Online shopping boom boosts postal orders

Nearly one in three Postal Orders sold are now being used to pay for goods bought by online and home shoppers. The Post Office® has calculated that GBP 104 million worth of Postal Orders will be sold to fund the UK’s online and home shopping boom this year.
The figures show that a new generation of shoppers are relying on the security and convenience of the traditional Postal Order for their virtual shopping trips. Kevin McAdam, Post Office Ltd, said: “Postal Orders are proving perfect for people who don’t want to give out their bank account details online or over the telephone, or where they cannot use cash.

“We have seen sales of Postal Orders for eBay purchases alone almost double in the last two years. They now account for seven per cent of all Postal Order sales and make up a significant proportion of the 30 per cent used for online shopping and catalogue orders.

“They can also be cashed in more than 21 countries worldwide, making them an ideal and secure way to pay for international goods online.”

Postal Orders have been revamped to allow customers to buy one single Postal Order for any value (e.g. GBP 6.99) up to a value of GBP 250. Until now, they were only available in separate values and postage stamps were used to make up the odd pence difference. A security bar code has also been added to the new design so that Postal Orders can easily be tracked.

The new Postal Orders look similar to a cheque and the name of the recipient can be printed on the order, making it more secure. But unlike a cheque the seller doesn’t need to wait for bank clearance allowing them to access the money immediately. For customers without bank accounts or access to plastic or cheques, Postal Orders offer a safe and convenient way to make purchases where they cannot use cash.

Available now at all 14,300 Post Office® branches, the new Postal Orders can now also be processed through bank clearance systems, so retailers can accept them more easily.