# Mailing Cheques



## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

As the date of my move approaches, new crises seem to develope by the hour.

Clients in the US will be paying me by cheque. I have found a bank that (says that they) will allow me to cash/deposit US cheques drawn in USD on US banks. (Alternatively, on receipt of a cheque, I could use my US bank's iPhone app to deposit into a US account.)

My plan was to use MBE to receive the few pieces of mail from the US each month. However, my research on a Facebook Puerto Vallarta group has me in a state. Evidently, they do not permit cheques to be sent from outside Mexico. (I've checked both US postal regulations & the list of items Aduana prohibits. I think I've identified the error: cheques payable to bearer (as opposed to a specific person) are not permitted. I doubt I will be able to educate anyone on the subject, however.)

Any suggestions? I may have to ask clients to send cheques directly to my US bank, but that's a bit awkward, the bank is picky about endorsement, & other than monitoring my account I won't really know when I've been paid. Also, I really had hoped to close my US account.

Note: I know that the cashing process would take some time. I know many banks simply will not do it. I have discussed the work situation with the consulate in DC.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Clients could use their own bank‘s Bill-Pay service to pay to your bank account directly, online. Otherwise, they would have to send you a paper check, made out to your name, to you at your MBE mail service box, and you could then scan and deposit the check to your US account via computer or iPhone; or even endorse it and mail it back to your US bank. 
As you can see, the Bill Pay approach is safer, convenient and instant. You can see and monitor payments online.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

RVGRINGO said:


> Clients could use their own bank‘s Bill-Pay service to pay to your bank account directly, online. Otherwise, they would have to send you a paper check, made out to your name, to you at your MBE mail service box, and you could then scan and deposit the check to your US account via computer or iPhone; or even endorse it and mail it back to your US bank.
> As you can see, the Bill Pay approach is safer, convenient and instant. You can see and monitor payments online.


Hmm - I've used my BofA BillPay to pay credit card balances and my wife's cell phone balance. I never thought of using it to transfer funds to an individual - although I really don't need that in the US. In Mexico I make SPEI transfers all the time. At one of our banks the SPEI transfers are free but can take two hours to set up. At the other bank there is a small fee for the transfers and they are next day. There have been times when we have received US checks in Mexico - like when we get our Costco rebate check. On those occasions I take a photo of the check and deposit it into our US bank. Every month my wife's compensation is wired into our US bank - at no cost to us but I'm not sure if there is a fee on the sender's side.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

chuck846 said:


> Hmm - I've used my BofA BillPay to pay credit card balances and my wife's cell phone balance. I never thought of using it to transfer funds to an individual - although I really don't need that in the US. In Mexico I make SPEI transfers all the time. At one of our banks the SPEI transfers are free but can take two hours to set up. At the other bank there is a small fee for the transfers and they are next day. There have been times when we have received US checks in Mexico - like when we get our Costco rebate check. On those occasions I take a photo of the check and deposit it into our US bank. Every month my wife's compensation is wired into our US bank - at no cost to us but I'm not sure if there is a fee on the sender's side.


You've not had any problems having cheques sent to you from the US into Mexico? (I know I seem redundant; I'm sorry.) As long as I can get them to me, I'm okay dealing with the expected delays in actually crediting the account.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I don't know if this will help, but this is what I do with clients I have in the US. Rather than sending me checks, they make online direct deposits to my BofA account. Then I can withdraw the funds using a Santander ATM here in Mexico.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

ExpatEmigre said:


> You've not had any problems having cheques sent to you from the US into Mexico? (I know I seem redundant; I'm sorry.) As long as I can get them to me, I'm okay dealing with the expected delays in actually crediting the account.


I really like RVGRINGO idea of BillPay.

The flow has pretty much dried up at this point but we had a friend receive our US mail and perhaps every other month or so send it along in a bundle. 

We have NEVER had any of our mail - particularly an envelope - opened and inspected in Mexico. We have tried to go paperless wherever possible - but like with Schwab - they say they need to send some stuff physical in case there is fraud involved on one of our accounts. Trouble is - we do something in January and receive physical confirmation in April - that doesn't say much for fraud prevention.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Paper checks? Surely you are ribbing us.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

Hound Dog said:


> Paper checks? Surely you are ribbing us.


I can't speak to an ongoing relationship - but for example - whenever you close an account in the US - with the phone company, cable company, utility company - those folks are not going to make an electronic payment to you - they are going to cut a physical check.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

I’ve had clients in the U.S. who paid me by remittance mechanisms (the transfer mechanisms marketed to Mexican workers in the U.S. who send their money to family in Mexico). Since it’s quite a competitive market, the cost is minimal. The other method I’ve used to receive money is a bank transfer.

