William Lipovsky
Short Answer — 7-Eleven sells Western Union money orders for a fee of $1 to $5 with a maximum amount of $500 per money order. However, 7-Eleven doesn’t cash money orders.
7-Eleven Money Orders
7-Eleven sells Western Union money orders but doesn’t cash them.[1][2] To find out more about 7-Eleven’s money order policy, we contacted store locations in California, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Washington.
Limits & Fees
Purchasing a money order at 7-Eleven will cost you between $1 to $5 each, depending on the location.[2] This makes it one of the cheapest places to get a money order.
The maximum amount you can purchase on a 7-Eleven money order is $500.[2]
If you need a money order greater than $500, you’ll need to purchase more than one money order.[2]
How to Buy
Though 7-Eleven’s website states that you can purchase a money order with cash or debit card,[1] all the locations we contacted only accept cash.[2]
Note that while most 7-Eleven locations are open 24 hours,[3] store hours can vary by location, and money orders may not be available after 10 p.m. in some locations.[2]
If you plan to visit the store at a late hour, you might want to call ahead to be sure that money order services are still available.
After purchasing a money order, you’ll need to fill it out before giving or sending it to the recipient.[4]
It’s best to fill out the money order soon after buying it. If you lose a blank money order and someone finds it, they can write it to themselves and cash it.
Check out our step-by-step guide on how to fill out a money order.
Tracking
If you need to know whether the recipient has cashed the money order after you fill it out and send it, you can track it.
To check the status of your money order, call Western Union’s money order customer service line at 1-800-999-9660.[5]
Refunds
If you end up not needing to use the money order for its intended purpose, you can request a refund directly from the issuer rather than 7-Eleven.
As long as you have the original money order or the receipt, you can do this by filling out a Western Union Money Order Customer Request form.[6]
For money orders less than $20, a $3 fee will be deducted from the refund, while a $15 fee is deducted from money orders greater than $20. Refunds take up to 30 days to process.[6]
Note that you can’t get a refund if someone has already cashed the money order.[6]
Hello, I accidently filled out my money orders incorrectly as it was my first time and I was in a hurry. I wrote the business address and name under purchasers address and I signed the front and back. ( I know I suck! ) the money order does have the account number and information needed however will they accept it since I endorsed the back? I got it at seven eleven. I have the stubs and I didn’t Pt the western union 15.00 per money order. I have 3 500.00 MO and one for 130.00. All say the same thing. Please help!
Hi Jibbs,
They won’t be able to accept the money order because it’s improperly filled out. You’re best option is probably to request a refund from Western Union. Check out our article on How to Refund a Money Order for more details. The refund process basically involves filling out a form and paying a refund fee. Western Union charges $15 to refund a money order if you have the receipt. Or, while it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to, you could try to going back to the 7-Eleven where you bought the money order to see if you can return it. If you have the time and want to save $30 it can’t hurt to ask.
And two more things that I don’t think apply to your situation, but might be helpful. Normally, if one buys a money order and then doesn’t use it, they can write “not used for intended purposes” on the back and endorse it, and then cash it. It sounds like this isn’t an option for you because you filled in the business as the purchaser. If a no-longer-needed money order hasn’t been filled out yet, another option the buyer has is to make the money order out to themself, and then cash it. I assume you did put the business in the pay to line, so this also wouldn’t be an option.
Thanks very much!!
Hi, I bought the AFS money orders from 7 eleven. I wrote some person name on it now I do not want to use it. What is the procedure to cash or put in my account.Thank you
Hi Sara,
The good news is that you can get a refund for your money order if you’ve decided not to use it. Since you’ve already written someone’s name on it, your first step is to simply write ‘Not for purpose intended’ on the endorsement line and sign your name. Then, just take it to your bank or another location that cashes money orders. This article will help you locate a place that will cash your money order. Hope this helps!
It’s puzzling to me that 7-11 (actually, every convenience store in my town, southern Florida) will only accept cash for a money order. I can see where there might be issues with payment via credit card, but there doesn’t seem to be much difference paying with debit vs cash.
The only thing I can think of (since availability of debit funds is determined at the register, and money deducted from the checking account in short order) is a small fee charged for processing the debit transaction (I’d heard it was less than the credit card fee, but still a thing – true?). I suppose some stores might want to eliminate the possibility of the cashier confusing credit for debit, although I’d think programming at some level could do that effectively. Convenience stores in my hometown in North Florida had no trouble accepting debit (several years ago, anyway).
When I ask the cashiers WHY their store has jumped on this particular bandwagon, I invariably get a blank stare and either “I don’t know” or “you just can’t use a card to pay for money orders. It’s like that everywhere.” Followed by a suggestion to move along. Grocery stores (Wal Mart, Publix, etc) all accept debit. So what’s the deal? I have never been able to address this question to anyone who makes these decisions, or anyone who actually knows. You can tell it’s one of those little things that gets on my nerves (like the way some stores insist on bagging alcohol purchases, usually claiming that it’s the law, or the way police officers here harass you if you walk outside after midnight, or the way you leave work early to drive across town and get there before 5, but the store has invariably closed ten or twenty minutes early, and will not unlock their door and honor their published hours no matter how much you shout and pound on the glass). I just want to know why.
Hi Tom,
One reason many stores stopped accepting debit to pay for money orders is to stop a practiced called “manufactured spending.” Basically, people would buy prepaid gift cards (which run as debit) with their credit cards so that they could reach a minimum spending amount to get a bonus reward on the credit card. Then, people would use the prepaid card they bought to buy money orders, essentially converting their money back into cash. In this way, people could get bonuses without actually spending money (besides perhaps, a couple dollars in fees to buy the money order). Other stores will tell you they don’t accept debit cards for money order purchases because of the risk of fraud. You might be interested in our article on Where to Buy Money Orders with Gift Cards.
Hi, I purchased a WU money order from 7/11 for posting to NZ for my passport renewal( I live in San Diego). When I took it to the post office the clerk asked me if my money order was an international one….
1. Can I use it for an international payment and send it to NZ.?
2. If not, can I cash it at a western union brick and mortar location….I have the MO and receipt. The MO is made out to Dept of internal Revenue.
Hi John,
NZ is New Zealand? Looks like you can pay with a money order and I see no reason one from Western Union wouldn’t be acceptable. It does say that it should be made out to “Department of Internal Affairs” and not of “Revenue.” See page four here.
You can’t cash it because it’s not made out to you, what you can do is refund it. To refund a Western Union money order, use this form. There is a $15 processing fee. You can read more about Western Union money orders here.
Thank you Rebecca for getting back to me right away. I really appreciate it. Can you also advise how will I be receiving the refund? Will I receive a check? Just so I know what to look for 🙂
Thanks.
Hi Janie —
Glad I could help! You should expect a refund check.