How to Fill Out a Money Order (USPS)

The short answer

Write the payee’s full name on the “Pay to” line, fill in your own name and address as purchaser, and add an account or unit number on the memo line if you’re paying a bill. Sign only where the form asks the purchaser to sign, then tear off and keep the receipt stub. A USPS money order can be up to $1,000 and costs $2.65 for up to $500 or $3.75 for $500.01–$1,000 (Notice 123, October 2026).

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What do you need before you fill out a money order?

A money order is prepaid: you hand over the amount plus a fee, and the issuer prints that amount on the form. Before you go, have three things ready: the exact amount, the payee’s exact name as they want it written, and, if you’re paying a bill or rent, your account or unit number.

At the Post Office, USPS says to bring cash or a debit card; you can’t pay with a credit card. The Domestic Mail Manual also accepts traveler’s checks in US dollars if the purchase is at least 50% of their value. A single postal money order tops out at $1,000, so a larger payment means buying more than one.

How do you fill out a money order, step by step?

USPS’s own instructions are short: decide the amount, go to a Post Office, pay, “fill out the money order at the counter with a retail associate,” and keep your receipt. The Domestic Mail Manual adds the rule that matters most: the purchaser fills in the names and addresses of the payee and the purchaser on both the money order and the customer’s receipt. Here’s that process in order, using pen and clear print.

Western Union lists the same core steps for its money orders: the receiver’s name, your address as “Purchaser,” an account number if you’re paying a bill, your signature as “Purchaser,” and keeping the receipt. Whichever issuer you use, follow the labels printed on that form.

Check the printed amount before you leave the counter. It’s imprinted for you; never write in or change the dollar amount. USPS says money orders are paid only in the exact amount imprinted.
Write the payee’s name on the “Pay to” line. Use one identifiable person or business; USPS requires a single identifiable party, which can be you.
Fill in your own name and address in the purchaser area, so the recipient knows who paid.
Add the payee’s address where the form asks for it, and copy the payee and purchaser details onto the receipt stub too.
If you’re paying a bill or rent, write the account, invoice, or unit number on the memo or account line so the payment gets credited.
Sign only where the form says the purchaser signs (Western Union’s forms have a purchaser signature). Leave any endorsement or payee signature area blank; that’s for the person cashing it.
Tear off and keep the receipt stub. You need it to check status or replace a lost money order.

How much does a postal money order cost?

USPS sets money order fees in Notice 123, its official price list. The fee depends on the amount, not on where the money order is going, and it’s charged per money order. These prices are in the Notice 123 effective October 4, 2026, unchanged from July 12, 2026.

Buying $3,000 or more in money orders in one day, across any number of visits or Post Offices, triggers a Funds Transaction Report (PS Form 8105-A) and a photo ID check under the Domestic Mail Manual.

USPS domestic money order fees and limits (Notice 123, October 2026)
Item	Fee or limit
Money order, $0.01–$500.00	$2.65
Money order, $500.01–$1,000.00	$3.75
Postal military money order (issued by military facilities)	$0.85
Maximum amount per domestic money order	$1,000
Inquiry fee (includes a copy of a paid money order)	$23.00
Daily purchases that require PS Form 8105-A and ID	$3,000 or more

What if you make a mistake filling out a money order?

Don’t cross out or write over anything. Changes near the amount are exactly what USPS tells payees to treat as signs of fraud, and an altered money order may be refused. Instead, ask for a replacement.

For a postal money order, the Domestic Mail Manual says USPS replaces, without charge, a money order spoiled during imprinting or while the customer was filling it out, as long as you return the money order and its matching receipt. That’s easiest to fix on the spot, which is one reason USPS has you complete the form at the counter.

If you filled out a MoneyGram money order and no longer need it, MoneyGram says you may try cashing it at your bank or a check casher if it’s unaltered and in good condition, writing “Not Used for Purpose Intended” on the back in front of the teller. MoneyGram also says to keep the stub, because you’ll need the money order number on it if you ever contact the company.

Where can you get a money order?

Post Office: USPS sells postal money orders at any Post Office location, and the Domestic Mail Manual adds military money order facilities and rural route carriers. Rural customers can fill out PS Form 6387 and give it with payment to their carrier.

Banks and credit unions: many sell their own money orders, often with pricing tied to your account. For example, U.S. Bank sells personal money orders at its branches and points customers to its pricing brochure for any charge. Ask your own bank or credit union what it charges.

