Money orders
Where to get a money order near you
Choose the amount and how you will pay. The finder shows which sellers take that payment, how many slips you need and the fee each publishes.
Kroger: 1 money order
$1.50 in fees
You hand over $801.50 for $800 of money orders.
| Seller | Needed | Fees | Cap each | Debit card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kroger | 1 | $1.50 max | $1,000 | yes |
| USPS (Post Office) | 1 | $3.75 | $1,000 | yes |
| Chaseaccount holders | 1 | $5 | $1,000 | yes |
| Wells Fargoaccount holders | 1 | $5 | $1,000 | yes |
| Regions | 1 | $2 | $1,000 | ask |
| Walmart | – | varies by location | – | yes |
| Publix | – | not published | – | yes |
| Western Union | – | varies by location | – | ask |
| 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 |
| 7-Eleven | – | not published | – | no |
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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Money orders are sold in four kinds of places. Every Post Office sells the Postal Service’s own, at a national price of $2.65 up to $500 and $3.75 up to $1,000, paid in cash, by debit card with a PIN or with traveler’s checks. Large retailers sell Western Union or MoneyGram money orders at a service desk: Walmart publishes a fee of $1 at most, and Western Union’s pages give $1.50 or less at Kroger and $1 at Publix. Convenience stores, check cashers and pharmacies act as agents too, but the fee is set by each location and rarely published. Banks and credit unions sell their own, usually only to account holders, for $5 at Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and U.S. Bank and $2 at Regions. Walgreens is not a seller of Western Union money orders, according to Western Union itself. The finder above lists the sellers whose terms could be read on October 27, 2026.
Fees, limits and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The four kinds of sellers
| Seller | Issuer | Fee | Cap per slip | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post Office | USPS | $2.65 / $3.75 | $1,000 | cash, debit with PIN, traveler’s checks |
| Walmart | Western Union | $1 max | not published | cash or debit card |
| Kroger | Western Union | $1.50 or less | $1,000 typically | cash or debit card, no credit card |
| Publix | Western Union | $1 | not published | cash or debit card, ID required, no credit card |
| 7-Eleven | Western Union | not published | varies by location | cash at most stores |
| Banks | the bank | $2 to $5 | $1,000 at Chase, Wells Fargo, Regions | from your account |
CVS and Dollar General are often named as sellers in articles, but neither their sites nor an issuer page could be read to confirm the service, the fee or the cap, so the finder leaves them out rather than guess. Walgreens offers Western Union money transfers, but Western Union’s own page says its money orders are not available there.
Choosing where to go
For small amounts, a supermarket service desk is usually the cheapest published option, with fees around a dollar. For larger sums, the cap matters as much as the fee, since each slip of up to $1,000 carries its own charge. The Post Office has two practical advantages: the price is the same in every town, and its money orders can be cashed free at any Post Office by the payee. A bank money order is the cheapest of all if your account includes it.
How many money orders for this amount?
Total fees
$3.75
| Money orders needed | 1 |
| Cap per money order | $1,000 |
| You hand over | $803.75 |
Store hours matter too. Service desks often close earlier than the store, and some locations stop selling money orders an hour before closing. The Post Office sells them during retail counter hours only, not at self-service kiosks.
What to bring
Bring the exact name of the payee, the amount, and a way to pay that the seller accepts. For a purchase above $1,000, bring a government photo ID: Walmart asks for one, and federal rules require the seller to record it when you pay $3,000 or more in cash in a day. Keep the receipt with the serial number. The filling guide shows what to write before you leave the counter, and the limits page explains caps per slip and per day.
Buying for someone else, or from abroad
Anyone can buy a money order for any payee: the purchaser’s name goes in the “from” or “purchaser” field and the payee’s in “pay to”. A money order bought in the United States is for domestic payments. The Postal Service also issues international money orders for some countries, with lower caps, and they are cashed only where the destination country’s post accepts them. To pay someone abroad, a bank wire or a money transfer is usually simpler.
When a money order is not the right tool
For a payment above a few thousand dollars, such as a car or a deposit on a house, the seller usually wants a cashier’s check: a single instrument drawn on a bank, with no $1,000 cap. The comparison page sets the two side by side. For a payment to someone you know, a bank transfer or Zelle costs nothing, within the limit your bank sets.