{"slug":"cashiers-check-vs-money-order","question":"Cashier's Check vs Money Order","answer":"In the United States, a money order is for a smaller amount and does not require a checking account: the CFPB says no checking account is needed and that money orders are usually for smaller amounts up to $1,000, and USPS says a domestic money order can be up to $1,000. A cashier's check is drawn on the bank and is a direct obligation of the bank under Regulation CC, and Chase says cashier's checks are used for down payments, renovations, international payments, and legal settlements. Neither is named the winner.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Money order (US): the CFPB says no checking account is needed, and that amounts are usually up to $1,000. USPS caps a domestic money order at $1,000. USPS lists $2.65 up to $500 and $3.75 up to $1,000.\n\nCashier's check (US): Regulation CC makes it a direct obligation of the bank. Chase lists $10 at a branch. Bank of America lists $15 for a checking or savings customer. Wells Fargo lists $10 each. Confirm the fee with the bank.\n\nNeither is named the winner.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Who stands behind it","entityAValue":"The bank. Regulation CC: a direct obligation of the bank","entityBValue":"Funded up front. USPS, a bank, or another issuer","winner":"tie"},{"label":"US maximum","entityAValue":"Chase: any amount at a branch. Wells Fargo: $6,000 a month","entityBValue":"USPS, Chase, and Wells Fargo: $1,000 each","winner":"tie"},{"label":"US fee","entityAValue":"Chase $10. Bank of America $15. Wells Fargo $10. Confirm with the bank","entityBValue":"USPS $2.65 or $3.75. Chase $5. Wells Fargo $5","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Checking account","entityAValue":"Bank of America requires a checking or savings account","entityBValue":"The CFPB says no checking account is needed","winner":"tie"},{"label":"Where to get it (US)","entityAValue":"The bank's branch. Wells Fargo also offers online up to $2,000","entityBValue":"Any Post Office. Chase or Wells Fargo branch. Walmart names them in store","winner":"tie"}],"winner":null,"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Cashier's check","slug":"cashiers-check","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/cashiers-check","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/cashiers-check"},{"name":"Money order","slug":"money-order","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/money-order","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/money-order"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Is a cashier's check safer than a money order?","answer":"Neither is named safer. Regulation CC defines a cashier's check as a direct obligation of the bank. USPS calls a postal money order a safe alternative to cash and personal checks. The CFPB says a money order is funded up front, so it can't bounce the way a check might. The CFPB also says counterfeit money orders and bad checks are a common scam, and that a bank can take the money back if a deposited check was fraudulent, even after a withdrawal."},{"question":"What's the maximum money order amount?","answer":"USPS says you can send up to $1,000 in a single domestic money order anywhere in the United States. Notice 123 sets the same maximum of $1,000. Chase lists a money order for an amount up to $1,000. Wells Fargo says checking and savings customers can purchase money orders valued up to $1,000 each. The CFPB says money orders are usually available only in smaller amounts, up to $1,000."},{"question":"Can I get a cashier's check without a bank account?","answer":"Bank of America says it will not provide a cashier's check unless you have a Bank of America checking or savings account. Wells Fargo says checking and savings customers can order a cashier's check. A money order is the instrument the CFPB says does not need a checking account. USPS says you can buy a postal money order at any Post Office with cash or a debit card, and that you cannot pay with a credit card."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/cashiers-check-vs-money-order","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/cashiers-check-vs-money-order), In the United States, a money order is for a smaller amount and does not require a checking account: the CFPB says no checking account is needed and that money orders are usually for smaller amounts u","dateModified":"2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/cashiers-check-vs-money-order","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/cashiers-check-vs-money-order","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/cashiers-check-vs-money-order"}