Money transfer by cash mandate

Verified 09 August 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Want to transfer cash to the person of your choice? You can use the cash warrant. We explain how to do it.

The cash mandate allows you to transfer cash, in France and abroad, to the person of your choice.

This operation must not be linked to a trade exchange.

Example :

The cash warrant can be used to send money to his family abroad.

Unlike the transfer, the amount of a cash mandate is recoverable in cash, without going through a bank account.

The cash warrant is typically used by people who are in one of the following situations:

  • No bank account
  • Inability to produce proof of domicile
  • No other means of payment (bank transfer, credit card or check).

Please note

a minor can't send a cash warrant.

The warrant can be sent from an agency or via the Internet.

From an agency

You can go to a bureau de change offering service.

There are also agencies specializing in this type of transaction, particularly for mandates to the foreigner.

You must fill out a form specifying your identity, contact details and those of the beneficiary.

To secure the transaction, some forms provide for a secret question. The recipient has to give the answer in order to release the money.

You must:

  • Give this form to the counter, after having entered the amount to be transferred
  • Keep a copy of the form.

You must communicate to the beneficiary the following information:

  • Amount
  • Contact details of the mandate
  • Answer to the secret question, if it's planned.

The operator may set a maximum amount depending on the country of dispatch or receipt.

You must pay the amount of your transfer, the application fee and, where applicable, exchange charges.

Online

You can complete the cash order from the secure area of the website of a provider offering the service.

The operator may set a maximum amount depending on the country of dispatch or receipt.

If you have a cash mandate, you must return to a foreign exchange office belonging to the network used by the money order originator.

You must:

  • Present identification
  • Give the references of the mandate provided by the sender.

You may also be asked to answer a secret question. This information must have been provided by the sender.

You receive directly in cash the amount of the mandate. If the warrant was sent from another country, the sum is converted into local currency.

Warning  

if the amount is high, the ticket office can ask to be notified 1 or 2 days before handing over the cash.

The cost varies depending on the providers and the options chosen.

It is often paid by the sender, including in the case of foreign exchange transactions.

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