Letters to Santa Claus are not the only letters that fly as the holidays approach. Every year, many French people also send money to loved ones they cannot see for Christmas. However, so few people are wary of it, this method presents risks and is even regulated by La Poste, which will also experience many new features in 2023.
The sending of checks is subject to specific regulations. As explained by our colleagues from It interests me, these are considered as documents of unique value in the event of sending by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. Compensation may therefore be appropriate. It is possible to choose according to three different levels. The R1 allows you to obtain 16 euros in the event of loss or damage, the R2 insures up to 153 euros and the R3 can go up to 458 euros.
On the other hand, if you regularly send cash by post, i.e. coins or notes, it is important to know that this practice is not authorized. Indeed, La Poste considers this type of mailing to be prohibited, and any mail containing it would therefore not be subject to insurance or any type of compensation in the event of loss. Better to avoid taking risks.
However, there is another way to send money in cash or even by credit card. For this, it is necessary to go through one of the two types of international mandates from La Poste. For the ordinary, you will have to pay between 4 and 24 euros, depending on the amount sent. This method makes it possible to ship up to 3,500 euros to one of the 52 countries offered, within the time limit for sending a conventional letter. To carry out this type of mandate, all you have to do is go to a post office and fill out a form.
For an express mandate, the sending conditions are relatively the same, except that it is possible to do it directly online and that the transfer should be much faster. Indeed, with this type of sending the recipient should receive the money in 24 hours.
