Money orders
Money order: where to buy one and what it costs
Enter the amount you have to pay and how you will pay for it. The finder counts the money orders needed at each seller and adds up the fees.
Kroger: 2 money orders
$3 in fees
You hand over $1,503 for $1,500 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.
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A money order is a paper payment bought in advance: you give the seller the amount plus a fee, and it prints a slip made out for that amount, which the payee can deposit or cash like a check but which cannot bounce for lack of funds. Three kinds are sold in the United States. The Postal Service issues its own at every Post Office, for $2.65 up to $500 and $3.75 from $500.01 to $1,000, the prices in force since October 4, 2026 (USPS Notice 123). Stores sell Western Union or MoneyGram money orders, and set the fee themselves: Walmart publishes a maximum of $1. Banks sell their own, mostly to account holders, for $5 at Chase or $2 at Regions. Every seller caps the amount per slip, usually at $1,000, so a larger rent takes several. The finder does that arithmetic for the sellers whose terms could be read on October 27, 2026.
Fees, limits and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Fees and caps by seller
The table applies each seller’s published terms to a payment of $1,500. A seller with no published cap cannot be counted, and a seller with no published fee is shown as such: the store sets it, and you learn it at the counter.
| Seller | Fee per money order | Cap per money order | Needed for $1,500 | Total fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (Post Office) | $2.65 | $1,000 | 2 | $6.40 |
| Walmart | $1 | not published | – | – |
| Kroger | $1.50 | $1,000 | 2 | $3 |
| Publix | $1 | not published | – | – |
| 7-Eleven | not published | varies by location | – | – |
| Western Union | varies by location | varies by location | – | – |
| MoneyGram | not published | not published | – | – |
| Chase | $5 | $1,000 | 2 | $10 |
| Wells Fargo | $5 | $1,000 | 2 | $10 |
| Citi | $5 | not published | – | – |
| U.S. Bank | $5 | not published | – | – |
| Truist | $5 | not published | – | – |
| Regions | $2 | $1,000 | 2 | $4 |
| TD Bank | $5 | not published | – | – |
Bank money orders are cheap for account holders, and several premium accounts waive the fee, but most banks do not sell them to walk-in customers. For a stranger, the Post Office is the only seller with a fixed national price. Store prices are lower but are maximums or typical figures, set location by location.
How the count and the fees add up
The finder divides the amount by the cap per money order and rounds up. At the Post Office, each slip is priced on its own band, so $1,500 costs $3.75 for the $1,000 slip plus $2.65 for the $500 slip, $6.40 in all, while $1,600 costs $7.50. The small calculator below shows the split for any seller.
How many money orders for this amount?
Total fees
$10.15
| Money orders needed | 3 |
| Cap per money order | $1,000 |
| You hand over | $2,360.15 |
2 of $1,000 and 1 of $350.
Splitting an amount differently does not lower the USPS fee much, but at a flat-fee store the number of slips is the whole cost. A $4,000 deposit takes four slips everywhere, which is $15 at the Post Office and four store fees elsewhere.
Paying in cash: the reporting thresholds
Buying money orders with cash leaves a record above certain amounts. From $3,000 to $10,000 in cash 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 for purchases totaling $3,000 or more. Above $10,000 in cash, a currency transaction report is filed. None of this is a problem for an honest purchase. Breaking a purchase into smaller ones to stay below a threshold, however, is a federal offense in itself, even with clean money.
Before you hand it over
Fill in the payee’s name right away, sign where the slip says purchaser or from, and keep the receipt or stub: it holds the serial number you need for any tracking, refund or replacement. The filling guide goes field by field. If a money order goes missing, the lost money order page lists the fees and delays of each issuer. And if someone sends you a money order and asks for part of it back, read the fake check page first: counterfeit money orders are a common scam tool.