How to Send Money Safely

Sending cash is the least safe way to send money, because there's no way you can prove the cash belongs to you or the recipient. So if you want to get money safely into the hands of your intended recipient, you must take a few extra precautions. Keep in mind that in many cases, taking these extra steps to assure that your money transmits to the recipient safely will come at an extra cost.

Instructions

1. Send your money via a money transfer network like Western Union or MoneyGram. These services allow you to set a password on the payment to the other party---a word or phrase that only he would know. This helps assure that your recipient is the only person with access to the funds. You can purchase the money gram online or in person at a local supermarket or check cashing location. You must pay a fee for the money transfer depending on the amount you're sending.

2. Purchase a United States Postal Service (USPS) money order and send it via certified or registered mail as another alternative for sending money safely. If for some reason your recipient doesn't receive the money in a timely fashion, you can contact the post office to run a trace and have it replaced or refunded if necessary. Registered mail is a more secure method of sending your money order compared to other mailing services---the USPS refers to this service as "maximum security" for your mailing. You can also send your money order via another shipping service, like FedEx or United Parcel Service, which insures the contents of the shipment up to a certain amount if it's lost or stolen in transit.

3. Consider sending your money to the recipient online via PayPal, an established online payment service. This service transmits payments through secure servers so third parties can't read credit card information or payment amounts. Ask your recipient to open an account with PayPal or another online payment service of your choice and send you a money request via email. You can make the secure payment or check. Keep in mind your recipient will pay a small transaction fee to receive the funds using this method.

References

• USPS: Registered Mail
• USPS: Domestic Money Orders
• PayPal: Request Money From Almost Anyone with an Email Address