William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Walmart sells and cashes MoneyGram money orders. Purchase fees are up to $0.88, and cashing fees are $4 to $8 per money order. For more details about Walmart’s money order policy, see below.
Buying a Money Order at Walmart
Walmart sells MoneyGram money orders at the money services center or customer service desk near the front of the store.[1]
You can use cash or a debit card to pay for your money order.[1]
Note that Walmart only sells domestic money orders (in U.S. dollars). If you intend to send it outside of the U.S., be sure to find out if it will be accepted in the specific country which you intend to send it to before purchasing a money order.[1]
Fees & Limits
Money order fees vary by location, but the maximum fee is $1 per money order.[1] This makes Walmart one of the cheapest places to get a money order.
The maximum amount for a single money order at Walmart is $1,000. If you need more than $1,000, you’ll need to buy multiple money orders (for example, two money orders totaling $2,000).
There’s also a daily limit of $3,000 in money order purchases.[2]
Requirements
Walmart requires a government-issued photo ID for money order purchases over $1,000.[1]
See our related research for information on how to fill out a MoneyGram money order.
Hours
The Walmart MoneyCenter and customer service desk are generally open the same hours as the store — in most cases, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., though hours may vary by location.[3]
It’s a good idea to contact your local store before visiting to double-check its MoneyCenter hours.
Cashing a Money Order at Walmart
Walmart doesn’t cash all money orders but will cash MoneyGram money orders.
Fees & Limits
When you cash a money order, you’ll be subject to Walmart’s check cashing fees.
The retailer charges $4 to cash up to $1,000 and $8 for transactions between $1,000 and $5,000.[4]
Requirements
You don’t need to register for a check cashing card to cash checks or money orders at Walmart, but you’ll need to present a valid, government-issued photo ID.[4]
More Options
For information on where else you can make money order transactions and how Walmart compares, see our research on where to get a money order.
I´m speaking of a money order sent from the US. So here´s the case (a real case): John W. purchased an international money order at wal mart/moneygram payable to the order of Miguel S. (a guy from Argentina). Once he was back in the country, he sold it to a Foreign Exchange Currency Store (third party). I can see Miguel´s endorsement in the back of the document. But the thing is that the argentine Foreign Exchange Currency store tried to collect the money through the New York branch of “Banco de la Nación Argentina” and they received a “return check advice” that reads “Reason for return: “counterfeit/payment stopped”. This third party intends to sue the payee and needs to know the law that governs an international money order created in the US.
Hi Cristina,
I researched international money orders, and it looks like Argentina is not on the list of countries that accept international money orders. According to the U.S. Postal Service, “International postal money orders are exchanged with countries using the pink International Postal Money Order (Form MP1).” You can view this information here. Looks like U.S. money orders are not accepted in Argentina, which is why he ran into trouble.
Hi! I´m Cristina, from Argentina. I would like to know if an international money order is governed by article 3 of the UCC or they do have a special regulation. In that case, wich is it?
Another question is: can the payee/beneficiary of an international money order indorse the instrument for value (negotiate/trasfer the money order to a third party) or he/she is limited to present it only in order to be paid?
Thaks! Cristina.
Hi Cristina,
So I can give you a better answer, are you speaking of sending someone a money order from Argentina to the U.S., or from the U.S. to Argentina?
So I can receive up to 5,000 dollars?
Hi there!
You can purchase a money order of up to $3,000 total in one day at Walmart, and you can cash a MoneyGram money order of up to $5,000.
Hi,I’m Hilton George binihi from vanuatu.I’m interested for buying money order from the walmart,i want to purchase 1000 dollar through western union then how can i have to recieve my 1000 dollar? Is it through the western union again? Please answer me ASA.
Hi Hilton,
I am not completely sure of your question. You can only purchase Western Union money orders in-person. However, if you need to send money to a person/company, you can always use their online services. They allow you to send money to a bank account, to a mobile phone, and even overseas. Learn more about these services here.
If you are asking about cashing a Western Union money order, then you can cash it at any Walmart (provided it was purchased there).
Is there anyway to find out that a money order sent was cashed by the serial number on my receipt stub? And also that it was cashed by the person intended? Example fingerprint or signature.
