In reply to Fred question about "Crossing" travellers cheques, the answer is yes.
By drawing two diagonal lines across the face of the cheque, it makes it non transferable and can only be banked by the named person. This can cause problems to the person wishing to bank it. My business account would not accept any other traveller cheques but their own. That bank was the only one where I had an account with the name "Classic Bikes". My other UK stirling account would charge me nearly $50 dollars per foreigh travellers cheque that I banked, irrespective of it value.
By far the best way for a UK seller to recieve US dollars in payment is to open a US dollar bank account. You can then simply accept personal cheques from the US in dollars. These should be crossed and made payable to the person whos name the bank account is in. They can then only be banked by that person and are fully tracable. No one pays any charges and when you have to change them to pounds you will probably get the best rates available
Regards
Martin Coopland, Scotland, http://www.BatesBicycles.com