Money orders
How to fill out a money order
Before you fill one in, check how many you need: the finder splits your amount by each seller’s cap. Then complete every slip before leaving the counter.
Kroger: 2 money orders
$3 in fees
You hand over $1,353 for $1,350 of money orders.
| Seller | Needed | Fees | Cap each | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroger | 2 | $3 max | $1,000 | yes |
| USPS (Post Office) | 2 | $6.40 | $1,000 | yes |
| Chaseaccount holders | 2 | $10 | $1,000 | yes |
| Wells Fargoaccount holders | 2 | $10 | $1,000 | yes |
| Regions | 2 | $4 | $1,000 | ask |
| Walmart | – | varies by location | – | yes |
| Publix | – | not published | – | yes |
| 7-Eleven | – | not published | – | yes |
| Western Union | – | varies by location | – | yes |
| MoneyGram | – | not published | – | ask |
| Citiaccount holders | – | not published | – | yes |
| U.S. Bankaccount holders | – | not published | – | yes |
| Truistaccount holders | – | not published | – | yes |
| TD Bankaccount holders | – | not published | – | yes |
Store fees for Western Union and MoneyGram money orders are set by each location; the figure shown is the one published by the store or the issuer, read on the date at the bottom of the page.
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored.
A money order arrives with the amount already printed by the seller; you complete the rest. Write the payee’s full name in the “Pay to” or “Pay to the order of” field, exactly as the payee asked, such as the landlord’s company name or the agency named on a bill. Write your own name in the “From” or “Purchaser” field and your address below it, if the slip has an address line. Use the memo or “For” line for a reference the payee needs, such as an account number, an invoice number or the apartment and month of rent. Sign where the slip says purchaser or drawer, never on the back, which is for the payee’s endorsement. Use a pen with permanent ink and do not leave the payee line blank: a blank money order can be cashed by anyone who holds it. Finally, detach and keep the receipt or stub. It carries the serial number, which the Postal Service, Western Union and MoneyGram all require for a status check, a refund or a replacement. With several slips, keep every stub.
Fees, limits and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Field by field
| Field | What to write | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Printed by the seller: check it matches what you paid | Not checking it before leaving |
| Pay to / Pay to the order of | Full name of the person or business, as they asked | Leaving it blank, or using a nickname |
| From / Purchaser | Your full name | Writing the payee’s name here |
| Address | Your address (or the payee’s, depending on the form: read the label) | Skipping it when the form has the line |
| Memo / For / Account no. | Reference for the payee: account, invoice, unit and month | Leaving the payee unable to apply it |
| Signature (front) | Purchaser or drawer signature | Signing on the back |
| Back | Nothing: it is for the payee’s endorsement | Writing notes there |
Postal money orders print the amount twice, and the Postal Inspection Service advises checking that both match and that there is no discoloration around them. Store money orders print it once or twice depending on the design. If the printed amount is wrong, say so before you leave the counter.
Splitting a payment over several slips
When an amount exceeds the cap per slip, every slip is made out to the same payee, with the same memo, and each one is signed. Tell the payee the total and the number of slips, and keep all the stubs together. The calculator below shows how a payment splits at each seller.
How many money orders for this amount?
Total fees
$6.40
| Money orders needed | 2 |
| Cap per money order | $1,000 |
| You hand over | $1,356.40 |
1 of $1,000 and 1 of $350.
Some landlords and agencies ask for a single instrument. In that case, a cashier’s check avoids the split entirely, at the price of needing a bank that will sell you one.
Keeping the stub and the proof
The stub is your only record of the serial number, and every issuer requires it. The Postal Service needs it for a money order inquiry, Western Union’s refund form asks for the serial number, amount, purchase date and an image of the money order or receipt, and MoneyGram’s refund process starts with the same details. Take a photo of the filled-in money order before you send it: it shows the payee and memo you wrote, which helps if the payment is disputed.
Filling one in for a government payment
Courts, immigration services, motor vehicle offices and tax agencies often accept money orders and publish exact payee names, such as the name of the agency or of a department of the treasury. Copy that wording exactly, and put the case number, receipt number or tax year on the memo line as the agency’s instructions say. A payment with the wrong payee name can be returned weeks later, sometimes after a deadline has passed.
Sending it safely
Hand it over in person when you can, against a receipt. If you mail it, use a tracked service, and never mail a money order with the payee line empty. A money order cannot be stopped like a check once it has been cashed; only an uncashed one can be refunded, and only after an inquiry that can take weeks. The lost money order page explains what to do if it never arrives.