If you have the number of an arbitrary postal order, can anyone quote the number to Royal Mail to see if it's been cashed? Or is this privilege limited to the person requesting it (with the receipt) or the person to whom it has been sent?

I'm not trying to track an order myself, but am curious.

I've been able to check encashment at the issuing PO by showing them the receipt (There are no counterfoils anymore). I was told it hasn't been casged, and was offered a form to cliam a refund. I don;t know if this can be done online, as I've seen no reference to it.

... and what if you don't have the receipt? What if you just happen to have the number? Can a third party with the PO number (e.g. it's gone missing in the post and they have the number) check up on it?

Don't see why they would benefit from checking when they have the postal order anyway? You can issue crossed postal orders in the same way you do cheques so they have to be paid into the bank account of the recipient, if you're going to send one, this would be the way to do it.

Don't see why they would benefit from checking when they have the postal order anyway?

There are many ways in which someone might have the number of a PO without having the PO itself.

Still can't see the benefit, without the PO is the number not worthless?, I suppose you could cancel it with the number or you could check whether it had been cashed but I still don't see how you would benefit from either action? There is a warning on the post office site:

WARNING: Please note that there are currently some Postal Orders scams being perpetrated - particularly on online auction sites. Please note that under no circumstances would Royal Mail or the Post Office™ issue an email notification of receipt of a Postal Order to a potential recipient. Should you receive such a notification, please report it to the police.

I suppose this could be used to get a number out of you and then be used to report it lost?

There are many uses for the information. You can prove if money was or was not received. Trivial example - someone sends me a PO through the post, gives me the number via another method. Said person then goes on holiday for 2 weeks. If I had the number of their PO, without any evidence that they had sent it, or that I was the recipient, could I walk into a Post Office and find out if it has been cashed (e.g. intercepted, delivered to the wrong place)? This is not the actual situation, btw.

OK did the simple thing and rang the PO, you can check with just the number but you need to do so in writing, either by filling in a claim form for lost mail or writing to the lost mail department, you do not need a recepit to do this but I am guessing you would need to know where the PO was bought or where it had been sent, if it had gone through the post.

Hello all, I emailed Royal Mail, and this is the reply they sent. (may be of some use)

"To trace if a Postal Order has been cashed you would need to complete a

P58 form available from any Post Office® branch. When you’ve completed the

form hand this in at the Post Office® and this will be forwarded to Royal

Mail to investigate.

Alternatively you can send the P58 form and the receipt for the postal

orders to:

Postal Order Group

PO Box 168

Chesterfield

S49 1ZL

It is recommended that you keep a copy of the receipt for your own records."