You bet — You can find out if your money order has been cashed by calling MoneyGram’s automated line at 1-800-542-3590. If you want to know who cashed it, you can submit a photocopy request to MoneyGram They will be able to provide you with a front and back copy of the money order. Hope this helps!
My money order was lost. I have the receipt, what can I do?
Walmart uses MoneyGram, so you’ll need to fill out this form to request a refund. If it hasn’t been cashed you will be sent the refund, although an $18 processing fee will be deducted from your refund.
Can you purchase a money order with a Green Dot card that can be used with a PIN number or as a credit card?
Hi Savannah,
Yes, we checked with Green Dot and you can purchase a money order with a Green Dot card because it is a debit card. You may also want to consider ordering personal checks for your Green Dot card and eliminate the hassle of getting money orders.
Can you purchase a Walmart money order with. Green dot money card that can be used with a PIN number or as a credit card?
Can you purchase one money order using multiple forms of payments? For example, two different debit cards for the money order, and then cash (.70) for purchasing the money order.
Walter,
Whether or not you’ll be able to purchase a money order with multiple forms of payment depends on where you purchase it. While I know that some money order locations will only allow you to pay with cash, others allow both cash and debit cards as payment methods; I recommend you call the location where you’re hoping to purchase a money order to find out more about accepted forms of payment. I hope this helps!
Can you buy a money order using your account information? Or does it have to be a debit card?
Hi A.B.,
I reached out to Walmart customer support regarding your question, and found that while you can’t buy a physical money order with just your account information, you can use your bank account to send money through MoneyGram. You can read more about this process on the How to Send Money page of the Walmart website. I hope this helps!
I am a realtor, and my clients purchase a money order for a place they were putting a deposit on. the deal fell through and the money order was returned in the form it was originally delivered addressed to the home owner and signed purchased by my clients. They would like to retrieve their funds but They do not have their receipt. No attempt yet to cash for they just received it moments ago. My question is will they be able to cash the money order back to them?
Realtor,
I’m so glad you asked. This question is a frequent one, and First Quarter Finance has written an article on this very subject. The process for getting a money order refunded varies significantly depending on where the money order was purchased, so I recommend that your clients follow the procedure outlined in our article for the applicable purchase location. Fortunately, since you have the original money order itself, this can expedite and simplify the process. For your clients’ sake, I hope that the money order was not purchased through MoneyGram or the USPS, as neither will refund a money order without a receipt. Please let us know if you have any additional questions, and best of luck to your clients in getting their money refunded.
Thank you, yes it is a Walmart Money Gram Money Order. We called the local Walmart money center and they advise to deposit into the purchaser bank account. So my clients did so, in person at their local bank branch and the money order deposit was accepted. Thanks again
Realtor,
You’re very welcome; I’m so glad everything worked out for your clients.
I need to purchasing probably $10,000 worth of money orders . However, the limit is $3,000. What should I do? Can I purchase $3,000 everyday? Besides, can I use RMB to buy money orders? Can I use a unionpay card to purchase?
Jane,
As we found from contacting Walmart directly, the maximum amount allowed for a single money order purchased at Walmart is $1,000 with a maximum of $3,000 total in one day. In other words, yes, you can purchase up to the $3,000 maximum each day for multiple days, although purchasing more than $3,000 worth of money orders may trigger a suspicious activity report (SARS). If you’re purchasing a money order in the United States, you’ll need to pay with United States currency (so RMB wouldn’t qualify) or a PIN-based debit card or Walmart MoneyCard. If you’re purchasing a money order from a Walmart located in the People’s Republic of China, different policies may apply that aren’t covered in this article. I recommend contacting Walmart’s customer service in China. I hope this helps!
Can I purchase a money order with Walmart pay?
Hi Cindy,
I reached out to Walmart customer support with your question, and the representative informed me that unfortunately, Walmart Pay will not be accepted as a payment method for a money order. Sorry I couldn’t bring you better news!
I purchased a money order at Walmart on January/2017 and sent it to my daughter to Colombia South America. She is coming to USA by September/2017. It is not a problem if she keep the money order and make a deposit in her bank account when she is in USA?
Hi Tobias,
Walmart uses MoneyGram as the provider for money orders. According to MoneyGram customer service, MoneyGram money orders are good for one year after the purchase date. As long as your daughter deposits the money order at an American bank branch before January of 2018, the money order will still be good and she shouldn’t run into any problems. I hope this helps!
