Filling out a money order takes about two minutes. Write the recipient’s name on the “Pay to the Order Of” line, add your own name and address in the purchaser section, note an account number or what the payment is for, and sign the front. Do not sign the back. Tear off the receipt and keep it until you know the money order has been cashed. Get any field wrong and the money order can be rejected, which usually means paying another fee for a replacement, so it is worth slowing down for each line.
Write the Recipient’s Name First
The “Pay to the Order Of” line is the field that matters most. Write the full legal name of the person or business you are paying, and check the spelling before you move on. Whoever is named on this line is the only party authorized to cash the money order.
Fill this line in the moment you buy the money order, before you leave the counter or put it in an envelope. A blank payee line turns the money order into something close to cash: anyone who gets hold of it can write in their own name and take the funds.
If you write the wrong name, do not cross it out or write over it. Most issuers treat any alteration as a reason to reject the money order. You will need to cancel it and buy a new one.
Fill In Your Name and Address
Look for a section labeled “From,” “Purchaser,” “Sender,” or “Remitter.” Write your full name and current mailing address there. This tells the recipient who the payment came from and gives the issuer a way to contact you if something goes wrong.
Use your current address, not an old one. If the money order is ever lost or stolen and you need to file a claim, an outdated address on file will slow the process down.
A common slip is to reverse the purchaser and payee fields, filling in your own name as the payee. Read the labels carefully before you write anything.
Add an Account Number or Memo
Most money orders include a memo line. If you are paying a bill, write the account number or invoice number there. If you are paying rent, note the month the payment covers. Large companies process many payments a day, and the memo is what tells them which account to credit. Without it, a payment can sit unapplied or land on the wrong ledger.
Sign the Front, Not the Back
Sign your name on the signature line at the bottom front of the money order. This is the purchaser’s signature and confirms you authorized the payment.
The back is reserved for the recipient’s endorsement when they cash or deposit it. If you sign the back by mistake, the recipient may not be able to use it, and you are back at the counter buying a replacement.
Keep the Receipt
Every money order has a detachable receipt stub with a serial number printed on it. Tear it off before you hand the money order over or drop it in the mail, and put it somewhere you will be able to find it again.
The receipt is the only way to prove you bought the money order, track it, or request a replacement if it is lost. Without the serial number, tracing a money order is much harder and, with some issuers, effectively impossible. Hold onto the receipt until you have confirmed the recipient received and cashed the payment.
Mistakes That Can Make a Money Order Unusable
A few errors come up again and again:
- Leaving the payee line blank when mailing or handing off the money order.
- Writing the wrong name on the payee line and trying to correct it by crossing out or writing over the mistake.
- Filling out the money order to yourself rather than the intended recipient.
- Signing the back instead of the front, or signing both.
- Throwing away or losing the receipt stub.
Most of these cost you the price of a new money order. USPS charges $2.55 for money orders up to $500 and $3.60 for amounts between $500.01 and $1,000, so the fees add up quickly if you keep making mistakes.1USPS. Money Orders
Sending the Money Order Safely
Once the money order is filled out, how you deliver it matters. Certified mail or a service with signature confirmation creates a delivery record showing the recipient actually signed for the envelope.2USPS. What is Signature Confirmation For a large or important payment, that record is worth the extra postage. Regular first-class mail has no tracking, so if the envelope disappears you have no way to show where.
Handing the money order to someone in person is fine, but only if every field is complete. A partly filled money order in someone else’s hands is close to handing over cash.
How to Track the Money Order
USPS money orders can be tracked through the Postal Service’s online money order status tool. You will need three pieces of information from the receipt: the serial number, the Post Office number where you bought it, and the dollar amount.3USPS. Check Money Order Status The tool shows whether the money order is still outstanding or has already been cashed.
For money orders from other issuers, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, check the issuer’s website or call their customer service line with the serial number from your receipt. It can take a few business days after the recipient deposits the money order for the status to update.
If the Money Order Is Lost or Stolen
Start by checking its status. If it has not been cashed, you can file for a cancellation and replacement with the issuer.
For a USPS money order, bring the receipt to any Post Office and ask a retail associate to open a Money Order Inquiry. The replacement fee is $21.00. USPS will either refund you 60 days or more after the original issue date or, if someone already cashed it, provide a copy of the cashed money order.1USPS. Money Orders You can check on an open inquiry by calling USPS at 1-866-974-2733.
For other issuers, contact their customer service line with the serial number, purchase date, location, and dollar amount from the receipt. If you do not have the receipt, there is often nothing the issuer can do.