To buy, fill out, and cash a money order, bring cash or a debit card to a post office, bank, credit union, or retailer, tell the clerk the amount you need (up to $1,000 per order), pay the fee, then write the recipient’s full name on the “Pay to the Order Of” line, add your address, sign the front, and keep the receipt. To cash one you’ve received, endorse the back and take it with photo ID to your bank, the issuer’s location, or a check-cashing store.
The whole errand takes about five minutes. But a wrong name, a missing receipt, or a signature in the wrong place can turn it into weeks of paperwork, so the details below are worth reading before you head to the counter.
Buying a Money Order
Have four things ready before you get in line: the recipient’s full legal name, your own mailing address, the exact dollar amount, and cash or a debit card. Most issuers won’t take credit cards or personal checks because those payment methods carry chargeback and bounce risk.1USPS. Sending Money Orders
A single money order caps at $1,000 at the U.S. Postal Service and most other issuers.1USPS. Sending Money Orders If you need to send more, buy several. Bring a government-issued photo ID if your total cash purchase reaches $3,000 in a single day; at that point the issuer is required to record your name, address, date of birth, and the serial number of every instrument.2eCFR. 31 CFR 1010.415 – Purchases of Bank Checks and Drafts, Cashiers Checks, Money Orders, and Travelers Checks Cash transactions over $10,000 also trigger a federal Currency Transaction Report.3FFIEC BSA/AML InfoBase. Currency Transaction Reporting Breaking a large purchase into smaller ones to duck those thresholds is called structuring and is a federal crime even when the money is legitimate. If you legitimately need $5,000 in money orders, buy them together and show your ID.
Where to Buy and What It Costs
Post offices, banks, credit unions, grocery stores, convenience stores, and large retailers all sell money orders. Fees vary:
- U.S. Postal Service charges $2.55 for amounts up to $500 and $3.60 for $500.01 to $1,000.1USPS. Sending Money Orders
- Walmart caps the fee at $1.00 per money order regardless of amount, though exact pricing varies by location.4Walmart. Money Orders
- Banks and credit unions typically charge $2 to $10, and may waive the fee for account holders.
If price is the deciding factor and you’re sending under $1,000, a retailer like Walmart is usually cheapest. The post office costs a bit more but is a widely trusted instrument with its own verification tools.
Filling Out the Form
Fill out the money order right after buying it. A blank money order works essentially like cash: anyone who finds it can write in a name and cash it. Use a pen, never pencil, and work through the fields in order.
- On the “Pay to the Order Of” line, write the full legal name of the person or business you’re paying. Double-check the spelling.
- Write your current mailing address in the purchaser field. This gives the recipient or the issuer a way to contact you if something goes wrong.
- Use the memo or account number line to note what the payment is for. For a bill, write the account number. For rent, write the month and property address. Optional, but it helps the recipient apply the payment.
- Sign the front where it says “Purchaser” or “From.”
Do not sign the back. That side is the endorsement area reserved for the recipient, and if you sign there they may not be able to cash it, because the endorsement is how they prove they’re the rightful payee.
Once you’re done, detach the receipt stub or hold onto the separate receipt the clerk handed you. The serial number on that receipt is what you’ll need to track the payment or file a claim later.1USPS. Sending Money Orders
If You Make a Mistake
You cannot white-out, cross out, or overwrite anything on a money order. Any visible alteration makes it look tampered with, and most banks and cashing locations will refuse it. If you write the wrong name or need to correct anything, your only real option is to cancel the money order and buy a new one, which means going back to the issuer, paying a cancellation fee, and starting over. Take your time filling it out the first time.
Getting It to the Recipient
Handing the money order to the recipient in person is simplest and gives you instant confirmation. If you have to mail it, treat the envelope like it contains cash, because functionally it does. Use certified mail or a service with tracking so you have proof of delivery.
Never tuck cash into the envelope alongside a money order. The money order is the secure payment; if the envelope goes missing, you can file a claim with your receipt and recover those funds. Cash sent alongside is simply gone.
Cashing or Depositing a Money Order
If you received a money order, endorse the back by signing your name, then pick one of these routes.
- Deposit it at your bank or credit union just like a check, at the teller window or an ATM. Some banks, including U.S. Bank, accept money order deposits through their mobile app, but policies vary, so confirm before trying.5U.S. Bank. What Is Mobile Check Deposit and How Does It Work
- Cash it at the issuer. A USPS money order can be cashed at any post office; a Western Union money order at participating Western Union locations. Cashing at the issuer usually avoids extra fees.
