Romania Post Modernizes Financial Services
The Romanian Post has extended its automated counter network to 210 post offices. At the beginning of the year the number of the automated post offices was 73 and they were located in the main cities. Today, automated postal services are available in all the cities in Romania. The post offices’ connection to the Romanian Post information network ensures the real-time provision of the financial postal services: on-line money orders, Western Union money transfers, and Eurogiro transactions. The services are based on the most modern data transmission protocols, which are using new methods of accessing remote databases. The on-line money order service is a quick money transfer service for unlimited amounts of money and the transaction time is within one hour. The beneficiary of the on-line money transfer may come to any automated post office in Romania and collect the money – no matter the beneficiary’s place of residence. A previous agreement between the sender and the beneficiary is needed and the latter should meet the following requirements: come to the automated post office to collect the money; know the place he expects the money from; know the amount he expects to receive; and present a valid ID. The on-line money order service is available in more than 200 post offices around the country, out of which 42 are in Bucharest. The Romanian Post intends to extend the network of automated post offices to 400 offices.
The Romanian Post is a Western Union agent for international inbound money transfers (Will Call Money Transfers) for resident and non-resident persons. For the time being, the Romanian Post has the most widespread network providing Western Union services in Romania. The Western Union transaction takes place in few minutes. The service is available for private and legal persons. There are three ways of payment: (1) at the automated post office, (2) at the beneficiary’s residence (the Romanian Post is the only provider of the home payment of the money transfer. In Europe; only Consignia is doing the same thing), and (3) “Western Union – payment by phone.” The maximum amount that can be transferred is 10,000 USD/transfer/day/person. The payment can take place in USD, in local currency or both according to the beneficiary’s request without charging any additional commission. The beneficiary must know (1) the name of the sender, (2) the expected amount of money, (3) the place and the country he/she is expecting the money from (optionally: – transfer’s control number – if communicated by the sender, and the test question and the answer – if communicated by the sender). The beneficiary must produce a valid ID.
The Romanian Post’s Eurogiro service is covering relations with Switzerland, Japan, Turkey and Germany. Customers expecting money from outside the country may receive it at automated counters in the local currency (lei) or in US Dollars via Western Union. (Source: Posta Romana)
