument details in the Valuables Register, capture a non‑sensitive image for identification (no face of cheque/postal order), and transport deposits using dual control and tamper‑evident packaging.

Timing & clearance. Banking timeframes depend on carrier, cut‑off and bank processing. Cheques typically clear within 2–6 working days once deposited, but this depends on the receiving bank. We do not control clearing times and are not liable for bank refusal, returns or delays.

Fees. Cheque Banking / discretionary deposits incur published handling charges; postage/courier costs are separate.

AML & fraud. Deposits are subject to AML/KYC, sanctions/PEP screening and fraud checks. We may hold, refuse or report items (no tipping‑off).

Liability. We are not liable for face value or bank acceptance. Our liability (if any) is limited per our Terms & Conditions.

Customer instructions & responsibilities

  • Provide clear, lawful instructions within the platform.
  • Ensure any forwarding address is accurate and suitable to receive and encash the instrument.
  • Accept that insurance exclusions may apply and that UK Postbox is not responsible for bank refusal, expiry, currency fluctuations, or encashment failure.
  • Do not ask UK Postbox to encash instruments. Deposits may be requested only where you meet the eligibility and AML requirements in §4A; fees apply.

Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, UK Postbox is not liable for the monetary value of cash, cheques, postal orders or similar instruments contained in mail handled under this Policy. Our liability (if any) is limited per our Terms & Conditions/User Agreement and Delivery & Shipping Policy. You should not rely on UK Postbox services as your primary method for receiving high-value negotiable instruments; consider providing senders with your direct bank details instead.

Fees

Handling of these items may incur special handling fees (e.g., secure hold, ID‑verified collection, additional admin) as listed in our current Tariff. Carrier postage/shipping and customs charges are billed separately.

Loss, theft or damage

Any suspected loss, tampering or damage will be treated as a security incident and handled under our Incident Response & Breach Notification Policy. Please report any suspected loss, theft, or tampering within 24 hours of discovery. Where criminality is suspected, we may notify law enforcement and the issuer. Where carrier loss is claimed, we will assist with claim submission; however, carrier insurance may exclude these items.

Compliance

This Policy supports compliance with the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended), the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Fraud Act 2006, and the Sanctions and Anti‑Money Laundering Act 2018. It is operated consistently with applicable principles under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and aligned with our AML & KYC Policy.

Records, retention & audit

Entries in the Valuables Register, related correspondence, approvals, transport receipts and outcomes are retained for five (5) years from the handling date (or longer if legally required or under legal hold). Access to records is role‑restricted and audit‑logged.

Training & controls

Mailroom staff receive training on identification of negotiable instruments, secure handling, AML red flags and escalation to the MLRO. Access to secure storage is role‑restricted and logged; daily reconciliations and dual‑sign counts are mandatory for custody movements.

UK Postbox Limited

13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FH, United Kingdom


Support: support@ukpostbox.com

Security: security@ukpostbox.com

Legal notices: legal@ukpostbox.com

Data protection: dpo@ukpostbox.com

Complaints: complaints@ukpostbox.com

Accessibility: accessibility@ukpostbox.com

Website: www.ukpostbox.com


Registered in England and Wales Company Number: 06723381

MLR registration no: XLML00000192390

ICO registration no: ZA038907