Cashier's Check vs Money Order

Bank of America says a money order is a financial instrument, issued by a bank or other institution, that lets the named person receive a specified amount of cash on demand, and that it is often used by people who do not have checking accounts. The CFPB says you pay the full amount, plus any fees, up front, and that no checking account is needed. USPS says a postal money order is a safe alternative to sending cash or a personal check.

Fees, limits, and where to get one (US)

USPS says a domestic money order can be up to $1,000. USPS lists $2.65 for $0.01 to $500, $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000, and $0.85 for a postal military money order issued by a military facility. Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, matches those three fees and the $1,000 maximum. USPS says you buy one at any Post Office with cash or a debit card, and that you cannot pay with a credit card. You pay the face amount plus the issuing fee. USPS says domestic money orders never expire and do not accrue interest, and that a Post Office cashes one for free for the exact amount on the order.

Chase's personal fee schedule, effective June 14, 2026, lists a money order as a check issued by you, purchased at a branch, for an amount up to $1,000, at $5 per check. The same schedule lists a cashier's check as a check issued by the bank, purchased at a branch, for any amount and to a payee you designate, at $10 per check. Chase says Premier Plus Checking and Private Client Checking do not pay a Chase fee for a money order or a cashier's check. Chase says a Sapphire Checking customer pays no Chase fee for a money order or a cashier's check, and that Sapphire Checking is no longer available for new account openings.

Bank of America says a checking or savings customer can get a cashier's check for a $15 fee, waived for customers enrolled in Preferred Rewards. Bank of America says it will not provide a cashier's check without a checking or savings account. Wells Fargo lists $10 for each cashier's check. Wells Fargo says checking and savings customers can order one online for up to $2,000, or in person for a larger amount, subject to a $6,000 monthly limit per customer. An online order delivered to a U.S. address adds an $8 delivery charge. Wells Fargo says delivery is limited to addresses in the United States, not to P.O. Boxes, and to allow up to 3 business days for Alaska and Hawaii. Wells Fargo lists $5 per money order, up to $1,000 each, for checking and savings customers. Wells Fargo says some accounts offer fee waivers. Confirm the fee with the bank.

Walmart's check-cashing service names money orders as an in-store service and describes the fees as low. It does not state a dollar fee. Confirm the fee at the store.

When each one is used

The CFPB says a money order is a way to pay and manage bills, and a way to guarantee a payment to a person or company because it has already been funded. Chase says cashier's checks are used for down payments for various assets, renovations, international payments, and legal settlements. Cashier's check vs certified check covers the customer's own certified check.

Safety and fraud

The CFPB says a common scam sends a counterfeit money order or a bad check for more than the price of an item, then asks for the difference back. The CFPB says not to send money to that buyer, and to alert the bank or credit union and the marketplace. If you deposit a counterfeit check or money order, the CFPB says you will not receive the funds or you will have to pay them back even if you already withdrew them. The CFPB also says the bank can charge an overdraft fee if taking the money back leaves the account overdrawn.

USPS says a domestic money order can't be more than $1,000, and that the words and the numbers for the amount should match. USPS says discoloration around the dollar amount may show the amount was changed. USPS says to verify a postal money order at tools.usps.com/money-orders.htm or by calling 1-866-459-7822, and to report suspected fraud to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or uspis.gov/report.

How to get one

For a USPS money order, USPS says to decide the amount, go to any Post Office, take cash or a debit card, fill out the money order at the counter, pay the value plus the fee, and keep the receipt. For a cashier's check, Chase says it is purchased at a branch. Bank of America says a checking or savings customer can get one at a financial center. Wells Fargo says checking and savings customers can order one online up to $2,000 or in person for a larger amount. Confirm the fee with the bank before you request one.

Replacing a lost one

USPS says you cannot stop payment on a postal money order. USPS says a lost or stolen money order can be replaced, that confirming the loss may take up to 30 days, that the investigation may take up to 60 days, and that the replacement processing fee is $23. USPS says to take the receipt to any Post Office and start a money order inquiry. USPS says it will replace a defective or damaged money order when you bring that money order and the receipt to a Post Office. The CFPB says a money order can be cancelled or reissued if it gets lost or stolen, and that it can be harder to prove payment without a bank record that it was cashed.

Wells Fargo says a lost, stolen, or destroyed cashier's check can be stopped and reissued only in a branch, and that Wells Fargo requires an indemnity agreement. For a cashier's check over $1,000, Wells Fargo says the wait before that stop and reissuance is 90 days, 30 days in Wisconsin, and 91 days in New York, unless an acceptable surety bond is provided. The cost of that bond varies. Confirm the replacement steps with the bank that issued the check.