You can buy money orders at 7 Eleven for 1% to 3% of the money order amount. The minimum fee is $0.65 and the maximum money order limit is $500.
Government-issued identification is required, and you must purchase them in cash because 7-Eleven does not accept debit cards or credit cards for money orders.
People like to buy money orders from 7-Eleven because it is convenient. They are everywhere, and most locations are open 24 hours.
However, even if a 7-Eleven near you is open 24 hours, they may not offer money order services late at night for security purposes since they don’t want to have large amounts of cash on hand in case of robbery. (Call them before you go)
7-Eleven money order starting price is very cheap, but if you’re buying a large amount of money order it can get very expensive compared to other places.
| Business | Average fees |
| Meijer | 65 cents |
| 7-Eleven | 65 cents/1%–3% percent |
| Kroger | 69 cents |
| Kmart | 70 cents |
| Publix | 85 cents |
| Walmart | 88 cents |
| Albertsons | 89 cents |
| Rite Aid | 99 cents |
| Circle K | $1–$1.30 |
| United States Postal Service | $1.20–$2.60 |
| CVS | $1.25 |
Money order is also known as certified funds, similar to a check. But unlike a check, you pay the money to a third-party upfront so the money is guaranteed to be there. A check can be written with no money in your bank account and it could potentially bounce.
Therefore, some payees require that funds are certified to be available. The typical methods for doing this are money orders or cashier’s checks. Cashier’s checks are typically for larger transactions since they don’t have a limit.
Related: Cashier’s Check vs Money Order (Know The Difference)
7-Eleven Money Order Limit
7-Eleven’s money order limit is up to $500. Other financial services organizations, like banks, issue money orders in greater amounts, usually up to $1,000. You can get around this limit by purchasing multiple money orders if you need a money order for an amount of more than $500 at 7-Eleven. However, you’ll need to remember that you would have to pay an additional fee for each issued money order.
At a 1% fee, money orders for $65 or less would incur a $0.65 fee. As you can see, this means that 7-Eleven money orders are a good option if you just need small amounts. But the fees can add up quickly if you need large amounts. You should also note that you can buy money orders for exact amounts, such as $253.47. This can come in handy when you’re paying bills with money orders.
Other places that issue money orders might accept alternative payment methods. However, If you want to get a money order through MoneyGram or Western Union at 7-Eleven you have to use cash for the total of the money order and the fees.
How to Fill Out a Money Order at 7-Eleven
Whether you’re mailing the money order or giving it to the payee directly, there are some steps you need to take to fill it out properly. You should do this while you’re still at the store to avoid losing a blank money order.
If someone found it, they could write their name as the payee and cash it. There isn’t much recourse or protection for you in this type of situation so it’s best to fill out the payee right away.
Before You Go: Make sure you have all of the payee’s information with you beforehand. Although money orders provide secured funds, there really isn’t any way to prove who it was intended for. So, it’s important to fill out the payee as soon as possible.
Step 1: The current date and the amount will come pre-printed on the money order based on what you order from the cashier. So, you don’t have to worry about that. So, the first step is to fill in the “Pay to the order of” field with the name of the payee. The payee is the person or business that you would like to pay. Once you’ve put the payee, no one else can cash it. You then have some security and it’s possible, though lengthy and a headache, to have it reissued if it’s lost or stolen.
Step 2: Second, you’ll want to fill out the “purchaser’s address” field. Since you are the purchaser, you should put your address on this line. This information will not be verified when the payee goes to cash the money order. It is simply for more security if the money order is lost or stolen. It provides a way of contacting you if the money order was found and someone turned it in. You can use your regular mailing address.
Step 3: You will then want to fill out the “payment for/account number” field. This is how you ensure the payment gets properly credited to your account. For example, you should put your account number on this line if you’re paying for your rent or a utility bill so that you can be sure that they apply the payment to your account.
If you don’t have an account number: You can just use your name here as a reference for the payee to determine who the payment is for. This also gives you with additional security when using money orders to pay for things.
Step 4: The last part to fill out on the front of the money order is the “purchaser’s signature.” Since you are the purchaser, would sign here to confirm that you purchased the money order and it is to be used for what it has been issued for.
Tip: You should write what the payment is for on the front of the money order.
If you’re using it for your rent for January, you could write January rent on the front. Although the money order doesn’t have a dedicated field for this, you could put it anywhere and it will be useful if you ever have to request a copy of the money order for your records or for documentation sake in the future.
The money order is perforated so that you can easily separate it into its two pieces. The first piece is the part detailed in the previous section. That’s the actual money order that you give to the payee and they use to get their money when they cash or deposit it. The other half is your receipt. It will include matching reference numbers from the money order itself, as well as a place for you to notate what the payment was used for in case you need to reference back to it.
Reminder: Do not sign at the “Endorse above this line.” on the back side of money order
That is where the payee signs when they want to deposit or cash the money order.
The opposite side of the receipt portion has much more information. However, this would only be used if it is lost or stolen. This can be a long process, but there is a telephone number to call, and the claim form you would use to initiate the process of reissuing the money order in the event that the recipient says they never received it, or if it’s lost or stolen. This is the information that MoneyGram or Western Union will use to research the issue for you.
How to Send a 7-Eleven Money Order
Once you fill it in completely, you can send a 7-Eleven money order the same way you would any other payment. Keep your receipt at least until the payment has been credited to your account for the security of knowing that the funds are secure. Although it’s possible to have the money order reissued, the process is long and can be frustrating.
