Can I Buy a Money Order With a Credit Card
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A money order is a safer way to send money than using plain old cash. While there are other forms of payment, some occasions still call for a money order, such as if you were to make a large purchase and the seller doesnโt want to accept a personal check.
Many retailers and financial institutions offer low fees to buy a money order. However, not all will allow you to pay for one with a credit card directly. There are workarounds, but the hassle and fee may not be worth it.
Using a credit card to purchase a money order is theoretically possible, but it may not be the best choice. Major vendors will only allow you to buy a money order with cash or debit cards. If you do find a vendor that accepts credit cards, it may process your payment as a cash advance on your card, which can be expensive.
This is because cash advance transactions usually come with large fees and high interest rates. Additionally, many credit card issuers donโt give you a grace period on paying interest. They start charging it as soon as the transaction goes through.
Itโs likely that none of the money order providers near you will allow you to use a credit card. In this case the only way to use your credit card to buy a money order would be to withdraw cash from the card at an ATM. Other options will almost certainly cost less.
Aside from the fee charged by the bank or money order retailer, you will most likely need to pay the following two charges from your credit card issuer:
If you decide you donโt want to use your credit card to purchase a money order, you have several other options.
Using cash is a popular choice, as almost all retailers will accept this form of payment for a money order. Youโll need the exact amount for your money order plus the fee the retailer or bank charges.
Debit cards may be a more convenient option than cash, as you wonโt need to head to the ATM or bank for a withdrawal. Some retailers may charge an extra fee to use a debit card, but most donโt.
Many banks will allow you to purchase a money order by withdrawing funds from your checking account. Theyโll take the money order amount plus a fee. The downside of this payment method is that banks tend to charge more than retailers to buy money orders.
We were unable to find any well-known vendor that will let you pay for a money order directly with a credit card, whether it be Moneygram, Walmart, the U.S. Postal Service, a bank, or someone else. Western Union and 7-Eleven used to accept them, but they donโt any longer.
A money order is a safe and convenient alternative to cash when making a large payment or sending money through the mail to a vendor who wonโt take a check. However, buying one with a credit card is very hard to do and usually not worthwhile. Major vendors wonโt let you pay with a credit card directly, meaning that if this is your only payment option, youโll have to get a cash advance at an ATM, which can be costly. If you do find a vendor that will take your card, it will probably charge high fees for the privilege. Itโs better to use your debit card or cash from your savings account to pay for a money order.
No, you can't. Walmart only accepts cash or debit cards to pay for money orders.
In most cases the answer is no. Retailers generally wonโt accept store gift cards for this purpose, though they may accept reloadable cards with PIN numbers.
Purchasing a money order can cost anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on where you purchase it and how much money you want on it.
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