U.S. Passport Payment Methods: Fees, Refunds, and Where to Pay

Accepted passport payment methods depend entirely on where and how you apply. Acceptance facilities like post offices and libraries take checks and money orders for the application fee, passport agencies accept only cards and contactless payments, mail renewals take checks or money orders, and online renewals require a credit or debit card. Showing up with the wrong form of payment is one of the most common reasons applications stall, so match your payment to your application type before you leave the house.

Paying at an Acceptance Facility

First-time adult applicants, all children, and anyone who can’t renew by mail apply in person at an acceptance facility using Form DS-11. Facilities include post offices, public libraries, and county clerk offices. You’ll make two separate payments at the counter, and each goes to a different entity with different rules.

The Application Fee

The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State. You can pay by personal check, certified check, cashier’s check, traveler’s check, or money order. Make it payable to “U.S. Department of State” and write the applicant’s full name and date of birth in the memo section.¹ That memo line matters. Processing centers handle thousands of applications daily, and a payment separated from its paperwork with no identifying information on it can delay your file.

The Execution Fee

The $35 execution fee goes directly to the acceptance facility for administering your oath, verifying your identity, and forwarding your paperwork. Each facility sets its own accepted payment methods for this fee. Some take credit and debit cards, some take only money orders or cash, and some take all of the above. The State Department’s guidance is to check with your specific facility before your appointment.¹ Call ahead or search the acceptance facility database at iafdb.travel.state.gov to confirm what your location takes.

You cannot combine both payments into a single check. Show up with two separate forms of payment ready to go.

Paying at a Passport Agency

Regional passport agencies serve applicants with urgent travel needs, and their payment rules differ completely from acceptance facilities. Agencies do not accept checks, money orders, or cash. Your only options are:

Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover
Debit cards: Visa or Mastercard (not ATM-only cards)
Contactless payments: Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay

The agency handles everything in a single transaction, including the application fee, the $60 expedite fee, and any delivery charges.¹ There is no separate execution fee at an agency because a federal employee processes your application directly.

This catches people off guard. Someone who prepared a money order because that’s what they used last time at the post office will be turned away at an agency with no way to pay. If your wallet doesn’t have a Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Discover card in it, or your phone isn’t set up for contactless payment, handle that before your appointment.

Paying for a Mail Renewal

Eligible applicants can renew by mail using Form DS-82. The only accepted payment methods are personal checks and money orders, made payable to “U.S. Department of State.” Write the applicant’s full name and date of birth on the front of the check or money order. Do not send cash.²

Mail renewals have no execution fee because no agent administers an oath, so you’re only paying the application fee, plus any optional expedite or delivery charges you add. Send the entire package through a trackable delivery service so you have confirmation that your payment and old passport arrived safely.

Paying for an Online Renewal

The State Department’s online renewal system accepts credit cards and debit cards. No checks, no money orders, no digital wallets. You pay through the system during the application process, and the fees match a mail renewal: $130 for a book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both, with $22.05 added if you want 1-3 day delivery.³

Online renewal has the same eligibility requirements as mail renewal but processes faster because there’s no postal transit time. Like mail renewals, there’s no execution fee.

What’s Refundable

The application fee and the execution fee are both non-refundable. The State Department keeps them by law even if your passport is never issued, so double-check your eligibility and documentation before you pay.¹

The one exception is the $60 expedite fee. If you paid for expedited processing and the agency took longer than 15 business days to process your application, you can request a refund of that fee. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, and the clock starts when the agency receives your application, not when you submit it.⁴ No other passport fees or travel expenses are refundable under any circumstances.

Quick Reference by Application Type

Because accepted payment methods shift depending on your situation, here’s the summary in one place:

Acceptance facility, application fee: personal check, certified check, cashier’s check, traveler’s check, or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State”
Acceptance facility, execution fee: varies by location, so call ahead to confirm
Passport agency: credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), debit card (Visa or Mastercard), or contactless payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay). No checks, money orders, or cash
Mail renewal: personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” No cash
Online renewal: credit or debit card

The single most common payment mistake is assuming every location takes the same methods. An acceptance facility and a passport agency operate under entirely different rules, and arriving with the wrong form of payment means leaving empty-handed with your travel date unchanged.¹

1
U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
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U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport Online
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U.S. Department of State. Refund of Expedite Passport Fee