If you’re giving the money order to the payee in person, you can give it to them just like a personal check as well. There isn’t anything to verify your identity against even if you signed it, so there’s nothing else for you or the payee to do specially. The cashier would have verified your identification when you purchased it.
How to Track a 7-Eleven Money Order
You, the payee, or anyone else can track the money order either online or over the phone using the issuing provider. So, if MoneyGram issued your money order, you would go to moneygram.com. The issuer, either MoneyGram or Western Union if you purchase your money order at 7-Eleven, will be apparent on the front of the money order. The phone number to track will also be on the receipt portion of the money order in case you need to call.
Unlike tracking services for mailing packages, tracking information for money orders is extremely limited. It simply tells whether or not the money order has been cashed yet. They have no way of telling whether the payee has received the money order if you mailed it. If you want to verify the status, you just need the money order number, which you can find on the receipt and the exact amount the money order was issued for.
7-Eleven will Not Cash Money Orders
7 Eleven does not offer a money order cashing service, and your money orders cannot be used to purchase items. Think of money orders function more like checks. To cash your money order, you need to either go to your bank or check cashing store. Keep in mind though that some places will charge a fee to cash your money orders. If you have a bank account, you can also deposit the money order and then withdraw it. Here are some of the places you can cash money orders:
| Place | Maximum | Fee |
| ACE America’s Cash Express | None | About 3% |
| Amscot | None | 1.5% to 9.9% |
| Check Into Cash | Varies by location | 3% to 5% |
| Citibank | $5,000 | Free if issued by Citibank |
| Money Mart | Varies by location | About 3% |
| Regions Bank | $1,000 | 5% ($5 minimum) |
| TD Bank | Varies by location | $10 |
| U.S. Bank | None | $7 for money orders over $50 |
| USPS | None | Free if issued by USPS |
| Walmart | $5,000 | $3 up to $1,000 $6 for $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Winco | $1,000 | $5 to $10 |
As you can see, it’s usually cheapest to cash a money order where it was issued, if it was issued by a place like a specific bank or the United States Postal Service. Otherwise, the most cost-effective option to cash your money order depends on its amount.
If it’s a small money order, Amscot offers a low percentage fee. But as the amount gets larger, that fee increases considerably based on that amount. Overall, Walmart is the most cost-effective way to cash money orders with their flat fee.
Since Walmart has so many locations and is so accessible because many of their locations are 24 hours, it’s one of the best options for cashing a money order. If you’ve ever been to the customer service center of a Walmart during high peak hours, you know that it’s very busy and there’s usually a long line. So if you’re in a time crunch, it might be worth paying a little bit more to go somewhere else.
If you have a bank account, it’s free to deposit your money order, since it acts like a check. Since the funds are certified, it may be available immediately. That will depend on your relationship with your bank and their rules.
Alternative Stores to Buy Money Orders
The following table shows the issuer, fee, and limit of different places that you can buy money orders other than 7-Eleven.
| Place | Issuer | Fee | Limit |
| Banks | Bank Itself | Varies, sometimes free for account holders | Typically, $1,000 |
| Credit Unions | Credit Union Itself | Varies | Typically, $1,000, some with daily limits |
| Check Cashing Stores | Check Cashing Store Itself | Varies, sometimes free | Varies |
| Convenience Stores and Gas Stations | MoneyGram or Western Union | Varies, sometimes % of money order amount | Typically, $500 |
| Discount Stores and Superstores | MoneyGram or Western Union | Varies | Varies, some with daily limits |
| Grocery Stores | MoneyGram or Western Union | Varies | Varies |
| Pharmacies | MoneyGram or Western Union | Varies | Typically, $500 |
| United States Postal Service (USPS) | United States Postal Service (USPS) | $1.20 to $1.60 |
6 things you should know when purchasing money orders at places other than 7-Eleven:
- You can get a money order from many banks as a bank withdrawal. They would just deduct the amount from your balance. This provides a safer alternative if you don’t feel comfortable carrying around large amounts of cash.
- Getting a money order from your bank can be free sometimes if you have the right count of account with them. As an example, BB&T offers members who have Elite Gold or Elite Work accounts free money orders.
- Other banks and credit unions require that you have an account with them for them to issue you a money order. One of these such banks is Wells Fargo.
- You may also come across a daily limit for the amount of money orders you can get in one day. Navy Federal Credit Union, for example, has a daily limit of $10,000 for money orders, which they issue in $1,000 increments. Navy Federal also requires you have an account with them to receive a money order.
- Some check cashing and financial services companies such as Amscot issue money orders for free. They do this so that they always have a steady flow of money on hand to fund the other transactions that they offer such as check cashing and payday advances.
- Generally, you shouldn’t pay more than $2 per money order in service fees to cash a money order.
Places You Can Get Money Order for Free
The best place to get a free money order is Amscot cashes checks, allows you to pay bills, and provides cash advances. Because they always need to have cash on hand for these types of transactions, they offer money orders free of charge because it ensures a consistent flow of cash into their business.
Other places like Walmart and CVS use MoneyGram or Western Union as the issuer of their money orders, but Amscot is their own issuer because they are a financial services institution. What should you do if you don’t have an Amscot near you?
You can also get money orders for free at banks. But this sometimes comes with the stipulation that you are a member and/or have a special type of account with them. If you do have an account with them, they usually issue money orders up to $1,000, so you’ll have to get less of them and you can save a considerable amount in fees depending on which alternative you compare it to.