I purchased a money order from Walmart beginning of oct 2016 for 500.82 to pay a carpet company I mailed it to them. However it’s 5 months later they say they never received payment I can’t find my receipt from money order is there any record that Walmart keeps now if the company says they never received it it means it wasn’t cashed I guess pls help ty
Hi Laura,
I reached out to Walmart customer support regarding your question, and the agent stated: “Without the receipt, there’s not much we could do in this situation.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though Walmart will be able to provide you with any kind of record of the money order being purchased. It couldn’t hurt to visit the customer service desk at the Walmart store where you made the purchase to ask if there’s anything that particular store would be able to do, but there’s not necessarily a corporate precedent for being able to assist customers in your situation. MoneyGram, as a rule, does not provide refunds for money orders without a receipt, but if you’d like, you can try to contact MoneyGram customer support to see if there’s anything that company would be able to do for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you better news, and best of luck getting this resolved!
I tried to buy an international money order at Walmart in Texas on 1-11-2017, they told me they don’t sell them.
Hi Gene,
I reached out to Walmart customer support to investigate this issue, and it does sound like this service varies among different Walmart locations. If you do need to send money internationally, another option is a money transfer. This service is also provided by Money Gram and can be a more efficient means of moving money between countries. You can read more about Money Gram’s money transfer services on the Walmart website.
Why can I not use my Walmart Gift Card to buy a Money Order at Walmart ?
It is a prepaid type of card – not a credit card -so why not ?
Hi John,
I can’t speak for Walmart’s reasoning specifically, but many other stores that don’t allow gift cards as a payment method for money orders (such as Kroger) have implemented this policy as a means to prevent fraud. For example, if the gift cards were purchased with a stolen credit card (a fairly common tactic for this type of fraud), those funds become virtually untraceable once they’re converted into a money order. As a result, many places, including Kroger and Walmart, will only accept either cash (which is less likely to be stolen than a credit card number) or an electronic payment method that can be positively associated with the identity of the person making the purchase.
Is Walmart international money order from the US honooured in Canada?
Hi Osée,
That’s an interesting question! I reached out to Walmart and MoneyGram support to find out more about this situation. The agents recommend that the payee of the money order checks with their financial institution to find out whether an American money order from Walmart will be accepted there, prior to the money order being purchased. The agents advised that there may be a difference in the value of the money order if the payee’s financial institution exchanges the money order for the local currency. The agents also suggested that a money transfer, rather than a money order, may better suit your needs. You can learn more about Walmart’s money transfer services here. In short, a Walmart international money order may be honored in Canada, but the deciding factor will likely be the place that the payee goes to cash the money order rather than the money order itself. I hope this helps!
I was wondering if it was possible to get a record of all the transactions that have been made to send money from a specific Wal Mart. I have some fraud perpetrated in my bank account and I’m attempting to help the police by getting the transaction numbers. Can I do that since all my information was entered in?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey,
It’s tough to say if Walmart will be able to provide you with transaction numbers — if it is possible, you’ll need to contact Walmart directly to find out the process for getting that information. If you know the specific Walmart where the money orders were purchased, you can contact that location by phone (here’s the Walmart store locator, in case you need the phone number). If you don’t know the specific Walmart where the transactions took place, I recommend starting with Walmart corporate. The phone number for the Walmart corporate office is 1-800-925-6278. You can also email Walmart customer service through the company’s Contact Us page. I hope this helps and best of luck!
I would like to know if you all have an online record of the money orders that are cashed? I need to show proof of cashing child support payments that were paid to me through Walmart money orders. I would go to Walmart (Stafford, VA location) and cash them each month. I know that they would take my ID and I would have to key in my Social Security Number. Is there any way to pull this data and show the dates and amounts of the money orders that I cashed? Your response is greatly appreciated and I hope that there is a record.
Hi Nikki,
Do you have the serial numbers or receipts for any of the orders that were cashed? Unfortunately, that may be the only way to show that you cashed the money orders. It’s worth a try to visit the customer service desk at the Walmart where you cashed the checks to see if there’s any way for them to pull up the records, but it doesn’t look like Walmart has published any sort of specific policy for a situation like this. You can also try calling this phone number (from the Check Cashing page of Walmart’s website): 1-479-204-2125. I hope this helps!
Yes, that helps and I will try those two options. Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.