Money order fees in the US and Canada

What you are paying for

You hand over the full amount up front. The fee sits on top of that amount. A $200 money order with a $2.65 fee costs you $202.65, and the payee receives $200 if they cash it for the face amount. A credit card is not a way to buy one at the post office. USPS says cash or a debit card, not a credit card. Canada Post says cash or a debit card, not a credit card.

A cashier's check or a bank draft is the bank's own instrument. Those prices, including the money order prices Chase, Wells Fargo, BMO, CIBC, and Scotiabank print, are already on bank draft and cashier's check fees. This page does not copy that table. A personal cheque is cheaper to write once you have the book, and the cost of the book is on cheque and check ordering fees. A wire is usually the expensive option. Outgoing wire amounts are on US wire transfer fees and Canada wire transfer fees.

USPS and Canada Post

USPS says you can buy or cash a postal money order at a post office. Domestic orders never expire and do not earn interest. Cashing at a post office is free, for the exact amount on the order. You cannot stop payment. A lost or stolen order can be replaced. Confirming the loss can take up to 30 days, the inquiry can take up to 60 days, and the processing fee to replace it is $23.00. Keep the receipt. Rural carriers may cash an order if they have the cash on hand. Banks and some stores also cash them, and those places can charge their own fee. That cashing fee is not the USPS issue fee.

Canada Post's postal money order page says you pay the amount plus a fee, the maximum is $999.99, and the fee is $8.50. There is no fee to cash one at any post office in Canada. The money order is cashable in Canadian dollars. Bring government photo ID and the names of the sender and the receiver. Canada Post says it will refund a destroyed or uncashed money order after 45 days, and that the $8.50 fee is not refunded. Do not mail cash. The consumer prices guide says prices can change without notice and that the online version wins if a printed book disagrees, so read the page again before you go.

Walmart, bank counters, and cheaper ways to send money

Walmart's money order page says the exact fee varies by location and will not be over $1. Money orders there are powered by Western Union. You buy one at the customer service desk or the money services center, fill in the payee and the purchaser right away, and pay the full amount up front. You do not need a bank account. Walmart also says it will cash Western Union and MoneyGram money orders, and that check cashing fees may apply. Cashing is not the same $1 purchase fee.

A bank money order is convenient if you are already at the counter, and it is often more than the post office or Walmart. Use the draft and money order page for the bank dollars already opened there. Some account packages waive the bank fee. Do not assume the walk up price is your price.

If the person you are paying can take an electronic payment, that is often cheaper than paper. In Canada, an Interac e-Transfer moves the money without a money order. Whether your package includes it free is on Interac e-Transfer fees. In the United States, Zelle sends money to a person from a participating bank. How that line looks is on Zelle on a statement. Zelle is not a money order, and a bank can still charge its own transfer fee. A wire is the tool for a large payment to an account number, not for a $100 bill. Compare the wire fee with the money order fee before you pick the counter.

Upload the statement on Expenvo. The PDF stays on your device. Expenvo lists bank fee lines it recognizes so you can see the date, the name, and the amount before you call. It does not call the bank, and it does not promise a refund. How to ask is on how to ask your bank to refund a fee.

Questions

Can I buy a postal money order with a credit card?

No. USPS says cash or a debit card. Canada Post says cash or a debit card. Neither page accepts a credit card for the money order.

Is a Walmart money order always $1?

Walmart says the exact fee varies by store and that the maximum is $1. Ask at that store. The $1 cap is the purchase fee, not a fee to cash a money order.

Does Canada Post refund the $8.50 if I never cash the money order?

No. Canada Post says an unused or destroyed money order can be refunded after 45 days, and that the $8.50 fee is not refunded.

Sources

• USPS money orders, opened 18 October 2026
• Canada Post postal money orders, opened 18 October 2026
• Walmart money orders, opened 18 October 2026

Related guides

• Bank draft and cashier's check fees
• Interac e-Transfer fees
• Zelle on a statement