The last time I got a cheque from a U.S. client, I had a lot of trouble getting my Mexican bank to accept it for deposit. Since I’m not American, I don’t have a U.S. bank account, so that isn’t an option in my case.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I suggest that the next time you see the need for a paper check, you have Wells Fargo deliver it on the next stagecoach out of San Francisco. i have lived in primitive Chiapas State for nearly a decade and have never laid eyes on even one personal bañk check.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

Hound Dog said:


> I suggest that the next time you see the need for a paper check, you have Wells Fargo deliver it on the next stagecoach out of San Franciso. II have lived in primitive Chiapas State for nearly a decade and have laod eyes on a personal check.


Well I'll give you two examples - when we first came here (Mexico) we rented and signed a 'proposal' to rent a house. We provided a Mexican check as validation of our intention - while we waited for the owner to accept.

When we closed on our house (in Mexico) we paid via a cashier's check. The first thing the sellers did was rush off to the bank to make sure it cleared.

Giddy up !


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> I suggest that the next time you see the need for a paper check, you have Wells Fargo deliver it on the next stagecoach out of San Francisco. i have lived in primitive Chiapas State for nearly a decade and have never laid eyes on even one personal bañk check.


HD, that could be because personal checks are rarely used in Mexico, hence, the popularity of making bank deposits in the account of someone you are doing business with. But in the States, they are still widely used.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

chuck846 said:


> Well I'll give you two examples - when we first came here (Mexico) we rented and signed a 'proposal' to rent a house. We provided a Mexican check as validation of our intention - while we waited for the owner to accept.
> 
> When we closed on our house (in Mexico) we paid via a cashier's check. The first thing the sellers did was rush off to the bank to make sure it cleared.
> 
> Giddy up !


OK, Chuck,I was not denigrating anyone. We have bought two houses, two cars and several household appliances in Mexico all with interbank electrónic. transfers - never a personal nor cashiers' check. Dawg was a San Francisco banker for 40 years and did not just arrive in México on the turnip truck.


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## chuck846 (Jan 15, 2016)

Hound Dog said:


> OK, Chuck,I was not denigrating anyone. We have bought two houses, two cars and several household appliances in Mexico all with interbank electrónic. transfers - never a personal nor cashiers' check. Dawg was a San Francisco banker for 40 years and did not just arrive in México on the turnip truck.


Between the US and Mexico - and over the course of 35 (or so) years we have always paid for our real-estate transactions via cashier's check. I can't even imagine a closing where you would wire money ahead of time - in case something would happen 'during' the closing. But I'm no Donald Trump.

As I said - I use SPEI transfers a lot - but there are times that a physical check is needed.

But perhaps I am just old-fashioned.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

maesonna said:


> I’ve had clients in the U.S. who paid me by remittance mechanisms (the transfer mechanisms marketed to Mexican workers in the U.S. who send their money to family in Mexico). Since it’s quite a competitive market, the cost is minimal. The other method I’ve used to receive money is a bank transfer.
> 
> The last time I got a cheque from a U.S. client, I had a lot of trouble getting my Mexican bank to accept it for deposit. Since I’m not American, I don’t have a U.S. bank account, so that isn’t an option in my case.


I have a bank that indicates it will accept for deposit the cheques. I just have no way to get them to me in Mexico. 
MBE says cheques are not allowed into Mexico from the US. That does not match any list I've seen from Aduana. I doubt any amount of time spent showing the official list will do any good. The merchant's policy is their policy. I think they're the only game in town.

Maybe I'll just have clients send to me via DHL. It seems wasteful.

Remittance services are an interesting idea, but I'm concerned that when I go to renew my RT, I won't have sufficient documentation of income. 

I really, REALLY wanted to get rid of my US account.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

Hound Dog said:


> I suggest that the next time you see the need for a paper check, you have Wells Fargo deliver it on the next stagecoach out of San Francisco. i have lived in primitive Chiapas State for nearly a decade and have never laid eyes on even one personal bañk check.


Tremendously helpful suggestion. Thank you.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

It looks like Xoom & remitly, and likely others, can deposit money from the US directly into a bank account in Mexico. I guess that sort of deposit may work for renewing the RT. Fingers crossed.


