Money order: one of the oldest ways to send money, with real limits
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Key takeaways
A money order is a prepaid paper payment instrument that, unlike a check, can’t bounce, since it’s already been paid for.
The U.S. Postal Service sells money orders for domestic use but discontinued issuing and cashing international money orders.
Money orders have a maximum amount per order, and can’t be purchased with a credit card or check.
If lost or stolen, a money order can be replaced, but the process can take weeks and may involve a fee.
For sending money abroad today, a digital money transfer is generally faster and more practical than a paper money order.
A money order is one of the oldest ways to send money, but for international transfers, it comes with real limitations. Here’s when it makes sense and when it doesn’t.
What is a money order?
A money order is a prepaid, paper-based payment instrument, purchased upfront for a specific amount and made payable to a specific recipient. Because it’s paid for at the time of purchase, a money order can’t bounce the way a personal check can, and it typically includes security features designed to prevent counterfeiting.
Money orders: benefits, limitations, and when to use one
What can work well:
They can’t bounce. Since a money order is prepaid, the recipient doesn’t face the risk of it failing to clear, the way a personal check might.
They’re widely accepted domestically. According to the U.S. Postal Service(opens in new window), money orders can be purchased and cashed at any Post Office, and cashed at many banks, credit unions, and check-cashing businesses.
They offer some fraud protection features. Postal money orders include specific security markings designed to help recipients verify authenticity.
What to watch for:
International postal money orders are no longer available. The USPS discontinued selling international money orders and no longer cashes inbound ones from abroad, which removes what was once a low-cost option for sending small amounts overseas.
There’s a maximum amount per order. Domestic money orders are capped at a set maximum, meaning a larger amount requires purchasing multiple orders.
Replacing a lost or stolen money order takes time. The process to confirm a loss and issue a replacement can take weeks, and may involve a processing fee.
Money orders and international money transfers
Money orders have specific use cases domestically, but transfer speed, fees, and availability constraints make them less practical than digital alternatives for most cross-border senders today. As detailed in a guide to Post Office money orders(opens in new window), USPS’s own International Mail Manual confirms(opens in new window) it stopped selling international money orders effective October 1, 2024, and foreign postal operators stopped cashing inbound ones issued by USPS effective October 1, 2025, closing off a path that some senders had relied on for smaller international payments.
If a money order has already been purchased and needs to be canceled, understanding how to cancel one(opens in new window) generally requires the original receipt and can take some time to complete, which is worth knowing if plans change after purchase. For sending money to family abroad today, a digital money transfer generally offers more predictable timing and doesn’t depend on physical mail reaching its destination.
Where money orders are still commonly purchased
Money orders remain available through several common outlets, including post offices, many retail chains, grocery stores, and some check-cashing services, typically for a small, flat fee that scales modestly with the amount purchased. Unlike a personal check, a money order is prepaid at the time of purchase, meaning the recipient doesn’t need to worry about it bouncing due to insufficient funds, which is one of the reasons some landlords, for example, still specifically request rent payment in money order form rather than accepting a personal check.
Tracking and verifying a money order
Most money orders include a unique serial number, and the issuer typically offers a way to verify whether it’s been cashed, which can provide some peace of mind, though the verification process usually requires visiting the specific issuer’s website or a physical location rather than being available instantly online. If a money order is lost before being cashed, most issuers offer a replacement process, though it typically requires proof of purchase and can take several weeks, along with a separate fee. Keeping the purchase receipt until the money order is confirmed received and cashed protects against the need for a replacement.
To know how to do a money order correctly read our step-by-step guide(opens in new window).
Common questions about money orders
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Can I still send an international money order through USPS?
No. The U.S. Postal Service discontinued selling international money orders and no longer accepts inbound international money orders for cashing. Sending money abroad today generally means using a digital money transfer service instead.
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What happens if a money order is lost in the mail?
If a domestic money order is lost, a replacement can be requested through the issuer, though the process typically requires the original receipt and can take several weeks to complete, sometimes with a processing fee involved. This delay is one of the practical downsides compared to a trackable digital transfer.
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Is a money order safer than sending cash?
Generally, yes, since a money order is made payable to a specific recipient and includes security features to help verify its authenticity, unlike cash, which offers no such protection if lost. That said, a digital transfer typically offers even more robust tracking and recipient verification.
In Summary
A money order remains a workable option for certain domestic payments, but its international use has become significantly more limited now that USPS no longer offers international money orders, and the replacement process for a lost order can be slow. For sending money to family abroad, a digital transfer generally offers more reliable timing and tracking than a paper instrument ever could.
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