It was a pleasant surprise when I woke up last Monday, and found on our dining table a DHL Express Envelope. I knew even before I opened it that it would contain my first Google AdSense check, but I didn’t know how much exactly since the payment history in my Adsense account was a bit of a mess. Fortunately, it turned out that I got a substantial amount: 6541.12 pesos! It’s payable at Citibank Makati, and since I chose to receive the check in Philippine pesos instead of US dollars, I can deposit the check in my savings account (Landbank), and clearing time would be three days only! That check was a year in the making, and I’m very grateful that it arrived when it came because I can really use the money right now. The amount isn’t really much, but I hope this will inspire me more to work more on my sites!

At any rate, my advice to those who are receiving their first Adsense checks is to use the courier option in the sending of their checks and to receive the check in the local currency. Even though there’s a courier fee of 24 dollars, the peace of mind you’ll experience knowing that your check won’t get lost or stolen is more than worth it. These two options also reduce the amount of waiting time in getting the actual cash in your hands — just about a month in my case.