To find out if a money order has been cashed, look it up through the issuer that sold it to you. USPS, Western Union, and MoneyGram each run a free online status check that uses the serial number and dollar amount from your receipt stub. If you need proof of who cashed it, you file a formal inquiry with the same issuer and pay a fee for a photocopy of the processed document.
What You Need From Your Receipt
Every check starts with the receipt stub you got at purchase. Pull three things off it: the serial number (a unique string of digits printed at the top or center), the exact dollar amount, and, for a USPS money order, the Post Office number where you bought it.1USPS. Money Orders – USPS Tracking The purchase date helps too, especially if a quick lookup fails and you have to file a formal inquiry.
Lost the receipt? You can still start a search, but it gets slower and more expensive. See the section below on missing receipts.
Checking a USPS Money Order
Free Online Status Check
The fastest option is the USPS money order tracking tool at USPS.com. Enter the serial number, Post Office number, and issued amount, and you get a near real-time status.2USPS. Money Orders – The Basics It takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Formal Inquiry With PS Form 6401
The online tool tells you the status. It does not give you a copy of the cashed money order. For that, you file PS Form 6401 (Money Order Inquiry) at any Post Office. Bring your receipt stub and a valid photo ID so a postal employee can verify your information before processing the form.3United States Postal Service. PS Form 6401 – Money Order Inquiry
File a separate form and pay a separate fee for each money order you want researched. Results on domestic money orders typically arrive within 15 days. If it was cashed, USPS mails you a copy showing the front and back of the document. If it was not cashed, USPS issues a refund 60 days or later from the original issue date.2USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
To check on an inquiry you’ve already filed, call 1-866-974-2733.2USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
Checking a Western Union Money Order
Western Union offers a status check through its website and automated phone system. You need the 11-digit serial number and the exact dollar amount from your receipt. If the money order has cleared, you can request a photocopy of the processed document through the same system.
A formal research request takes six to eight weeks and comes back with one of three answers: cashed, uncashed, or could not be located. The fee is $30, non-refundable, payable by money order or check.4Western Union Financial Services, Inc. Money Order Research Request
Checking a MoneyGram Money Order
MoneyGram runs an online status lookup that uses the serial number and purchase amount. If you need a photocopy of a cashed money order, MoneyGram charges an $18 processing fee. Refund fees vary based on the face value of the money order.5MoneyGram. MoneyGram Money Order Frequently Asked Questions
If You Lost the Receipt
Without the serial number, gather everything else you can: the approximate purchase date, the dollar amount, the store or location where you bought it, and the name of the payee.
For USPS, you still file PS Form 6401, but you mail it to the St. Louis Accounting Service Center instead of handing it in at a local Post Office. The Postal Service decides whether it can locate and reissue the money order based on what you provide.2USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
For Western Union, complete the Money Order Research Request form with the $30 non-refundable fee. The form asks for the purchase location, approximate date and time, whether you filled in a payee, and any supporting documents such as a store cash register receipt. If the money order was stolen, include a copy of the police report. Research still takes six to eight weeks.4Western Union Financial Services, Inc. Money Order Research Request
Reading the Result
An inquiry comes back one of two ways. Outstanding means the money order has not been cashed and the funds are still with the issuer. Cashed or cleared means it went through, and the issuer can send you a photocopy of the front and back. The back matters most, because that’s where the endorsement signature appears, showing the name of the person or business that deposited or cashed the money order.
That endorsement copy is your proof of who received the funds. It’s what you use if a landlord, utility, or other payee tells you they never got your payment.
If It Was Cashed by Someone It Shouldn’t Have Been
If the endorsement shows a name you don’t recognize, treat the copy as evidence and act quickly. For USPS money orders, report suspected fraud to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-800-372-8347.6USPS Home. Protect Against Money Order Fraud For Western Union or MoneyGram money orders, contact the issuer’s customer service to report the unauthorized cashing and ask about their claims process.
File a police report if you believe the money order was stolen. A copy of the report strengthens your claim with the issuer and may be required before a replacement or refund is processed.
If It Was Never Cashed
When tracking confirms the money order is still outstanding, you can request a replacement or refund from the issuer.
USPS does not offer stop payments. Confirming a money order was lost or stolen can take up to 30 days, and the full investigation can run up to 60 days. Once USPS confirms it was not cashed, the agency issues a replacement money order rather than a cash refund.2USPS. Money Orders – The Basics
For Western Union, the research results indicate whether a refund is possible; if the money order was not cashed and not located, a refund may be issued after the research period.4Western Union Financial Services, Inc. Money Order Research Request For MoneyGram, refund fees vary by the face value of the money order.5MoneyGram. MoneyGram Money Order Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t sit on an old money order. If it goes uncashed long enough, the issuer is eventually required to turn the funds over to a state unclaimed property office. Dormancy periods vary by state, typically running about three to seven years. After that, you’d recover the money by filing a claim through the state’s unclaimed property program rather than through the issuer. If you’re holding a money order you never sent or that was never cashed, either cash it, request a refund, or confirm with the issuer that it’s still valid.