Where Can I Get Free Money Orders

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Most of us have checking accounts, but there are times when we might accept to or want to use a coin lodge. If you grew up in the age of the net, y'all might not even know what a coin lodge is, never mind where to get one. Don't worry; we'll answer both questions and a few more than. If you lot're request yourself "where can I observe a coin order well-nigh me?" – we'll requite yous 12 places you can find them on the inexpensive!

What is a Money Guild?

They are similar to checks and tin exist used to pay for things. The difference is that a money order is prepaid. You tin can buy one with greenbacks or another course of guaranteed payment like a debit menu or a credit card cash accelerate. (Be aware that a cash advance against your credit card may take a college interest charge per unit than do regular purchases and in that location is no grace menstruation. Once you pull the cash off the menu, the interest starts accruing.).

Why Use a Money Order?

Non everyone has a bank business relationship. In that location are 55 million Americans, 22% of U.Southward. households, are unbanked or underbanked, meaning they don't have banking company accounts. If you take no bank business relationship, you accept no checking account, and you have no checks.

Security for both sides of the transaction is another reason to employ a money order. These guaranteed payments brand them a less risky course of payment for a payee than a cheque because a cheque can bounce. It's safer for the payor as well. Paying pregnant expenses in cash is risky because you have no proof of payment. A money guild satisfies the payee who doesn't want to risk a check bouncing and the payor who wants evidence that payment was made.

12 Places to Get a Coin Order Near Me

Luckily, they aren't very hard to detect.

1. Your Bank

If you need a coin club and you take a bank account, your local banking company is the best place to go one considering you won't have to withdraw and walk around with greenbacks on you and it may be costless. The teller giving you lot the guild skid tin can simply transfer the money in the correct corporeality from your checking or savings account to fund the money order.

And, depending on the type of checking account you lot accept, there may be no charge. I depository financial institution with Chase, and two of their checking accounts offer customers free coin orders. That said, if you don't take one of these bank accounts, Hunt will charge you a whopping $5 for ane.

Then it's worth checking how much your bank charges but it may be the most expensive of the 12 places to become one.

If you're thinking "but I need a high-value coin order near me," then y'all may have no choice merely to buy it from your depository financial institution. Many places will only sell them for up to $ane,000.

Of form, nil is stopping y'all from ownership more than than i to achieve the dollar amount y'all need, but y'all'll take to pay for each ane and so it may be more economical, not to mention less hassle, to buy a coin lodge for a large amount from your bank.

2. The Mail service Function

This is not at the tiptop of my choices for ownership a coin order nigh me because continuing on line at the Mail service Office isn't fun and the vibe in those places! Everyone in in that location is crabby. The customers because they're stuck waiting on line and the employees because the customers are rude to them considering they're crabby virtually waiting on line!

But not everyone lives in a big urban center or even a pocket-size boondocks. Some people live in remote areas where the nearest bank or Walmart is distant, simply there are more than 30,000 mail offices in the U.Southward. compared to 5,362 Walmarts. We wanted to compile a list of places to become a money order that would serve people living anywhere.

Y'all tin get one at the post office for $1.20 if the lodge is for $500 or less and $one.65 for orders over $500. You can as well cash them at the post office in exchange for money.

3. Walmart

At that place are many grocery stores where I can go a coin order about me, just some chains are regional, (I really miss Kroger and wish they would open a shop in New Orleans). Walmarts operate beyond the U.S., so the odds are practiced that you live near one. I checked a map, and at that place are 34 within fifty miles of me!

Walmart is one of the cheapest places to buy a coin club; they cost just lxx cents each. You tin cash them in at Walmart just only if they were purchased at Walmart.

4. vii Eleven

Did you know in that location are more than vii Elevens in the U.Due south. than Walmarts? Information technology's true! At that place are more than 8,000 of the convenience stores in the States. I had no thought and tin say that I don't call back the terminal time I saw i.

