If you ever need to mail a payment, a money order is a safe way to do it.
It’s safer than sending cash or a check because it’s traceable, voidable, and addressed to a specific recipient.
However, if you’re making an international money transfer, online money transfer services can be faster, cheaper, and easier.
Read on to learn what you need to know about buying, using, and sending a United States Postal Service (USPS) money order.
what is a usps money order?
according to the usps website, “money orders are a secure payment method. they are convenient, affordable, and widely accepted. Money orders are a great way to send cash that never expires.”
Basically, they act like checks, so they’re safer to mail than cash. But unlike checks, they’re paid in advance, so they can’t bounce when the recipient tries to cash one.¹
You may be wondering, how does a USPS money order work?
Money orders can be hand delivered or mailed. they can be used to send money within or outside the country. if they are lost or stolen, they can be canceled and replaced. In short, they are one of the safest ways to send money to someone if you need to mail it.
how much is the usps money order?
a money order purchased from usps is very inexpensive, but the amount you can send is very limited. You can only send up to $1,000 domestically and $700 internationally (and only $500 to El Salvador or Guyana).
This is what you can expect to pay for your money order at a post office:
You can also buy a USPS money order at a military installation. military money orders are $0.50 regardless of the amount sent.²
can i send money abroad with a usps money order?
you can send money to 26 countries using a usps money order; the full list can be found here.⁵
If you’re not sure if your money order will be accepted in the country you’re sending it to, check ahead of time, as your money order refund could take time if you need to cancel it.
For most countries that accept USPS Money Orders, the limit is $700 per order. The limit is $500 per order for El Salvador and Guyana.² Please note that when you send a money order abroad, it must be mailed, which can take a long time to arrive depending on the destination.
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if you want to send more money or look for good exchange rates, you might want to look around.
For example, with an international provider called Wise, you can send money at the mid-market rate to more than 80 countries. you can save up to 6 times compared to old school banks.
For people with more global needs, they also offer a multi-currency account and a debit card.
You can also generate local account details in the US, UK, Europe, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, which essentially means you can pay and get paid the same way a local person would in all of these. locations and easily convert to and from your local currency.
It’s all made even more attractive by the fact that wise has no registration or maintenance fees. If any of that sounds good, you can create a free account in minutes.
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how to send money using usps money order?
To send a USPS money order, you will need to: ²
- go to a branch of the us postal service. uu. to buy your money order
- fill out the money order
- pay for the order with cash, debit card or travel card. check
- Deliver the money order to the recipient in person or mail it to an address where they can receive it.
how to fill out a usps money order?
A USPS money order should be filled out the same way as any other money order – there’s not much difference in the information you need depending on where you buy your money order. you will need: ² ³
- type the payee’s name in the “pay to” field. do this first, because that way, if you lose the money order, no one else will be able to find it and cash it. make sure you have the correct spelling of the recipient’s name because it cannot be changed after you purchase the money order.
- fill in your information where it says “from” and the field for your address as well.
- sign on front of money order. this makes it valid. do not sign the back; that’s where the recipient must sign in order to collect it.
- save your receipt. If the money order is lost or damaged or needs to be replaced for any reason, you will need the receipt to track and cancel it.
how long does a usps money order take?
Money orders should generally reach the recipient within a couple of days. however, during weekends or holidays this may take longer. For this reason, be sure to wait at least 14 days before expecting any money order problems.
how to track a usps money order?
On the USPS website, you can enter your money order’s serial number (which can be found on your receipt) to check its status, track or cancel it, or report it lost or stolen.⁴
When sending money abroad, you have many options. it is important to choose the one that is going to be best for you, taking into account the convenience, speed and cost of the transfer. Hopefully, this guide helped you get closer to a decision.
fonts:
- https://www.usps.com/international/money-transfers.htm
- https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm
- https://www.wikihow.com/fill-out-a-money-order
- https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc3_018.htm
all sources consulted on March 29, 2022