As old as it may seem, money order is still one of the best ways to transfer money. If you've never cashed or bought a money order, you might be asking “How and where do I cash or buy a money order near me?”
Money orders are as good as cash.
Sometimes, you can even cash them for FREE.
That's right:
There are ways you can cash those money orders without a fee. You just need to know which stores they are.
That's really it!
Before we get to the meat of this post, you may want to know the answers to these questions:
- Where do I go to get a money order?
- Is it safe to send it by mail?
- How much does it cost to get one?
Those are just some of the basic questions you need to know about money orders.
Where do I go to get a money order near me?
Money orders are issued mostly by banks. But there are a number of exceptions.
Nowadays, most of them are issued by the following entities:
- U.S. Post Office
- Western Union
- MoneyGram
If you get or receive money orders from any of these issuers, you can easily deposit them in your bank account like cash.
That said, some banks might charge a fee or two for cashing it. Make sure you ask your bank first if it charges any kind of fee for depositing or cashing money orders.
Read: Technically, no one knew this FREE site could MAKE YOU MONEY on almost everything you do… until now.
Is it safe to mail a money order?
The short answer is yes. Money order is safer to mail than cash or personal check. It doesn't contain banking information that a personal check has.
You will specify who will receive the money order. For a money order to be valid, both the sender and receiver have to sign it.
The money is guaranteed by a third party issuer like Moneygram and Western Union.
In some cases where the money gets lost in transit, all you need to do is go to the issuer and request that the money order is canceled and that a new one is issued.
In most cases, there's no fee in doing this.
Want to say goodbye to your bills for good, see this post on Trim review.
How much does a money order cost?
The cost varies from one place to another. Typically, retail stores charge less, and banks charge more. Some banks do waive fees if you have an account with them.
Since a lot of money order is maxed out at $1,000 (meaning you can only buy up to $1,000 per money order), you would need to get another money order if it's over $1,000 plus the fee you have to pay.
Money Order Near Me? 8 Best, Safe Places To Buy or Cash It
Let's go down the list to see what these “money order near me” places are and where you can go to buy or cash your money order:
1. Banks or credit unions
Most banks offer money ordering services. They also offer FREE money order services for their account holders.
Some of them charge for it and some don't. Just make sure you ask if those services are free or not.
Believe it or not:
If you live near a bank and you don't have an account with it, you can still get or cash your money order for a fee.
If you keep asking yourself the question “What's the best place to get or buy a money order near me?”, the answer is the banks.
Idea to consider: If your bank charges you any kind of fee for even some of the weirdest reasons, consider CIT Bank. It pays over 2.45% on interest on your deposits plus it offers a lot of benefits and free services. For me, it's a double win.
Bank of America fees:
- Up to $1,000 money order: $5.00
- Limit: $1,000
BB&T fees:
- Free under $50; $8 for money orders over $50
- Limit not specified
Capital One fees:
- None for money orders under $100; $7 for money orders over $100
- Limit not specified
Citibank fees:
- Free for Citibank-issued money orders
- Limit: $5,000
Wells Fargo fees:
- Up to $1,000 money order: $5.00
- Limit: $1,000
2. Walmart
If you've been to Walmart recently, you'll find that it either has a small kiosk or an area for check cashing. This is where you can buy or cash your money order.
Almost every Walmart has a checking cashing area. By the way, Walmart has over 3,000 locations in the U.S. alone. That means it has over 3,000 check cashing locations.
Here’s some information about the money-related service it offers.
- Walmart charges 70 cents per order
- Maximum limit per money order is $1,000 <— No exception on this
Just because it offers this service doesn't mean you can cash any type of money order.
You can only cash it at Walmart if that money order was purchased at Walmart.
Walmart fees:
- Up to $1,000 money order: $0.70
- Limit: $1,000
Read: This trick slashes your bills for good. Simple but the majority of the population doesn't know it.
3. Grocery stores
The most unlikely place to buy or cash a money order near you is a grocery store, but it does offer money order services.
Say what?
Yes. A lot of grocery stores will sell you or cash your money orders. You might even save money on groceries when you buy money orders from them.
Not all grocery stores will cash them. One way to check out if the stores near you is to use these grocery store apps as these apps will provide you that information without you having to search over the internet for that information.
If those orders are issued not by a bank but by Moneygram or Western Union, it's best to the websites of these companies to see which grocery stores you can cash those.
Some of these stores include the following. Remember that these stores DON'T CASH but they sell those:
- Publix
- Albertsons
- Meijer
- Kroger
- BJ's Wholesale <- Get a $25 gift card when you join BJ's club
- Whole Foods
- Sam's Club
- Other supermarkets like Kmart
Here are the fee schedules of some of the grocery stores:
Publix fees:
- Up to $500: $0.89
- Limit: $500
Kroger fees:
- Up to $1,000: $0.70
- Limit: $1,000
Meijer fees:
- Up to $500: $0.65
- Limit: $500
A money-making tip: If you're stopping by one of these stores, check out Shopkick – an app that pays you to just step your feet into the store. You'll save money without too much hassle.
4. U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service isn't just a mail-service agency.
It's where you can buy money orders, too.
If you're asking yourself “Where can I buy money order near me?”, your best answer is the post office.
If you ever need to send a money order, chances are you're going to need to send the money order via mail anyways. The best way to do it is through the post office.
Since post offices are basically everywhere, you won't have a hard time finding them.
In short, getting a money order, sending it via mail, and using the post office is convenient.
The U.S. Postal Service cashes all money orders issued by the post office for FREE. Other money orders issued by others will not be cashed.
