To endorse a money order, turn it over, find the “Endorse Here” line on the back, and sign your name exactly as it appears on the “Pay To” line on the front. That signature is what lets a bank, post office, or retailer release the funds to you. If you want to control what happens next — deposit only, or a handoff to someone else — you write a short instruction above your signature before you sign.
Where and How to Sign
The endorsement area is on the back, usually marked “Endorse Here” or labeled “Deposit or Cash.” Sign on that line. Match the name on the front: if the payee line spells your name wrong, sign it the misspelled way first, then sign your correct legal name directly below it. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, an endorsement is a signature on a negotiable instrument that authorizes transfer of the funds to the signer or another party.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-204 – Indorsement
Use a blue or black ink pen. Those colors give bank scanning equipment the contrast it needs. Keep everything inside the marked endorsement box. Ink that strays outside the boundaries can jam automated processing and give the institution a reason to reject the money order.
One timing point worth knowing: if you’re planning to cash a USPS money order at the Post Office, wait to sign until you’re at the counter. The postal associate needs to watch you endorse it.2USPS. Money Orders For a bank deposit, you can sign before you get in line.
A Blank Endorsement vs. a Restrictive One
Signing your name alone is a blank endorsement. It makes the money order payable to whoever holds it, which is fine at the teller window but risky if the document goes missing between your mailbox and the bank. Two common instructions narrow that risk.
For Deposit Only
If you’re depositing the money order rather than cashing it, write For Deposit Only above your signature, then sign below. This is a restrictive endorsement: it limits the money order so it can only be deposited into your account, and no one else can cash it.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Does It Mean for a Check to Be Indorsed “For Deposit Only”? Some depositors also add their account number under the phrase for extra certainty, though the phrase itself is what does the legal work.
Pay to the Order of [Name]
To hand the money order off to someone else, write Pay to the order of [their full name] above your signature, then sign below. That’s a special endorsement, and it makes the money order payable to the person you named.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-204 – Indorsement
Be warned that many banks are reluctant to accept third-party endorsed money orders. The extra endorsement raises the fraud risk on the instrument. Some institutions refuse them outright; others require both people to be present at the counter. Call the receiving bank before you sign anything over, or you may hand someone a piece of paper they can’t use.
If the Payee Name on the Front Is Wrong
A misspelling you can work around by signing twice. A name that’s flat wrong — different person, wrong company — you cannot. Do not cross it out. Do not write over it. Any visible alteration on the front makes the money order look tampered with, and most banks will refuse it on sight.
Instead, take the original receipt back to the issuer (USPS, Western Union, MoneyGram, or wherever it was purchased) and ask them to cancel and reissue. There’s usually a processing fee and a waiting period. This is why the purchase receipt matters: it carries the serial number the issuer needs to find and void the original.
Verify Before You Endorse
Once you sign, you’ve put your name on the instrument. If it turns out to be counterfeit after you deposit it, your bank will reverse the deposit and you’ll owe back anything you spent. Counterfeit money orders show up often in overpayment scams, where a “buyer” sends a money order for more than the price and asks you to wire back the difference. Check the document before your pen touches it.
For USPS money orders issued after early 2025, hold the paper up to a light and look for:4U.S. Postal Inspection Service. How to Spot a Fake Postal Money Order
- A Pony Express rider watermark running top to bottom along the left side.
- A “United States Postal Service” watermark in a rectangular box on the right side.
- An embedded security thread with the letters “USPS” alternating right-side up and upside down.
- A QR code that links to the USPS site so you can verify the money order online.
For older USPS money orders issued before 2025, look instead for a repeating Benjamin Franklin watermark on the left side and a security thread with “USPS” woven in and out of the paper.5USPS. Verifying U.S. Postal Service Money Orders On any money order, watch for discoloration around the dollar amounts, which can indicate the value was altered, and for blurry or inconsistent printing.4U.S. Postal Inspection Service. How to Spot a Fake Postal Money Order To verify a USPS money order directly, call 1-866-459-7822 or scan the QR code. If anything looks off, don’t endorse it.
Where to Take an Endorsed Money Order
Where you go depends on what you signed and what you wrote above your name.
Post Office
Any Post Office will cash a USPS money order at no charge. Bring a government-issued photo ID, and remember to hold your signature until you’re at the counter.2USPS. Money Orders For USPS money orders this is generally the fastest and cheapest option.
Your Bank or Credit Union
Most banks and credit unions will accept a money order for deposit into your account, and many will cash it on the spot for account holders. Non-customers can face stricter rules or be turned away. The teller will match your photo ID against the endorsement before processing anything.
Retail Locations
Grocery stores, check-cashing outlets, and convenience stores will cash money orders for a fee, typically a few dollars up to around $8 depending on the chain and location. Photo ID is required here too.
Mobile Deposit
Some banks let you deposit a money order through their mobile app by photographing the front and the endorsed back. Many banks specifically exclude USPS money orders from mobile deposit, so check your bank’s mobile deposit terms before you sign and snap. If USPS money orders aren’t eligible, a branch or Post Office is the way in.
One last habit worth keeping: cash or deposit a money order soon after you receive it. Many issuers begin charging monthly service or dormancy fees after a money order goes uncashed for about a year, and some banks refuse to accept money orders older than a year, sending you back to the original issuer.