Money orders
Where to cash a money order
Choose the issuer printed on the money order and its amount. The finder lists the places that cash it, cheapest first, with what each charges.
Cheapest published way to turn it into money
free
Any Post Office, exact amount, photo ID
| Deposit at your own bank: next business day if handed to a teller (Reg CC) | free |
| Some stores and check cashers | their own fee |
| Publix | does not cash them |
| Check cashing store | percentage fee, set by state and store |
Verify a postal money order first: Money Order Verification System 1-866-459-7822; fraud to the Postal Inspection Service 1-877-876-2455.
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Where to cash a money order depends on who issued it, which is printed on its face. A postal money order can be cashed free at any Post Office, for the exact amount, with a photo ID and a signature at the counter (USPS). Any money order can be deposited in your own bank or credit union account without a fee; a postal one handed to a teller must be available the next business day under Regulation CC, while Western Union and MoneyGram money orders are treated as ordinary checks, with $275 the next business day and the rest by the second. Without a bank account, Walmart cashes Western Union and MoneyGram money orders at its check cashing fees, up to $4 for $1,000 or less (Walmart check cashing). Check cashers accept all kinds for a percentage. Some sellers do not cash what they sell: Western Union’s pages say Publix does not cash money orders and 7-Eleven does not cash Western Union ones. Figures read on October 27, 2026.
Fees, limits and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Where each kind of money order can be cashed
| Place | Postal money order | Western Union | MoneyGram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Office | free | no | no |
| Your own bank or credit union (deposit) | free, next business day at a teller | free, ordinary check schedule | free, ordinary check schedule |
| Walmart | not listed | up to $4 to $1,000, $8 above | up to $4 to $1,000, $8 above |
| Kroger | – | may, fee not published | – |
| Publix | no | no | no |
| 7-Eleven | – | no | – |
| Check cashing store | yes, fee | yes, fee | yes, fee |
The Post Office pays out of its counter cash, so a large postal money order may have to wait until the office has enough. Rural carriers can cash one if they carry enough money. In both cases the payee signs in front of the clerk.
Depositing instead of cashing
Depositing a money order in your own account costs nothing and is safer than carrying cash. Regulation CC sets the availability: a postal money order deposited in person with a teller is a next-day item (12 CFR 229.10(c)), and the second business day applies if you use the app or an ATM. Western Union and MoneyGram money orders are not in the next-day list, so they follow the schedule of ordinary checks. The tool below gives the dates for an ordinary check deposited on a given weekday.
When will a personal check be available?
All of it by
Wednesday
| $275 | Tuesday (§ 229.10(c)(1)(vii)) |
| $375 | Wednesday (§ 229.12(b)) |
Teller deposit of a local personal check, no exception, no holiday. Days are the latest the rule allows.
Before you cash a money order from a stranger
Availability is not proof that a money order is genuine. Counterfeit money orders are common in online sales and fake job offers: the sender pays more than agreed and asks for the difference back. Your bank may make the funds available within two days and discover weeks later that the money order is fake, and you will owe the whole amount. Verify a postal money order at 1-866-459-7822, and call the issuer for a Western Union or MoneyGram one. The fake check page describes the signs.
When a place refuses to cash it
A store or bank can refuse a money order for reasons of its own: not enough cash on hand, an amount above its limit, an ID that does not match the payee line, or a money order that looks altered. A refusal does not mean the money order is fake. Try the issuer’s own channel first: the Post Office for a postal money order, or a bank deposit for any kind. If you suspect a counterfeit, do not try elsewhere; call the issuer’s verification line.
Cashing without a bank account
If you have no bank account, the cheapest route depends on the issuer: the Post Office for a postal money order, Walmart for Western Union and MoneyGram ones up to its limit of $5,000 ($7,500 from January to April). Check cashers are the fallback, with fees that vary by store and by state. The page on cashing without an account compares the published fees of banks and stores for checks of all kinds.