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## michmex (Jul 15, 2012)

ExpatEmigre said:


> I have a bank that indicates it will accept for deposit the cheques. I just have no way to get them to me in Mexico.
> MBE says cheques are not allowed into Mexico from the US. That does not match any list I've seen from Aduana. I doubt any amount of time spent showing the official list will do any good. The merchant's policy is their policy. I think they're the only game in town.
> 
> Maybe I'll just have clients send to me via DHL. It seems wasteful.
> ...


If you are a USA citizen with USA clients I would suggest keeping a USA bank account and then using a remittance service to send money to yourself in Mexico. Depositing checks from a USA client directly into a Mexican bank will arouse the interest of both Mexican and USA taxing authorities. As time goes on it will become more difficult to find banks that will accept non-electronic international money transfers as governments crack down on money laundering and other criminal activities.

It is prudent to keep a USA bank account as it is now very difficult to open an account without a verified USA address.

Pay Pal and Pop Money as well as bank owned services make it easy for smaller clients to pay you electronically. Read carefully the services provided by bank "Bill Payer" services as some send checks to smaller entities rather than process an electronic payment. I have used both Remitly and Xoom to send money to Mexico without any problems. I have also used Western Union Custom House and my bank's wire transfer services depending on the amount, timing requirements, exchange rate and fees.

A USA bank statement showing your clients deposits/transfers into your account will be accepted by INM as proof of your income. INM also wanted to know how I received funds in Mexico. My USA banks statements showed by wire and Xoom transfers and my Mexican bank account showed the corresponding receipt

Like the "Dawg" I haven't seen a check for 10 years including the return of various deposits. In BOTH the USA and Mexico they are becoming a relic of the past. In a past working life, I managed major business and real estate transactions (purchase and sale) by wire transfer since about 2000. Closings were never a problem although sometimes the closing was put into suspense until receipt of funds could be verified. Funds were never transferred until we closed. One drawback arising from the use of wires was that the closing was never finalized until the end of the banking day so the buyer could retain one more day's interest. 

We rented for the first 18 months in Mexico and always utilized electronic means to pay the rent. We purchased our home and closed upon the sale with an electronic transfer of funds between 2 Mexican banks. Neither the seller or myself wanted to do anything by check.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

OK, to be more helpful, I suggest that people thinking of immigrating to Mexico from foreign lands set up accounts with sophisticated internationally oriented banks who have the capacity to handle worldwide financial transactions dispositively at little or no cost. Once you get here, it is too late for most people to kick this into gear.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

Thanks, michmex. 
My predominant client's accounting "department" is... well, she is good at what she's good at. Change is difficult for her. I think she may still work out ciphers on an abacus. 
We will somehow manage.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

Hound Dog said:


> OK, to be more helpful, I suggest that people thinking of immigrating to Mexico from foreign lands set up accounts with sophisticated internationally oriented banks who have the capacity to handle worldwide financial transactions dispositively at little or no cost. Once you get here, it is too late for most people to kick this into gear.


Movement of my money once it is in one of my accounts really is not the question, though. Your strident counsel on that topic is, however, both noted and appreciated.

(The above is genuine & sincere.)


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

I recently wanted to move about $10,000 or $15,000 USD from a US bank account to a Mexican bank account. After reviewing the options, I decided the easiest thing to do was just withdraw cash on a debit card from the US and deposit it in the Mexican bank. I could move about a thousand dollars a day this way by withdrawing the daily limit on each of two debit cards, then depositing it in the Mexican account. It took a couple of weeks to move the money, but there were no fees, a decent exchange rate and the money was never in limbo anywhere. When I bought a house a half dozen years ago, I used a wire transfer and there was a somewhat nervous two or three weeks between when the money left my US account and when it showed up in my Mexican account. None of that with the debit withdrawals and cash deposits. Of course, buying a house requires too much money to move at a rate of a thousand a day, but for medium sized purchases, debit card to cash deposit is a reasonable alternative.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

ExpatEmigre said:


> Thanks, michmex.
> My predominant client's accounting "department" is... well, she is good at what she's good at. Change is difficult for her. I think she may still work out ciphers on an abacus.
> We will somehow manage.


A highly amusing observation if I must admit. All those years as a commercial banker even in supposedly progressive San Francisco taught me that we are inescapably what we are whether we are from París or Podunk, Iowa.


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## ExpatEmigre (Nov 22, 2015)

Hound Dog said:


> A highly amusing observation if I must admit. All those years as a commercial banker even in supposedly progressive San Francisco taught me that we are inescapably what we are whether we are from París or Podunk, Iowa.


Or Miami.


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