Money Orders - Where to Buy

Thinking of sending over some funds, but the receiver does not have a checking or bank account? Well, do not worry, you can send over your funds through money orders. Wondering what is a money order? Money orders are the best way to guarantee the receiver the funds are transferred. That is because money order is prepaid and the person receiving the funds will receive the amount in cash. This is why most people prefer to send money orders.

Where to Buy a Money Order

So you have decided the alternative to making a payment by check is a money order. This is because it is not only convenient, but also a quick and safe way to send money in cash. Money orders have no expiry date, no requirements like maintaining certain amount of balance in your bank accounts and the receiver receives the funds on delivery. You also do not need to worry about a bounce check or if the receiver refuses to take a personal check. Thus, the funds are preferred to be transferred through money orders.

The most preferred destinations to buy a money order is the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The charges for sending a money order through US Postal Service are cheaper as compared to the other options. You can send domestic money orders as well as international money orders through the USPS. The international money orders sent through US Postal Service are accepted in over 30 countries. The domestic money order rates are as follows:

• $0.01 to $500.00 - $1.10
• $500.01 to $1,000.00 - $1.50
• Postal Military Money Orders - $0.30 (issued by military facilities)

International money orders cost only $3.85 for money order values of up to $700. The US Postal Service also allows you to send international wire money. All you need to do is visit a post office offering the service and your money will be wired in just 15 minutes.

The next option in line regarding where to buy money order is Western Union. This is the second best option after the US Postal Service to send your money orders. You can find Western Union outlets almost anywhere not only in America, but around the world. These outlets are easy to find and transfer money too. But, Western Union is a bit on the expensive side. If you are sending a money order of $100 from US to a location within US, it can cost you $9.99 for three-day service. If you wish to avail a quicker service, you can need to pay $15.99. In case of international money transfers, the rates are even higher and the service offered to the customer depends on agent to agent.

The third option for buying a money order is MoneyGram International. This is also a safe option to transfer your cash fund. MoneyGram International offers bilingual money orders that do not expire. But, if these money orders are not cashed out within a year, a non-refundable service charges is applied. This may decrease the cash out value to some extent.

You may come across many other companies that offer money order services. However, before you send over your funds through them, make sure you make through background checks regarding the company's reputation. There are many fraudsters and even poor service providers who tend to lose the customers money during transactions.

There are limits to the amount of money orders you can send according to the Patriot Act. For example, you can send no more than $1,000 from the US Postal Service. You should first understand how to fill out a money order. This is because while filling out the form, the amount should be filled in correctly. Once you fill in an amount, you cannot change or correct it.

The handy option to send or transfer money is money orders. Where to buy is also not a problem as many groceries, convenient stores and supermarkets sell money orders. However, if you are in a hurry to send money, you can always go in for electronic money transfers.