Western Union and MoneyGram agents: Western Union says you can buy its money orders at participating locations, that a fee may apply and varies by location, and that some locations limit the maximum amount. MoneyGram says its money orders are sold at thousands of US locations, including supermarkets, financial institutions, and check cashers. Use each company’s location finder before you go.

How do you fill out a money order for rent?

Rent is one of the most common uses; Western Union notes that many property management companies don’t accept personal checks. Fill it out exactly as above, with two extra checks.

First, write the payee name your lease or landlord specifies, letter for letter, whether that’s a person or a management company. Second, put your unit number or tenant account number on the memo or account line so the payment is matched to you. If your rent is over $1,000, a postal money order can’t cover it alone; buy two and note the same unit number on each. Keep every receipt stub until the payment shows on your ledger.

Western Union: Money orders for bills and rent

How do you cash a money order?

If you’re the payee, don’t sign a postal money order before you get to the counter. USPS says to bring it with a primary photo ID to any Post Office and sign in front of a retail associate; cashing a USPS money order at a Post Office is free. You can also cash it at most banks and some stores, and USPS money orders never expire.

If the payees are joined by “or,” either one can cash it; with “and” or no conjunction, all payees must endorse. A money order made out to a business must be signed by an authorized representative in the organization’s name.

For MoneyGram money orders, MoneyGram says you can deposit them at your bank or credit union or cash them at many check-cashing locations, which set their own fees and usually require ID. MoneyGram also notes that uncashed money orders may face a monthly service charge after a year, so cash or deposit promptly.

How do you check status or replace a lost money order?

To check a postal money order, use USPS’s Money Orders application with the serial number, Post Office number, and dollar amount from your receipt.

You can’t stop payment on a postal money order, but USPS will replace one that’s lost or stolen. Take your receipt to a Post Office and ask the retail associate to start a Money Order Inquiry; the processing fee is $23.00. USPS says confirming the loss or theft may take up to 30 days and the investigation up to 60 days, and it will issue a replacement once the money order is confirmed lost or stolen. Without the receipt, the Domestic Mail Manual says USPS doesn’t guarantee a full refund on a stolen money order.

A money order spoiled while you were filling it out, or one that’s damaged, is replaced free if you bring the money order and its matching receipt. For a Western Union money order, Western Union directs purchasers with a receipt to its online refund request form, and notes that fees may apply.

How do you spot a money order scam?

The classic scam reverses the flow of money: someone sends you a check or money order and asks you to deposit it and send part of it back. The Postal Inspection Service puts it plainly: there’s no legitimate reason anyone would give you a check or money order and ask you to send cash in return. Fakes can take weeks to discover, and the Inspection Service says banks don’t absorb the loss; you do.

Before accepting a postal money order, check it. USPS says domestic money orders can’t exceed $1,000, the written and numeric amounts should match, and discoloration or disturbed paper fibers around the amount may mean it was altered. Hold it to the light: current designs show watermarks and a security thread with “USPS,” and watermarks that are easy to see without light may signal a fake.

Verify it online at tools.usps.com, by scanning the QR code on 2025 designs, or by calling the Money Order Verification System at 1-866-459-7822. Report suspected fraud to the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or uspis.gov/report.

How do you mail a money order safely?

A money order goes in the mail like a check, and the same precautions apply: fill it out completely before you seal it, hide it inside a folded sheet or security envelope, and drop it inside a Post Office rather than leaving it in your mailbox. Our guide to mailing a check covers each step.

For a record that it arrived, add Certified Mail, which Notice 123 lists at $5.55 plus postage. Whatever you choose, keep the receipt stub until the payee confirms they’ve cashed it, since the stub is what lets you trace or replace it.

Can IRIS mail a money order for you?

No. IRIS Postal Forms is an independent print-and-mail service, not USPS. It prints the US Letter-size PDF you upload and mails it by USPS First-Class Mail to a US address. It can’t enclose a money order, check, cash, or any other physical item, so the money order itself has to go in your own envelope.

What IRIS can send is the paperwork around a payment, such as a cover letter explaining what the money order is for or a letter to a landlord confirming you paid. A one-page black-and-white letter costs $3.20 with postage included, no stamps needed. Certified Mail adds $6.95 for letters up to six sheets, with tracking on your order page.

Sources & further reading

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Published by IRIS Postal Forms, operated by Great Lakes Computing Office LLC. Send a correction.

Put it into practice

Need a cover letter to go with the payment?

IRIS prints and mails the letter you upload, such as a note explaining what a money order covers, from $3.20 with First-Class postage and no stamps. It can’t enclose the money order, so mail that yourself.

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