A post office money order has four sections you need to fill out: the “Pay To” line, the purchaser (your) information, the recipient’s address, and an optional memo field. The whole process takes about two minutes, but filling it out correctly matters because mistakes can delay your payment or make the money order harder to cash.
Buy the Money Order First
You need to purchase the money order at the post office counter before you fill it out. Bring cash or a debit card. The post office does not accept credit cards, personal checks, or traveler’s checks for money order purchases. If you pay with a debit card, you’ll need to enter your PIN at the terminal.
Each USPS domestic money order has a maximum value of $1,000. If you need to send more than that, you’ll need to buy multiple money orders. There’s a small fee per money order, which varies slightly depending on the amount.
Fill In the “Pay To” Line
This is the most important line on the money order. Write the full name of the person or business you’re paying. Only the name listed here can cash or deposit the money order, so spell it correctly. If you’re paying a company, use the official business name that appears on your bill or invoice rather than a nickname or abbreviation.
Fill this line in immediately after purchasing the money order. If you lose a blank money order before writing a name on it, anyone who finds it could fill in their own name and cash it. Writing the recipient’s name right away protects your money the same way writing a check to a specific person does.
Add Your Information in the “Purchaser” Section
The purchaser section is where you identify yourself as the person who bought the money order. Write your full legal name and your mailing address. This tells the recipient (and the post office, if there’s ever a dispute) who sent the payment.
Some people skip this section because it isn’t strictly required for the recipient to cash the money order, but leaving it blank creates problems. If the money order gets lost or the recipient has a question about where the payment came from, your information on the form is the only link back to you.
Write the Recipient’s Address
There’s a separate line for the recipient’s address. If you’re mailing the money order, this should match the address you’re sending it to. If you’re paying a bill, use the payment address listed on your statement. For in-person payments, you can use the recipient’s home or business address.
Use the Memo Line for Payment Details
The memo field is optional but genuinely useful. Write your account number, invoice number, or a brief note explaining what the payment is for. If you’re paying rent, write the month and your unit number. If you’re paying a utility bill, write your customer account number. This helps the recipient apply your payment to the right account and gives you a record of what the money order was for.
Sign the Money Order
Look for a signature line, sometimes labeled “Purchaser’s Signature.” Sign your name there. Do not sign the back of the money order. The back is where the recipient endorses it when they cash or deposit it, just like the back of a check.
Keep Your Receipt
When you purchased the money order, the postal clerk gave you a detachable receipt or a separate slip. This receipt contains the money order’s serial number, the amount, and the post office location where you bought it. Keep this receipt until you’ve confirmed the recipient received and cashed the payment.
If the money order gets lost or stolen, you’ll need the serial number from that receipt to request a replacement. The USPS charges an $18 processing fee to replace a lost or stolen money order. Without the receipt, tracking down the money order number requires additional paperwork and potentially an extra fee.
A good habit is to take a photo of both the completed money order and the receipt before you mail it. That way you have a backup of the serial number, the amount, and exactly what you wrote on each line.
What to Do If You Make a Mistake
If you write the wrong name or amount, don’t try to cross it out and write over it. Altered money orders look suspicious and the recipient’s bank may refuse to cash one. Instead, take the money order back to the post office and request a replacement. You’ll pay the processing fee, but you’ll get a clean money order that won’t cause problems on the other end.
If you haven’t filled anything out yet and simply bought the wrong dollar amount, you can return the money order to the post office for a refund (minus the processing fee) and purchase a new one for the correct amount.