- Cash it at a grocery store, convenience store, or check-cashing outlet. These typically charge a fee.
Bring a government-issued ID no matter where you go. Every location will verify your identity before releasing the funds. If you don’t have a bank account, the issuer location and check-cashing stores are your most accessible options.
Tracking and Expiration
To check whether a money order has been cashed, use the serial number from your receipt. USPS offers a free online verification tool and a phone line for status checks; other issuers provide similar tracking. Follow up if you haven’t heard back from the recipient within a reasonable window.
USPS domestic money orders never expire and never lose value to inactivity fees, no matter how long they sit uncashed.1USPS. Sending Money Orders Money orders from private issuers like MoneyGram and Western Union don’t technically expire either, but after roughly one to three years of inactivity they may start deducting monthly service charges from the face value. Left long enough, an uncashed private-issuer money order can also fall under state abandoned property laws, meaning the balance is turned over to the state. You can usually reclaim it through the state’s unclaimed property office, but that takes time. Cash any old money order sooner rather than later.
If a Money Order Is Lost, Stolen, or Damaged
You can file a claim for a replacement or refund if the recipient never cashed it. The process and cost depend on the issuer.
- USPS: file a Money Order Inquiry using PS Form 6401. There’s no fee for replacing a damaged money order you still have in hand. For lost or stolen orders, processing can take up to 60 days.6United States Postal Service. Money Orders – The Basics
- Western Union: submit a Money Order Research Request with a $30 non-refundable fee. Each money order needs its own form with a notarized signature. Allow six to eight weeks.7Western Union. Money Order Research Request
- MoneyGram: fees depend on the amount, running 50% of the face value for money orders under $50, or $25 for those $50 and above. Processing typically takes about seven days.
In every case the issuer checks whether the money order has already been cashed before replacing it. If someone else cashed it, you’ll receive a photocopy of the cashed instrument, which is useful for a fraud report but means no refund from the issuer.
Losing the receipt makes recovery harder but not impossible. Without the serial number, the issuer has to search records manually, which costs more and takes longer. Western Union’s $30 research fee applies, and you’ll need to submit a notarized form with whatever proof of purchase you can gather: a store register receipt, a bank statement showing the withdrawal, or a police report if the money order was stolen.7Western Union. Money Order Research Request There’s no guarantee they’ll find it. Hold onto the receipt until the payment clears.
Spotting a Fake Money Order
Counterfeit money orders are common, especially in online sales. Your bank may credit your account when you first deposit one, but once the fraud is discovered the bank pulls those funds back and you owe the full amount. Inspect any money order you receive before depositing.
USPS money orders come in two designs. The newer version uses red and blue ink with an eagle head and flag motif. Held up to a light, it shows two watermarks (a Pony Express rider on the left, a “United States Postal Service” text box on the right) and a security thread running top to bottom that reveals alternating “USPS” letters when backlit. The newer orders also carry a QR code you can scan to verify online. Older USPS money orders are green with a Benjamin Franklin watermark on the left and a multicolored “USPS” security thread on the right. On both, discoloration or smudging around the dollar amounts suggests someone altered the figures.8USPS. Verifying US Postal Service Money Orders
For any money order, confirm the printed dollar amount matches the written amount. Unusually thin or flimsy paper, or watermarks visible without backlighting, are warning signs.
Common Scams
The most widespread scam is overpayment. A buyer sends a money order for more than the agreed price and asks you to wire back the difference. The money order turns out to be counterfeit, your bank reverses the deposit, and the “refund” you wired is real money you’ll never see again.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Someone Bought Something I Was Selling Online and Sent Me a Check or Money Order for More Than the Price The same trick appears in rental deposits, mystery shopper offers, and fake lottery winnings.
Stop if a stranger overpays and asks you to return the excess, if anyone pressures you to act before you can verify the money order, or if you’re asked to forward funds to a third party. No legitimate transaction requires wiring back an overpayment. Report suspected fraud to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and for postal money orders to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.10Federal Trade Commission. ReportFraud.ftc.gov – FAQ
Sending Money Internationally
USPS is no longer an option for international payments. The Postal Service stopped selling international postal money orders in October 2024 and stopped cashing incoming international money orders in October 2025.11USPS. IMM Revision – Elimination of International Postal Money Order Service The service was eliminated, not suspended. To send guaranteed funds overseas, look at international wire transfers through your bank, online transfer services, or cashier’s checks denominated in the recipient’s currency.