International Sales

Payment Methods for International Sales

At Checkout, payment options are presented in a drop down list.  Please click the down arrow to see the list.

Credit, Debit and Gift Cards:

Check for a Card Security Code (CVV2)

To use any sort of debit or credit card on our site, you must supply the Card Security Code, called the CVV2 code.  For VISA, MasterCard and Discover, this is the last three printed digits in the signature strip on the back of the card.  For American Express, the CVV2 code is the four digits on the front of the card, to the right and slightly above the embossed credit card number.  If your card does not have this code, it cannot be used at silvermessages.com.  Transactions without CVV2 codes will be declined.

Gift cards usually do not have CVV2 codes, so you will have to take the Gift Card to a bank, cash it for the value on it, and then place your order at silvermessages.com with another payment method.

As long as your debit card has a CVV2 code, you can generally use it at silvermessages.com.

Check the Country of Origin with Your Card's BIN Number

If you do have a CVV2 code on your card, the next thing to do is to look up the first 6 digits of your credit card number, called the Bank Identification Number or BIN, here:
http://www.bindatabase.com/

Your card country of origin must match the billing address country on your silvermessages.com order.  For example, if we receive an order where the customer used a card number starting with 423621 and the billing address is in the UK, we would decline the order as this BIN number belongs to a bank in Paraguay.

Make Sure the Billing Address on Your Silver Messages Order Matches the Address Where Your Credit Card Company Sends Your Monthly Statement

We use the Address Verification System (AVS) where banks make use of it.  If your credit card bank supports AVS, your billing address must match the statement address.  If not, the transaction will be declined.

If your bank does not support AVS, your transaction will not be declined at silvermessages.com for this reason.

Suspicious Orders

If a customer orders large quantities of expensive items, or trips any of the hundreds of fraud detection rules our systems employ, we will ask them to fax us a copy of the front and back of their credit card.  We may decline the order.

We report all fraud to the FBI and Interpol, as do our partners.

International Wire Transfers

We do not do traditional international wire transfers anymore because there are many other options for transferring money at no cost or lower cost. 

Shipping Methods for International Sales

We use the United States Postal Service (USPS) for all international shipping.  We have found this to be the most economical and most reliable shipping method for our customers.  With other carriers, the shipping costs can often exceed the total of the order.

At Checkout, shipping options are presented in a drop down list.  Please click the down arrow to see the list.  We cannot specify a delivery timeframe for First Class Mail International, but all other options say "Allow X days."  This is the amount of time between the order date and the date the package will arrive at Customs in the foreign country.  Please note that additional time is required for the package to clear customs and for local delivery to the shipping address.

Customers are responsible for all duties, fees, taxes, and other customs charges.  The customs papers we prepare will show the full cost of the order, less shipping charges.

We make every effort to ensure that our customers receive their packages without delay.  These shipping methods have tracking numbers so that both Silver Messages and our customer can track the shipment via the Internet.  We can track the package until it arrives at Customs in the foreign country.

• Global Express Guaranteed
• Express Mail International
• Priority Mail International

Should the customer choose the least cost shipping option, First Class Mail International, please be advised we are not able to track the package because this shipping option does not give us a tracking number.  Silver Messages cannot replace any packages sent via First Class International mail should they be lost or stolen.  Please be advised customers shipping via First Class Mail International do so at their own risk.

If our customers ship via Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International or Priority Mail International, we will replace the shipment should it be lost or stolen enroute. 

Thank you for your interest in our products.  We do appreciate your business!

More questions about shipping internationally?  Please email us here.