When you need to make a payment, money orders are a practical choice. The procedure is typically pretty simple, but because it involves money, you must do it correctly the first time. Western Union refers to it as a “prepaid check” that guarantees the recipient will be the only one to get the funds.
When filling your money order, there are a few procedures you may want to take. You only get one order when you buy it, so if you make a mistake, you’ll need to buy another one. You should be able to successfully fill out a money order with the help of this guide.
A safer alternative to personal checks or cash checks is a money order. You will write the name of the recipient of the funds on that money order, and both signatures are required for it to be legal. This guarantees that no one else will be able to cash the money order if it is stolen or misplaced.
What Purposes Do Money Orders Serve?
When you don’t want to transfer money by a credit card, bank check, or cash, you can use a money order. Money orders are typically used when you want to send money to another country, such as when sending money to Mexico.
Additionally, you can utilize it to pay government entities, such as when you have visa taxes to cover. When dealing with precise fees, money orders are the only acceptable method of transmitting money to the higher-us. A money order might also be a smart option to pay the rent if you’re an overseas student without any documentation of your source of income.
What is Required to Complete a Money Order?
If you are utilizing the U.S. Postal Service or Western Union, for instance, different institutions have different requirements for filling out a money order. Depending on who you use, there may be a minor difference in the appearance of the paper. Having stated that, certain pieces of knowledge are necessary, such as:
- named payee (i.e. the name of the person who is going to receive the money)
- The payee’s address is
- The sum you intend to pay
- Your name and address are enclosed.
- The amount you are paying for and/or the billing account number
Keep in mind that you will also need to make a payment in order to purchase the money order (check, cash, credit, or debit card). You may only have a few payment alternatives depending on the issuer, so you might want to do some research.
How to Complete a Money Order
Once you’ve paid for the money order, you can start filling it. Do it carefully because if you don’t, the person who is intended to cash the money won’t be able to. The steps that you should take are as follows:
Name of Recipient to be filled in
There will be either a “pay to the order of” or a “pay to” field, depending on the institution you are working with. The name you enter here could be the name of a person or a company. Verify that you have written the person’s name legibly in ink and that it is spelled correctly.
The money order should ideally be filled out as soon as it is purchased. If you do manage to lose it, the finder can put their name in there, and after that you can bid that money farewell. Because of this, you might wish to enter the name as soon as you can. By doing this, you can be sure that the funds are used as intended.
If you have the choice, include your name in the “sender,” “purchaser,” or “from” fields as well.
Put your address in the section for buyers.
Your address must be entered in a field on the money order as well. You may or may not need to write the address of the person, business, or institution that is expected to cash the money in, depending on the money order you are using.
In the memo field, provide the account or order number.
You can write a note about the purpose of the money in the memo section. You might use the phrase “it’s for paying off a specific debt or a specific item” as an illustration. This is where it will go if you have the payee’s account or order number. It may be marked “account number” or “payment for” depending on the money order format.
In the “Purchaser’s Signature” section, sign your name.
The only thing left for you to do is to sign the money order because everything is nice and in order. This field may be referred to as “Purchaser’s signature,” “From,” “Purchaser,” “Drawer,” or “Signer” depending on the money order style. The person who will be receiving the money order should sign the reverse of the money order, so please do not do so.
Keep a copy of your receipt.
The reason you should preserve the receipt is because it will have a tracking number. You will be able to determine if the money order was cashed by the appropriate party in this manner. The tracking number may be used to obtain a replacement if it is stolen or lost. You can use that tracking number to reverse the payment if your circumstances change.
How to Buy a Money Order in the United States
The money order is available via a number of sources, including credit unions, banks, check-cashing businesses, the USPS, and some big-box retailers. The majority of the time, you can buy a money order with cash or your debit card.
Money orders can also be purchased using credit cards, however it’s generally advised against doing so. This is due to the fact that credit card providers will view this as a cash advance. As we all know, cash advances have large fees as well, and you might have to pay quite high interest rates for a straightforward money order. Additionally, credit card payments could not be accepted depending on the provider.
There can be a cap on the exact amount of cash you can buy using a money order. You might only be able to borrow up to $1,000 if you send it through the U.S. postal service, and only if you are shipping it domestically.
Furthermore, in addition to the money order’s purchase price, there can be additional charges. This charge often ranges from $1 to $10, depending on the amount you wish to transfer.
FAQs on Filling Out a Money Order
Are there any fields you need to fill out on a money order?
On a money order, you must at the very least provide the payee’s name, address, the amount you wish to send, your name and address, and the item(s) for which you are sending the payment or the billing account number.
How should a money order be correctly filled out?
Make sure to accurately fill out all required information on a money order before signing it.
On what address should the money order be written?
You must include your address in the purchaser box if you are the one sending the money. Depending on the money order, you may also be requested to enter the recipient’s address.
On a money order, who is the buyer?
You are listed as the buyer on the money order (the person who is paying for it).
Is the buyer’s signature required on a money order?
A money order technically does not need the buyer’s signature because it has already been paid for. However, certain money orders might feature a section for it.
What should go on a money order memo?
Write the purpose of the payment and/or the account number you are paying for in the memo area of a money order.