Money orders
Money order limits: per slip, per day and in cash
Enter the sum you need in money orders. The finder shows how many slips each seller’s cap requires, and the line below it flags any reporting threshold.
Kroger: 5 money orders
$7.50 in fees
You hand over $4,507.50 for $4,500 of money orders.
| Seller | Needed | Fees | Cap each | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroger | 5 | $7.50 max | $1,000 | yes |
| USPS (Post Office) | 5 | $17.65 | $1,000 | yes |
| Chaseaccount holders | 5 | $25 | $1,000 | yes |
| Wells Fargoaccount holders | 5 | $25 | $1,000 | yes |
| Regions | 5 | $10 | $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 |
Paying $3,000 or more in cash for money orders in one day: the seller records your ID (31 CFR 1010.415; USPS Form 8105-A). Splitting purchases to avoid this is illegal.
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.
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Two kinds of limits apply to money orders. The first is the cap per slip, set by the issuer or the seller: $1,000 for a domestic postal money order (USPS mail manual, section 509), $1,000 typically at Kroger, $1,000 at Chase, Wells Fargo and Regions. There is no cap on the number of slips: $4,500 is simply five money orders. The second kind is federal paperwork on cash. When you pay $3,000 to $10,000 in currency for money orders in one day, the seller must verify your identity and keep a record (31 CFR 1010.415); the Post Office uses PS Form 8105-A from $3,000. Above $10,000 in cash in a business day, a currency transaction report is filed. These are records, not refusals. What is illegal is splitting purchases between days or stores in order to stay under a threshold, called structuring (31 CFR 1010.314), even when the money is clean.
Fees, limits and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Caps per money order
| Issuer or seller | Cap per money order | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USPS (Post Office) | $1,000 | page read |
| Kroger | $1,000 typically | page read |
| Walmart | not published | page read |
| Western Union | varies by location | page read |
| MoneyGram | not published | page read |
| Chase | $1,000 | page read |
| Wells Fargo | $1,000 | page read |
| Regions | $1,000 | page read |
| Citi | not published | page read |
A cap per slip is not a cap on your purchase. You can buy as many money orders as the seller is willing to print, each with its own fee. Some stores limit the total per customer or per day for security; that limit is rarely published and you learn it at the desk.
Cash thresholds: what happens and when
Federal rules count cash, meaning bills and coins, not debit card payments. Three thresholds apply to money order purchases on one business day.
| Cash paid for money orders in a day | What the seller does | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Under $3,000 | Nothing special | – |
| $3,000 to $10,000 | Checks your ID and records your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth and the instruments bought | 31 CFR 1010.415 |
| $3,000 or more at the Post Office | PS Form 8105-A with your ID | DMM 509 |
| More than $10,000 | Files a currency transaction report | 31 CFR 1010.311 |
Will this cash transaction be reported?
Currency transaction report
No
| Threshold | more than $10,000 a business day, added up |
| ID and record for instruments | Yes (§ 1010.415) |
Splitting cash to stay under the threshold is itself illegal (31 CFR 1010.314). A report is routine paperwork, not an accusation.
The aggregation rule means that two purchases the same day, at two counters of the same business, can be added together (31 CFR 1010.313). The structuring rule goes further: any arrangement designed to avoid a report or a record is a crime, whatever the source of the money.
Large payments: money orders or a cashier’s check?
Above a few thousand dollars, a stack of money orders becomes awkward for both sides: several fees, several slips to fill in, several items to deposit. A cashier’s check carries the whole amount on one item drawn on a bank, typically for $10, and is due the next business day when deposited in person. Many landlords and car sellers ask for one. The trade-off is access: most banks sell cashier’s checks only to account holders, while money orders are sold to anyone.
Limits for the person who receives them
The payee faces limits too. Cashing more than $10,000 in postal money orders on one day requires the same PS Form 8105-A at the Post Office. A bank that receives several money orders for a large deposit applies Regulation CC: postal money orders handed to a teller are next-day items, but if the day’s checks exceed $6,725, the excess can be held longer under the large-deposit exception.
Practical limits at the counter
Money order printers are kept at service desks, and some stores stop selling an hour before closing or run out of slips. For a large cash purchase, call ahead, bring a photo ID, and count on extra time at the desk for the paperwork. Keep every receipt: with several slips, each has its own serial number, and each would need its own inquiry if lost.