This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
Are you looking to send or receive cash and wondering, “Where can I get a money order near me?”
If you’re not familiar with a money order, how they work, or why you might want to get one, this article will explain all that you need to know about it.
A money order is like a personal check. It is a piece of paper that, if legitimate, is good as cash.
Do you need to send cash to a family member or friend or for a business transaction?
Use a money order. It offers a convenient way to transmit cash to them.
In the same way, you can also receive cash through money order from its senders.
Table of Contents
Did you know a money order is safer than a personal check?
Unlike a personal check, a money order can’t bounce. If the recipient of the cash presents proper identification or other requirements, he or she will get the full amount.
On the part of the money sender, there’s no possibility of overdrawing and its consequent charges.
How does a money order work?
It’s really simple. This convenient financial device helps facilitate the exchange of money in various transactions.
But unlike the usual exchange of money, there is a third party that makes the transfer of cash possible.
To expedite the transfer of money, the sender pays a third-party company, like Western Union or MoneyGram, to receive the cash. For its part, the third-party company will give the cash to the recipient.
A money order transaction is usually resorted to when the sender of the cash and the recipient do not reside in the same locality; thus, the possibility of physically handing over the cash in person may not be possible.
To make the transfer of cash from its sender to the recipient happen, a third-party company will take the order from the branch where the sender is and communicate it to the branch where the recipient is.
This order comes with the instruction to pay the recipient a specific amount of cash that the sender provided. Payment will only be possible when the recipient has presented proper identification, required transaction serial number, or other similar requirements.
For facilitating the transfer of cash, the sender pays the third-party company the corresponding fees for the transaction. This usually happens upon the sender’s deposit of the money with the third-party company.
Why would I want to have a money order?
There are several reasons why you want to get a money order.
Perhaps you’re looking to give money to someone as a purchase price for an item you bought. Or it could be for services rendered to you.
Want to give money to family or friends?
A money order may also serve as a personal check. If you’re looking to give money to someone and you don’t have a checking account, a money order will do.
In fact, it is a more secure mode of payment than a check.
Did you know it is safer to mail a money order than cash or check?
Any finder of cash can immediately appropriate it for himself. On the other hand, a check may be susceptible to fraud or forgery prior to its illicit appropriation.
With a money order, the name of the recipient is specified. The payment is also guaranteed by the third-party company that facilitated the transfer of money.
In the event it is lost in transit, it is incumbent upon the third-party company to issue another one without additional cost to the sender or recipient.
Compare that with cash or personal check.
If the cash is lost in transit, the payor’s obligation to pay is still not extinguished, and he still has to fulfill the payment.
The same goes for the loss of a personal check. The obligation to pay still subsists and the maker of the check will have to fulfill his part through payment.
How can I tell if the money order I received is legit or not?
It’s understandable to have this concern. Even cash and checks are being fabricated and passed around as real.
When you encounter a money order and you doubt if it’s real and legit, your best recourse is to contact the company that issued it. Ask them to verify its genuineness or authenticity.
Here are some of the usual signs that it is fake or counterfeit:
- The amount appearing on its face was altered, edited, manipulated, or changed.
- The dollar amount is set too high at more than $1,000.
- Western Union, MoneyGram, and similar other issuing companies usually put watermarks on their money orders; if it’s missing, you may take it as a sign that it’s fake or counterfeit.
If someone gives you a money order with these telltale signs and you feel something is off, you can refuse to accept it.
How much does a money order cost?
The fees may vary. Some companies charge a flat fee while others take a percentage of the amount involved in the money order.
Banks tend to charge more than retail stores. But if you have an account with the bank, it may waive the fees.
Where can I get a money order near me?
You can usually get a money order from a bank.
However, nowadays, you can also get it from companies like MoneyGram and Western Union.
If you received one from any of the aforementioned entities, you may deposit it directly with your bank like it’s cash.
Getting a money order from your local bank.
Do you have an account at your local bank?
You can obtain one from your bank or cash it there. However, keep in mind that there may be fees.
Check with your local bank regarding the guidelines on buying or selling of money orders as well as the corresponding fees.
Where else can I get a money order?
Some of the most popular money order locations include,
- Walmart,
- 7-Eleven,
- and the United States Postal Service.
Let’s discuss each one.
1. Walmart
America’s largest hypermarket chain offers money order services.
What Walmart sells are money orders from MoneyGram, charging rates ranging from 70 cents to 88 cents per money order.
The amount limit for every money order is $1,000.
Want to cash a money order?
You can go to Walmart and have it cashed. But you can only do this if the money order was obtained from any Walmart location.
To cash a Walmart money order, you need to pay around $3 to $6, depending on the amount involved.
2. 7-Eleven
Don’t have a Walmart, Western Union, or MoneyGram outlet in your neighborhood?
