Traditionally, a postal service is operated by a state or federal government. However, in Italy, the "Istituto Nazionale di Credito" (National Institute of Credit) provides huge number of services aiming to help small and medium companies. The "Poste Italiane" (Italian Post), the branch of the National Institute of Credit that deals with postal services, is one such service provided by this public company. In Italy, there are two kinds of postal orders: the "Ordinario" and the "Ridotto". The former is a kind of postal draft, while the latter is a short-term tickler. The Ordinary Postal Order is a kind of postal draft that can be used to pay for services or products at billers that accept them. It is issued in booklets of 10, 20 and 50 Ordinary Postal Orders for €10, €20 and €50 respectively. To pay with an Ordinary POSTAL ORDER one must go to a post office or an authorized entity (bank or tobacconist). In this case, one does not have to pay any commission fee. Unlike the Ordinary Postal Order, the "Ridotto" is a short term tickler that can be used to pay bills without going to a post office or bank. The amount of the bill must be at least €50, and it must be paid within 60 days from the issue date. The recipient of payment may request a statement from the Italian Post upon request. In this case, it is hard to know if an "Ordinario" or a "Ridotto" will be sent by mail. In both cases, one can choose how much to pay: €10 for an Ordinary POST AL ORDER and €10 for a RIDOTTO. The difference between the two is the time before which one must pay it: 60 days for a RIDOTTO and one year for an Ordinary POSTAL ORDER. It should be noted that an Ordinary POSTAL ORDER can be paid within a year from its issue date. Also, both can be used to pay at any biller without going to a bank, even if the amount of the payment is less than €50. Both, an Ordinary POSTAL ORDER and a RIDOTTO are provided by the Italian Post. For the "Ordinario", it costs €10, for a RIDOTTO €10. The "Ridotto" is provided for €10. A biller may not accept only one type of postal order, but each one of them is valid at its own level of validity. The following table shows all the possible combinations: Alternative ways to pay are offered by some post offices in Italy, where payment can be made in cash or money orders or via credit cards (Visa, Visa Electron and Maestro). These facilities are also available at some bank branches for larger amounts. 81eaaddfaf 54
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