How do you cash an International Cheque?

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks to ALL who contributed and I think we are over the line.

Opened a GSB Savings account this morn and traversed over to their Southland Branch which is only 1.7km from our office.

Staff member was quick to tell me that GSB are indeed the only bank in AU that will accept deposits of foreign currency cheques.

It can take up to 90 days to clear and if AUD receipt amt is < $5K fee is $15 - if greater than $5K then fee is $65. Hopefully we get clearance in time as cheque was marked 'Clear before 212/02/2026' - we wait with bated breath

 

[OZDUCK]

A few more people will be struggling with this shortly.

US lawsuit results in mystery cheque from Amazon in woman's mailbox

Australian woman Laura Wells was confused to find an "official-looking letter" from the US with a $51 reimbursement, but it turns out it was legitimate.

www.abc.net.au

 

[RB001]

A few more people will be struggling with this shortly.

US lawsuit results in mystery cheque from Amazon in woman's mailbox

Australian woman Laura Wells was confused to find an "official-looking letter" from the US with a $51 reimbursement, but it turns out it was legitimate.

www.abc.net.au

Seems GSB will be seeing a temporary uptick in new accounts...

 

[pagingjoan]

Thanks to ALL who contributed and I think we are over the line.

Opened a GSB Savings account this morn and traversed over to their Southland Branch which is only 1.7km from our office.

Staff member was quick to tell me that GSB are indeed the only bank in AU that will accept deposits of foreign currency cheques.

It can take up to 90 days to clear and if AUD receipt amt is < $5K fee is $15 - if greater than $5K then fee is $65. Hopefully we get clearance in time as cheque was marked 'Clear before 212/02/2026' - we wait with bated breath

Good to hear, CE.

I checked in with GSB today, also.
My partner's cheque is in Euros, and five figures, so this whole thing has been a pain for months already.

No possibility of assigning the cheque to me to be paid into my existing GSB account, as the account must align with the name on the cheque.
And the communication process with the German bank will take eight to ten weeks, plus up to another 60 days before the funds are available, after the validation process has been completed.

Lord knows what happens. Perhaps someone takes a sea voyage to Europe and back, cheque in hand?

But there is a real possibility of finalisation, so my thanks again to Aeryn and others for the excellent advice - and to Cruiser Elite for raising the question.

This is a brilliant forum.

 

[ayebee]

The reference to GSB is of interest to me.
I have been with them (ie their previous IDs through PICCOL and CUA) for decades.

A few months back I had an AUD cheque which I wanted to deposit and the Southland branch advised me they no longer accepted any cheques !!
ANZ came to the party which I appreciated, but I was seriously annoyed with GSB.

I am intrigued they will accept an international cheque, but not an AUD one !!

 

[pagingjoan]

The reference to GSB is of interest to me.
I have been with them (ie their previous IDs through PICCOL and CUA) for decades.

A few months back I had an AUD cheque which I wanted to deposit and the Southland branch advised me they no longer accepted any cheques !!
ANZ came to the party which I appreciated, but I was seriously annoyed with GSB.

I am intrigued they will accept an international cheque, but not an AUD one !!

We must have been separated at birth! I was with PICCOL and CUA, too.
I don't have enough fingers to calculate the number of years since I first signed up with PICCOL.
Was it API before that? Or was that a different but related entity?

The Branch I contacted is in William St in the CBD. They confirmed that they will accept the foreign currency cheque.
Don't know about AUD cheques, though.

 

[AuSammy]

I regularly incur expenses on behalf of an organisation who reimburse me by sending a cheque.

I have repeatedly asked if they could deposit directly but they tell me their processes require a cheque to be issued with two separate delegate signatures. i usually deposit these into an ANZ atm.

Not sure how they are going to get on in a year or two.

 

[ayebee]

We must have been separated at birth! I was with PICCOL and CUA, too.
I don't have enough fingers to calculate the number of years since I first signed up with PICCOL.
Was it API before that? Or was that a different but related entity?

We may be boring others here ...
Maybe not separated at birth, but parallel working lives.

My start was with Professional Officers Association (POA) CU, which was soon absorbed into PICCOL (Postal Institute Coop) mid-70's. From there there were multiple CU mergers. I recall "API" as being the staff association rather than the CU name. I think it was still PICCOL, but open to be corrected.
It become "Advantage CU" in 90's with another merger, and then merged into QLD based CUA (2005?).

 

[pagingjoan]

We may be boring others here ...
Maybe not separated at birth, but parallel working lives.

My start was with Professional Officers Association (POA) CU, which was soon absorbed into PICCOL (Postal Institute Coop) mid-70's. From there there were multiple CU mergers. I recall "API" as being the staff association rather than the CU name. I think it was still PICCOL, but open to be corrected. It become "Advantage CU" in 90's with another merger, and then merged into QLD based CUA (2005?).

Will PM you, to save others the boredom.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

We certainly live in interesting times do we not? I am a firm believer in that famous ancient Chinese proverb - 'Believe not what the ear hears - believe only what the eye sees!.

So after seeing contributions above re GSB acceptance of AUD cheques. It has taken me a week to actually find someone who still has a cheque book to get a test $10 cheque. Finally got one last night from a mate who lives over the road.

When I picked up the mail from our Post Box this morning in it was an envelope from GSB containing a Debit Card for the 'Everyday Edge' acct that sits beside the 'Everyday Saver' acct. I immediately cut Debit Card in half as I have no intention of keeping this account post clearance of USD cheque.

So off I trot to GSB branch in Southland this morn and present cheque to staff and show my account on APP on phone and request to deposit. Staff member advises he 'Has good news and bad - what would you like first?'

Bad first please: 'We no longer accept AUD cheques as deposit in GSB branches'
Good news please? 'If you head into a Post Office with your cheque and Debit Card they will accept AUD cheques for deposit into your GSB account!.
And again reaffirming - but you do accept cheques in foreign currencies to deposit into GSB accounts in branch? - 'YES we do.'

We certainly live in interesting times do we not?

 

[serfty]

Bad first please: 'We no longer accept AUD cheques as deposit in GSB branches'
Good news please? 'If you head into a Post Office with your cheque and Debit Card they will accept AUD cheques for deposit into your GSB account!.
And again reaffirming - but you do accept cheques in foreign currencies to deposit into GSB accounts in branch? - 'YES we do.'

I am guessing that CUA have decided it would be more efficient (cheaper) to use Auspost's onebatch cheque processing systems for AUD than provide their own.