You’re probably wondering, “Where can I get a money order near me?”
Well, you can get a money order from any of the 8,000 7-Eleven locations in the U.S. Isn’t that convenient?
What 7-Eleven offers are money orders issued by Western Union or MoneyGram, depending on the location. However, the prices may vary at every store.
The convenience store chain charges around 65 cents per money order or 1 to 3 percent of the total amount involved, depending on the store location.
Also depending on the location, the amount limit of the money order is between $500 and $1,000.
However, 7-Eleven doesn’t cash money orders.
3. United States Postal Service
Guess what! Your friendly neighborhood post office sells money orders.
Here’s some information about the money orders offered by the United States Postal Service.
The agency doesn’t use MoneyGram or Western Union. It has its own brand of money orders.
However, the USPS charges higher compared to the other outlets, ranging from $1.25 to $1.70.
The USPS money order has an amount limit of up to $1,000.
You can cash it at the post office. I suggest you check with the guidelines or fees on the agency’s cashing services for money orders.
4. CVS Pharmacy
Did you know CVS Pharmacy sells money orders?
CVS Pharmacy uses MoneyGram money orders and charges 99 cents for each. The amount limit set for every money order is up to $500 only.
You may want to check your nearby CVS Pharmacy for more guidelines on the selling of these money orders.
Please note that the pharmacy, however, does not cash a money order.
5. Meijer Supermarket Stores
Do you have a Meijer supermarket store near you?
Most of its locations are in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. If you happen to be near one, you can get a Western Union money order from them.
Meijer supermarket stores charge 65 cents for every money order. The amount limit for each money order is $500.
Like CVS Pharmacy, Meijer supermarket stores do not cash money orders.
6. Kroger Family Stores
With over 2,700 store locations in the U.S., Kroger Family Stores also operates under many different brand names. These include Fry’s, Smith’s, King Sooper’s, Dillon’s, and Fred Meyer stores.
Check with your location near you if they offer money orders; some subsidiaries or stores may not offer them.
However, for those that do, Kroger’s Family Stores and its subsidiaries sell Western Union money orders.
They charge around 70 cents per money order, but the rates may vary, depending on the location or subsidiary.
The amount limit may also vary, whether it’s $500 or $1,000, depending on the location.
7. Kmart
Please note that some Kmart outlets may not sell money orders. Check with your local store if they offer them.
But when they do, Kmart sells Western Union money orders, having a $500 limit, and with fees ranging from 69 cents to $1.25 depending on the store or location.
8. Publix Grocery Stores
With locations in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, Publix Grocery Stores is one of the leading outlets in the Southeastern region of the U.S.
What Publix offers are Western Union money orders. The grocery chain charges 85 cents per money order. However, it doesn’t cash money orders.
If you’re wondering if its subsidiary, GreenWise, sells or cashes money orders, no, it doesn’t.
9. Giant
You might want to check with the customer service desk at Giant for the fees and guidelines on the money orders they sell. There are reports that the charges vary depending on the location.
The money orders they sell are issued by Western Union and usually costs about a dollar or two. The amount limit for each money order is set at $1,000.
However, Giant does not cash money orders.
10. Vons
Do you have a preference between Western Union and MoneyGram?
At Vons, you can get both.
For Western Union money orders, Vons charges between 99 cents and $1.50 or based on the amount involved. The amount limit set per money order is $1,000.
On the other hand, MoneyGram money orders cost 89 cents each and have an amount limit of up to $500.
To buy these money orders, Vons only accepts cash.
Vons does not cash money orders.
11. Kwik Trip
Kwik Trip only offers MoneyGram money orders. The amount limit for each is up to $500 or up to $1,000 per person. You can buy one at 99 cents.
On the other hand, Kwik Trip doesn’t cash money orders.
12. Royal Farms
Royal Farms sells MoneyGram money orders with amount limits of only up to $300. It also charges higher than usual, at $1.25 each.
It only accepts cash for its payment, and it also doesn’t cash money orders.
13. Rite Aid
Did you know Rite Aid sells Western Union money orders?
Rite Aid charges a 99-cent fee, and the amount limit, however, is up to $500. They do not cash money orders though.
Who cashes money orders near me?
You can cash it with the local branch of the third-party company that facilitated the money transfer.
Please note that some branches only keep enough cash on hand and may not have cashing services.
Walmart has cashing services for in-house money orders. You may want to check with other grocery stores as well.
To cash your money order is simple. The procedure is similar to cashing a check.
Simply present a valid picture ID. You will need to sign at the back of the money order and request payment of cash or account deposit.
To be a valid cashing request, the name in your ID (with photo) must match the name indicated in the money order.
Acceptable IDs include driver’s license, passport, military or government service ID, and permanent resident card.
