I need to make a payment in Euro's to a police department in Italy (don't ask). I've been to several banks that either can't or won't cut me a check in euros made out to the police so I can send it. I do have what I believe is the Italian bank routing and account number. Any idea's how I can get this done? Thanks in advance.

Can you just send them signed traveler's checks in euros?

They don't cut a check, they do an international wire transfer. Your bank should have no problem doing that. If they do, you need to find a new bank. There will be a fee (sometimes quite hefty). My bank charges $40 for international.

In 1995 sent lira by check to a hotel in Rome. Called Reusch International (Found name in travel guide) in Washington DC, sent them the money (personal check) including a minimal fee and they sent me a check. I tried to find their web-site but am somewhat confused by what comes up on Google, so I am sending what I believe is the contact information:

Ruesch International
700 11th St NW Suite 400
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 408-1200

Also found these two web-sites that may be able to cut a check for you:
http://www1.foreignmoney.com/
www.travelexbusiness.com/

Just did some more work. Try this web-site:http://www.travelexbusiness.com/na/p...aking-payments. It appears to be Reusch's new name. There is an 800 number at the bottom that you can call.

Yes, you could use any of the money transfer services, but I think the OP was wanting to use his bank. Instead of asking them to cut a check he should be asking to do a wire transfer.

Western Union is probably easier to find than Travelex since
WU is in many grocery stores. Western Union charges a $15 fee plus they give a lousy exchange rate.
http://www.westernunion.com/info/selectCountry.asp

Ruesch doesn't exist anymore. Travelex can do that for you, if you want to pay a fee. Of course your bank can't cut a check in euros; it's not the US currency.

You can do one of two things: have your bank or travlex send an international draft in euros, or have either of them send a wire. The fee for a draft will be about $7.00; for a wire transfer, about $25-$40.

P.S. I wouldn't do Western Union - it's not secure.

I wouldn't do traveler's checks either, as the receiving bank will charge your recipient a good deal to accept and deposit them.

Hi tj,

>I've been to several banks that either can't or won't cut me a check in euros...<

Did you say, "I need to send Euros. How do I do it?", or "Cut me a check in Euros"?

Some clerks can be very literal.

Go to the post office and buy an international moneys order..

When we have to send money to European businesses from the States, we just have our bank do a wire transfer, as others above have mentioned. Unlike some others' experience however, the type of account we have with our bank includes FREE wire transfers. So you can ask what your bank would charge YOU (not the general charge, but the one that applies to the type of account you have) for same.

>>>I wouldn't do Western Union - it's not secure.<<<

How did you determine that? I've dealt with several places in Italy that wouldn't accept anything else. In the chain groceries (Kroger for one) in my area, WU's are inside the store. There are always people lined up to send money out of the country. I can't imagine Travelex (which doesn't exist in my area) would be any more secure or operate any differently.

How did I determine that? Well, when you send something by Western Union, all the recipient has to do is show up at a WU office with an ID and pick up the money. Could be a fake ID - happens all the time in Nairobi where I work with some frequency.

If you send an international draft it goes directly to the address of the person you're sending the money to. When you send a wire transfer, it goes directly into that person's account at his/her bank.

That's not how it worked when I sent money last year. You had to give the person picking it up the 10 digit number which I sent to them by e-mail and you had to have to a specific person and address.

One of my European clients paid me once via MoneyGram, so I imagine it could work in "the opposite direction" from America to Europe. Similar to what KYbourbon described, the client furnished me with a code and I had to present photo ID at a MoneyGram location, which turned out to be a Walmart just south of the town I live in.

BC