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Where to get money orders as one of the safest methods to send money.
Money Orders or money orders have a long history in the United States, exactly since 1863 and were made by the postal service, at the time it was a safe way to send cash according to the history reviewed by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
A money order is a prepaid document, so you must pay the full amount you want to send, plus any fees. It can be issued by a bank, a post office or an authorized service point. And they have no expiration date.
When buying a Money Order, the important thing is to find a good rate and a good location according to your convenience.
4 best places to buy Money Orders:
Western Union
It is one of the best known for having service points in large numbers, there are more than 500 thousand agents available throughout the world.
To make these types of shipments it is not necessary to have a bank account and there are no restrictions for international shipments.
Rates vary based on the amount of the draft, and Western Union sells up to $1,000 per draft. The limit is $5,000 if you send multiples of 1,000.
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Buying Money Orders in the USPS can be easy due to the number of post offices that exist throughout the national territory.
Offers a flat rate of 45 cents to $1.75 nationwide ; $10.25 plus country processing fee for international money orders. And if it is a military money order (member of the Armed Forces) the cost is 45 cents.
The limit for domestic money orders is $1,000, while international money orders are limited to $700 and $500 if sent to El Salvador or Guyana. Checks and credit cards are not accepted for payment of Money Orders at USPS.
Walmart
Walmart stores are an authorized agent for MoneyGram money orders. At MoneyGram, a money order can be purchased for a small fee in an amount not exceeding 88 cents. After filling out the money order form you can hand deliver it to the recipient or mail it to your destination.
The maximum limit that can be purchased without ID is $1,000. And it should be noted that it is cheaper to buy a Money Order at Walmart than at a commercial bank.
Now, to cash a money order at Walmart stores there is a check cashing fee.
Banks and Credit Unions
A money order can be purchased and cashed at almost all banks and credit unions. Each bank or each cooperative has its own rates and specific identification requirements, they are not necessarily always similar.
Some charge 3 dollars and others up to 5 dollars, so it is advisable to compare prices since banks usually charge more than other providers. If you are a customer you may get good rates. Also, the money order amount limits will vary, but are mostly $1,000.
It is not necessary to be a customer of the bank or credit union, what is essential is to present an official identification to buy a money order.
Money Orders Are a Safe Alternative to Cash or Checks
- You don’t have a bank account.
- You want to keep your banking information, the one that appears printed on a check, for example.
- The money is to be sent by mail and you want a secure method other than cash.
- Money orders are safer than sending cash since they can only be exchanged by the person to whom it is intended, as they include the name of the person to whom the money is sent and they must show identification to pick it up.