Best Places to Get Money Orders (Near Me in 2021)

You can pay with cash, credit cards, debit cards, checks, things like Venmo, and PayPal… There’s also money orders.

I know it’s a little old school (when was the last time you saw someone even USE a money order)?

People still use money orders – I promise!

If you want to know all about money orders, including what they are, why people use them, how much they cost, and where to get one, keep reading!

You’ll be a money order expert in no time.

What is a money order?

A money order is a type of secured payment. By “secured payment” I mean you have to prepay for it, making backed or “secured” by your payment method.

Money orders can be used to pay some bills like utilities, insurance, and some phone bills. They can also be given directly to someone else, who can then cash it and get money that way.

Is a money order a check?

A money order is not a check. Both a money order and a check can be exchanged for cash or money, but a money order is prepaid and a check is not.

Is a money order a cashier’s check?

A money order is not a cashier’s check. A cashier’s check is something that issues exclusively by a bank and signed by a bank, but a money order can be bought from a variety of places, and it’s signed by the purchaser.

Why use a money order?

If you aren’t really familiar with money orders and why the heck someone would even want to use one, here are just a few reasons:

• Safer than cash – You can make sure your money order is payable to a certain business or person, which means it can only be cashed by those people. With cash, if you lose it or it gets stolen, there’s really no way to get it back.
• You don’t need a bank account – You can buy a money order with cash, which means you don’t need an account.
• Privacy – When you pay with a money order you don’t really need to share any personal information (like account info, address, etc) – unlike a check.
• Theft and loss protection – If your money order gets lost or stolen, you can take your receipt to where you originally bought the money order and get a new one. Also since you write the recipient name right on the money order, it can’t be cashed by another party.

How much do money orders cost?

The cost of a money order depends on how much you want the money order to be, and what fees are charged by the provider.

The post office usually charges $1.20 – $1.65 on their money orders, some banks charge up to $5 for money orders, and Walmart charges $0.70 for money orders.

Money Order Types / Producers

Before we go into where you can actually get a money order, we should talk about the companies that actually make the money orders.

There are three companies that produce money orders, MoneyGram, the US Postal Service, and Western Union.

So when you go to Walmart and get a money order, you will actually be getting a MoneyGram money order. Make sense?

Money Order Buying Process

Here’s the actually buying process for money orders:

1. Choose a place to buy a money order (see our list below!)
2. Choose your payment method – Most places will accept cash and debit cards. Some places may also accept credit cards, but this is pretty uncommon, and your credit card issuer will treat the transaction as a cash advance, which means your interest rate might be a lot higher, and there could be a limit to the amount you can purchase.
3. Purchase your money order – Money orders can be any amount (up to a max of $1,000), you most likely will also need to pay a processing fee on top of that amount.
4. Fill out your money order – You’ll need the payee name, sometimes you will need the address, there can sometimes also be a “memo” field where you can add details, and of course, you’ll need to sign it.
5. **Save your receipt! If it gets lost or stolen, you can usually get a replacement (there might be an additional fee for this).

Places to Get a Money Order Me

Here are 10+ places where you can get a legitimate money order:

7-Eleven

There are almost 8,000 7-Eleven stores here in the US, and most of them have some financial services, including selling money orders.

Some 7-Eleven stores sell MoneyGram money orders and some stores sell Western Union money orders, so be sure to check before purchasing (if you have a preference).

**You cannot cash a money order at a 7-Eleven store

• Fee: 1-3% of the money order amount (with a minimum fee of $0.65)
• Type (Provider): MoneyGram or Western Union (depends on 7-Eleven store)
• Limit: $500 maximum
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

CVS

CVS is a large chain of drugstores in the US (with over 6,200 stores), did you know that you can also purchase money orders here?

CVS offers MoneyGram money orders up to $500, and the fees are quite low.

• Fee: $0.99, (no fee when making healthcare payments)
• Type (Provider): MoneyGram
• Limit: $500
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

Walmart

Almost everyone has a Walmart near them. There’s other 4,700 stores in the US!

Walmart has good prices on money orders, and in stores you can usually find a special area where you can purchase them (usually in the customer service area).

Walmart also has one of the higher limits on money orders that I’ve seen, and you can also cash money orders at Walmart.

• Fee: $0.88 (may vary by location)
• Type (Provider): MoneyGram
• Limit: $1,000
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

Meijer

Meijer is a supermarket chain here in the US. It’s not as large at Walmart, but they do have over 250 stores spread between Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

You can purchase money orders at Meijer, but you cannot cash them there.

• Fee: $0.65
• Type (Provider): Western Union
• Limit: $500
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

Kmart

Unfortunately there are less than 100 Kmart stores left in the US. But if you do have one near you, you can get a money order there (possibly).

You can call in advance to make sure the Kmart store near you has money orders (not all locations have them).

If you do find a Kmart where you can purchase a money order, be ware that you can only purchase, you can’t cash them yet.

• Fee: $0.69 – $1.25 (depending on the location).
• Type (Provider): Western Union
• Limit: $500
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

Publix

Publix is a popular regional grocery store in the US with over 1,200 stores located in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee.

Publix offers Western Union money orders for purchase, but you cannot cash them at Publix.

• Fee: $0.85
• Type (Provider): Western Union
• Limit: $500
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

Kroger

Kroger has over 2,700 total store here in the US (this includes it’s other brands: Dillon’s, Fry’s, King Sooper’s, Smith’s, and Fred Meyer).

Not all locations sell money orders (so check ahead), and you also cannot cash a money order at a Kroger store.

• Fee: $0.79
• Type (Provider): Western Union
• Limit: $500 – $1,000 (depends on store location)
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card

US Postal Service (USPS)

There are over 30,800 post offices in the US, and you can buy at money order at any of them!

You can also cash your postal money orders at any post office.

The USPS doesn’t sell a MoneyGram or a WesternUnion money order, they actually have their own (called the US Postal Service Money Order).

These money orders can be used for sending money here in the US, or can be used to send money internationally.

• Fee: $0.45-$1.75 for domestic money orders, $10.25+ for international money orders.
• Type (Provider): USPS
• Limit: $1,000
• Payment Methods: Cash, debit card, traveler’s check

Check Cashing Company

There are a lot of local independent check cashing companies that also have money orders available for sale, and you can usually also cash your money orders there, too.

You can find these companies by literally googling “buy money orders near me”.

Be aware that these places vary wildly (especially when it comes to fees), so do a little digging or give them a call before purchasing.

Some of the check cashing places that have money orders include ACE Cash Express, Advance America, Check’n Go, and Speedy Cash

• Fee: Varies
• Type (Provider): Varies
• Limit: Varies
• Payment Methods: Varies

Local Bank

I’m sure you were expecting this one, right? I still have to mention it!

Most local banks also issue money orders, and you can also cash your money orders at a lot of local banks.

The fees can vary a lot – this is just something to be aware of.

• Fee: Varies
• Type (Provider): Varies
• Limit: Varies
• Payment Methods: Varies

Credit Union

Just like local banks, a lot of local credit unions issue (and cash!) money orders.

The fees and types also vary (just like with local banks).

• Fee: Varies
• Type (Provider): Varies
• Limit: Varies
• Payment Methods: Varies

Other Places to Get Money Orders

Here are some other places you can find money orders:

• Other drugstores like Rite Aid and Walgreens.
• Other grocery stores like Safeway, Giant Food Stores, and Vons
• Other convenience stores like QuikTrip and Circle K

Money Order FAQs

Conclusion

There you go, now you know all about money orders and where you can get them!

If you do decide to use a money order, make sure to buy from a reputable place, and be sure to save your receipt!