To fill out a USPS money order, write the recipient’s full legal name on the “Pay To” line, print your own name and complete mailing address in the purchaser section below it, add an account or invoice number on the memo line if it helps the recipient credit your payment, and tear off and keep the receipt. Use a pen with permanent ink. The postal clerk prints the dollar amount at the counter, so the fields you complete are the name and address lines.
What to Have Ready at the Counter
Bring the recipient’s full legal name exactly as it appears on their government-issued photo ID. That name goes on the “Pay To” line and must match the ID they present when cashing, so skip nicknames and abbreviations.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics Have your own full name and mailing address with zip code ready for the purchaser section.2USPS: Domestic Mail Manual. S020 Money Orders and Other Services
USPS accepts only two forms of payment for money orders: cash or a debit card run with a PIN. Credit cards, personal checks, and traveler’s checks are not accepted.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics A debit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo run as credit (no PIN) will be declined.3USPS. What Forms of Payment are Accepted? Fees are $2.55 for amounts up to $500.00 and $3.60 for amounts from $500.01 to $1,000.00, paid at the counter and non-refundable.4USPS. Money Orders
The Pay To Line
Write the recipient’s full legal name — a person or a business — on the line labeled “Pay To” or “Pay to the Order Of.” This is the only party authorized to cash the money order. Print clearly, avoid abbreviations, and do not use correction fluid or cross anything out. An altered-looking payee line can cause the money order to be rejected at cashing.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
Fill this line in as soon as you receive the money order from the clerk. A blank payee line is an open invitation to anyone who intercepts the envelope, since they can write their own name in and cash it.
The From or Purchaser Section
Below the payee line, print your full name and complete mailing address, including your zip code.2USPS: Domestic Mail Manual. S020 Money Orders and Other Services This identifies you as the purchaser. If the money order is later lost or stolen and you need to file a claim, a blank purchaser section can disqualify you from getting a refund.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
The Memo or Account Number Line
The memo line is optional. Use it to note what the payment is for: a utility account number, an invoice number, or a short label like “June rent.” That note helps the recipient apply your payment to the right account and gives you something to point to in a billing dispute. It has no effect on how USPS processes the money order.
Detach and Keep the Receipt
Every USPS money order has a perforated receipt attached to the side or top. Tear it off after you finish writing and store it somewhere safe. The receipt carries the serial number, the post office number, and the exact dollar amount, and all three are required to check the money order’s status online or to file a claim. It is your only proof of purchase. Without it, USPS cannot process an inquiry or issue a refund, so hold onto it until you know the recipient has cashed the money order.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
If You Make a Mistake
Do not try to fix a misspelled name or wrong address by crossing out or writing over it. Ask the clerk about a replacement before you leave the counter. USPS replaces defective or spoiled money orders at no charge as long as you return both the negotiable portion and the matching receipt.2USPS: Domestic Mail Manual. S020 Money Orders and Other Services Once you have walked out with an error on the form, your options narrow to filing an inquiry with PS Form 6401 and paying a $21.00 processing fee.4USPS. Money Orders
Before you step away from the counter, read every field back to yourself. Check spelling on the payee name, confirm your address is legible, and make sure the dollar amount the clerk printed matches what you asked for.
Purchase Limits to Know Before You Buy
A single domestic money order tops out at $1,000. To send more than that, you buy multiple money orders, each with its own fee.4USPS. Money Orders There is no cap on how many you can purchase in a day, but buying $3,000 or more in a single day triggers a federal reporting requirement: the clerk will ask you to complete PS Form 8105-A and show a valid photo ID with your name and address.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 31 USC 5325 – Identification Required to Purchase Certain Monetary Instruments The $3,000 threshold is a combined daily total across post offices and separate trips.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
USPS money orders never expire and do not accrue interest, so there is no penalty for holding one before you send it.4USPS. Money Orders One boundary worth knowing: USPS stopped selling international money orders on October 1, 2024, and stopped cashing incoming international postal money orders on October 1, 2025.6USPS. IMM Revision: Elimination of International Postal Money Order Service For payments overseas, you will need a different service.
After You Fill It Out
Slide the completed money order (not the receipt) into a standard envelope and mail it through First-Class Mail or a more secure option such as Certified Mail. Certified Mail gives you a tracking number confirming delivery, which is useful if the recipient later says nothing arrived. To check whether the money order itself has been cashed, enter the serial number from your receipt on the USPS money order status page.1FAQ | USPS. Money Orders – The Basics