Money Orders

USPS money orders are capped at $1,000 for a single domestic order — if you need to send more, you buy multiple money orders in the same visit. As of mid-2026, the issuing fee is $2.65 for orders up to $500 and $3.75 for orders between $500.01 and $1,000 (military money orders issued at military facilities cost just $0.85). USPS sets and periodically changes these fees, so confirm the current amount at usps.com or with your local post office rather than assuming these numbers still apply.

You can pay for a money order with cash, a debit card, or a traveler's check — personal checks and credit cards aren't accepted. Money orders don't expire and don't accrue interest, and you can cash one for free at any post office, or at most banks and some stores, by signing it in front of a retail associate rather than beforehand.

If a money order is lost or you need to confirm one was cashed, you'll need your original purchase receipt — it has the serial number USPS uses to look it up. Bring the receipt to any post office to start a Money Order Inquiry, then track its status online. Confirming a loss or theft can take up to 30 days and the full investigation up to 60 days, and there's a $23 processing fee to issue a replacement once it's confirmed — postal money orders can't have a stop-payment placed on them the way a personal check can. Damaged money orders are replaced for free with your receipt.

If you're on the receiving end of a money order, USPS periodically redesigns them to fight fraud; current versions include a scannable QR code that checks its status online, along with watermarks and other details that are hard to fake. Mismatched written and numeric amounts, or discoloration around the dollar figure, are signs a money order may have been altered — verify one online or by calling the Money Order Verification System before cashing it if anything looks off.