The toll of a money order from a seven 11 depends on the store. Some sell them for 65 cents each and some charge i% to 3% of the total amount of the guild.

5. CVS

Another surprise! In that location are almost 10,000 CVS drug stores in the U.S. I guess I keep beingness surprised by these numbers because I live in New Orleans which has a lot fewer concatenation stores and restaurants than nigh other cities in the U.Due south. (1 of my favorite things about living hither in a crowded field).

Y'all can buy a money order at CVS for 99 cents.

6. Walgreens

I refuse to use the name Walgreens. Walgreens bought up a great local chain of drugstores in New York Urban center called Duane Reade (the outset location was on Broadway betwixt Duane and Reade Streets). The stores in NYC are still branded DR, just they're actually Walgreens, and even though I haven't lived in NYC for three years, I'one thousand nonetheless mad about it.

My personal rant aside, Walgreens (ahem, Duane Reade) does sell each money club for 70 cents.

7. Publix

Publix is a chain of grocery stores mostly located in the Southeastern U.s.a.. You can buy a money order from Publix for 85 cents each.

8. Meijer

Ah, memories! I went to higher in Michigan, and if we were up late cramming for a exam and too fried to report anymore and also wound upward to go to bed, we went to Meijer because they were open 24 hours. Meijer is like to Walmart, a store that sells both groceries and only near annihilation else. The chain is mostly located in Midwestern states.

Meijer sells money orders for 65 cents.

9. Kmart

While Kmart continues to close stores, in that location are all the same most 360 operating in the U.S. To exist honest, I'm surprised at that place are that many left. Kmart was the but store in the town I grew up in, and it was depressing then which was back in the '80s. I tin simply imagine what they're similar at present. I think I'd rather buy a money order near me at the postal service role!

Not all locations sell them just the locations that practise accuse 69 cents.

x. Kroger

I'll e'er have a soft spot for Kroger or Kroger'southward as nosotros called it because my grandmother was a buyer in their corporate office for decades. At that place were none in NYC, and at that place are none in New Orleans, so it's been years since I've stepped foot in one, only I withal miss them. I can still hear the jingle, "Let'south go Krogering."

Kroger owns stores that operate under dissimilar names including Fredy Meyer, Dillion's, and Fry's and the price of a money social club depends both on location and subsidiary, but many stores charge 70 cents.

11. Western Union

A lot of the money orders you buy in the places on this listing come up from Western Union. Why not purchase them from the source? Information technology's just a matter of convenience. If you asked me where my local Walgreens is, I could tell you. I take no thought where the nearest Western Union is.

Further, you lot can buy a money social club from a grocery or drug store while yous're doing other errands similar buying groceries or filling a prescription while y'all're only going to Western Marriage to do i affair: buy a money order.

But if for whatever reason you lot prefer to go to the source, you can purchase one from Western Marriage for $1.

12. MoneyGram

What applies to Western Union applies to MoneyGram. They also issue money orders that are sold in the other places on this list, and sell them directly as well for 70 cents.

Online Money Orders

Nosotros can practice near everything online right, including a lot of financial transactions, so surely I can go online rather than getting in my car to buy a money gild nigh me?

Well, probably not unless you're willing to take a pregnant risk of getting scammed. Legitimate sellers are not willing to take the risk of selling money orders online.

There may be online alternatives though if the person or entity requesting 1 is willing to accept them as payment.

You lot may be able to use a cashier'south check rather than a money social club, and some banks allow you to order those online. If y'all're sending coin to a family unit fellow member or friend, yous can utilise a P2P payment service like PayPal or Venmo. You tin make a wire transfer, which is a guaranteed payment method, and the money reaches the payee instantly.

But if none of those are options, there are plenty of places all across the state where y'all can purchase a money order.

Candice Elliott

Candice Elliott has been a personal finance author for six years. She makes a dry subject funny and interesting while providing readers with easy to follow, actionable steps that volition help them improve their finances whether they desire to exit of debt, showtime investing or make more than money.