Accredited moving companies will accept different payment methods, such as cash, credit card, or bank check. Most moving companies accept cash or credit for local, intrastate, and interstate moves. Atlas accepts payment for moving services by cash, electronic check, ACH, bank transfer, or credit card. Atlas accepts your cashier's check, traveler's check or electronic check through our customer portal.
You can choose to pay at source or at destination, simply tell your Atlas sales representative which one you prefer. Keep in mind that moving companies don't accept personal checks as a form of payment. The only type of check that moving companies accept as payment is the bank treasurer's check (also known as a cashier's check), which is a check guaranteed by a bank, issued with the bank's own funds and signed by a cashier. Cashier's checks are considered guaranteed funds because the bank, not the buyer, is responsible for paying the amount.
Most moving companies don't require deposits, but if one of the companies you're considering doing so isn't necessarily a red flag. On the other hand, moving companies should never require payment in cash, especially if you've already agreed on another payment method. If you've thoroughly researched your moving companies and hired a company with a good reputation and experience, a 10% deposit may be reasonable. Needless to say, customers can be scammed by dishonest moving companies, but moving companies can also be taken to the dry cleaner by infamous customers, and in fact they do.
It's a common myth to say that you pay moving companies after they deliver your household goods to you in long-distance moves from one state to another. On the other hand, if a potential moving company informs you that they require a deposit of 25% or 50% or the total amount in advance, there is no doubt that this is a decisive factor. Moving companies generally expect to be paid at or near the end of the move if they are local moves, and before the crew begins to embark on long-distance moves. Fortunately, avoiding moving scams isn't particularly difficult, and paying moving companies doesn't have to be stressful or controversial.
If you decide to pay for moving expenses by credit card, the moving company will most likely insist that payment be made before the truck arrives. If potential moving companies are hesitant about payment or make statements like “we'll take care of that at the time of delivery,” politely cross them off your list. As a general rule, shady moving companies and online intermediaries are much more likely to require deposits than legitimate moving companies.