USPS fees:
- $0.01 – $500 money order: $1.25
- $500.01 – $1,000 money order: $1.65
- Postal military money orders: $0.40
- Limit: $1,000
5. Check cashing service
When all fail, you can go to check cashing places to cash your money orders.
But be aware of these cashing places:
While they cash just about any money orders, the fee is something you may need to look into. #thefeeishigh
Yes, the fee is quite high, and that's why a lot of people don't use them.
Some of the biggest check cashing companies include:
- ACE Cash Express
- Advance America
- Amscot: The Money Superstore
- Check Into Cash
- Check ‘n Go
- Friendly Check
- Money Mart
- Speedy Cash
That said, there may be local check cashing services in your area that don't charge a whole lot. It's worth checking them out before going to the big ones.
Here is some information on the fees for the mentioned check cashing companies:
ACE Cash Express fees:
- Fees vary by location
Amscot fees:
- Fee is 9.9%
- No limit on the amount of the money order
Check Into Cash fees:
- Fees vary by location
Friendly Check fees:
- Fees vary by location
Money Mart fees:
- Fees vary by location
- Limit varies by location
Speedy Cash fees:
- Fees vary by location
Read: More and more people go to this site. Here's why? (Hint: $$$$)
6. Pharmacy stores
Believe it or not:
Pharmacy stores also issue money orders.
Some use Moneygram like CVS while others use Western Union like Walgreens.
A lot of people live close to a pharmacy store, and that's why pharmacy stores are very popular with people when it comes to issuing money orders.
The fees are something to note about.
The fees charged by these stores vary from one company to another.
If you happen to have a couple of different pharmacy stores in your area, call them and ask their fees on money orders.
CVS fees:
- Up to $500 money order: $0.99
- Limit: $500
Rite Aid fees:
- Up to $500: $0.89
- Limit: $500
Walgreens fees:
- Up to $1,000: $0.70
- Limit: $1,000
7. Moneygram and Western Union
By a mile, Moneygram and Western Union are the two big household names on money orders.
They are everywhere and a lot of places like Walmart, Walgreens, and other big retailers use them.
They are everywhere that you should have no difficulty finding these companies in your area.
For example, the last time I checked, there were 4 Moneygram and 3 Western Union branches in our area.
That's a lot.
8. Online money order issuers
Sometimes, people need to send money abroad.
There's no problem with that… now.
Now, there are a lot of companies that will issue money orders to be sent abroad.
The fee is based on the amount of the money order and where the recipient resides.
Some of the companies that issue money orders include:
Other questions that answer the question
“Where's the money order near me?”
When should I use a money order?
While we now live in an almost cashless world where cash and personal checks aren't the primary means to pay somebody, there are situations that we may need to go back to the basic, which includes using a money order.
There are risks associated with using cash and personal checks.
Here are some situations or examples where a money order is the best way to go:
- Sending money securely. Money orders don't include bank account information. It's as good as cash but it can be reissued if it gets lost. That can't be said for cash.
- Mailing money. Sending cash via mail is a big mistake. Things can go wrong (e.g. mail gets lost). If that happens, say goodbye to your money. That's not the case with money orders.
- Not getting worried about bouncing a check. Money orders are prepaid, which means they're guaranteed for sufficient funds.
- Not having a checking account. Not all people have checking accounts, but people have access to the post office, retail stores, and pharmacy stores. They could go to these places to buy money orders to pay their bills and pay other people.
How can I buy a money order?
Since money orders are guaranteed by the issuers, these issuers will require you to pay via a debit card.
No issuers will issue you a money order if you wish to use a personal check.
Why not?
It's because they are not certain if you have money in the account or if the check clears once it hits your bank account.
How about a credit card?
They most likely won't accept it either because a credit card is a debt, and they won't issue you a money order if it's a debt instrument.
That said, some credit cards or money order issuers will allow you to get a money order, but this transaction will be considered as a cash advance on your credit card.
In this case, a different set of fee – typically higher fees – will be charged to you.
How do I cash a money order?
Cashing a money order is simple and straightforward. All you need to do are:
- Present a picture ID
- Sign at the back of the money order
- Request cash payment or deposit to an account
What if the money order gets lost?
In cases where a money order is lost or stolen, make sure the person who gave you the money order has the receipt.
This way, that person can cancel the money order and issue another one.
There's a process that the issuers follow to check if the money order has been cashed. So, it's always best to have that receipt, which contains the serial number, so the issue can trace the money order.
If it hasn't been cashed, the issuer would process a replacement. If it has been cashed, unfortunately, the issuer won't process one.
Can I cash money order using apps?
That's a great question. The answer is YES in certain cases.
There are numerous banks that will allow you to cash your money orders. These banks include:
- Santander Bank
- Wells Fargo
- TD Bank
- Chase Bank
On the other hand, some banks don't have that feature and advise that the money order be cashed in the bank. These banks include:
- Bank of America
- PNC Bank
- Ally Bank
- Regions Bank
What are other places that don't cash money orders?
To make it easier for you to determine the places where you can't cash your money order, I compiled a list of those places that don't cash money orders. They do sell or issue money orders though.
- 7-Eleven
- Albertsons
- Aldi
- BJ's Wholesale
- Costco
- CVS
- Dollar General
- Dollar Tree
- Food Lion
- Publix
- Rite Aid
- Target
- Trader Joe’s
- Sam’s Club
- Whole Foods
- Walgreens
- Wells Fargo
- Whole Foods
- Winn Dixie
Final thoughts on money orders near me:
When you ask yourself again the question “Where is the nearest money order to me?”, the answer is above.
Getting or receiving a money order is really simple since that can be obtained or cashed just about anywhere.
Do you think there's a value with getting a money order? Do you think you'll ever need one in the future?
