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Where to buy 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’s National Postal Museum.
A money order is a prepaid document, so you must pay the full amount you want to send, plus fees. It can be issued by a bank, a post office or an authorized service point. And they don’t have an 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 500,000 agents available throughout the world.
To make this type of shipment it is not necessary to have a bank account and there are no restrictions for international shipments.
Fees 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 more than 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.
It offers a fixed rate of 45 cents to 1.75 dollars 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 to pay for USPS Money Orders.
Walmart
Walmart stores are an authorized agent for MoneyGram money orders. At MoneyGram, a money order for a small fee can be purchased in an amount not exceeding 88 cents. After completing 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 identification 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 fee for cashing the check.
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 the same.
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. Likewise, the amount limits of the Money Order will vary, but in their majority they are 1,000 dollars.
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.
Buying Money Orders to send or pay an amount of money can be a great alternative if, for example :
- He doesn’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 going 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, since they include the name of the person to whom the money is being sent and the person to whom the money is being sent must show identification to pick it up.