How Money Order Tracking Works
Unlike personal checks, money orders aren ’ thymine directly linked to your personal bank account—you much buy them with cash ( though some places will accept a debit wag ). If you pay with cash, you wo n’t see any evidence of the money order clearing in your deposit transaction history. however, you can track money order payments by placing a request with the money order issuer.
Tracking Money Orders
There are different ways to track different money orders .
- United States Postal Service (USPS): Submit an online form and pay a modest fee if lost or stolen. You can also visit a post office near you.
- MoneyGram: Fill out the online form, call MoneyGram’s Customer Care Center at 1-800-926-9400, or visit a MoneyGram location near you.
- Western Union: Call 1-800-999-9660 or fill out an online form and pay up to $15 in administrative fees.
We dive into more information on each of these options below.
Making Your request
After approximately 30 days, the issuer typically sends a copy of the endorse money order ( showing who cashed or deposited it, and when ) or a detect that the money club has not so far been cashed. If the money order is still great, you may have the option to cancel it and get a refund. The accurate process varies from issuer to issuer.
Gather Needed information
When you buy a money order, you should receive a acknowledge with the order details. To track the transaction, you ’ ll need to provide the money order number and the arrange amount. You can likely use the avail ‘s web site to see the status of the money decree. Just type in the serial number and issue measure. For money orders issued by a U.S. post office, you ‘ll besides need the office total .
Take a photograph or make a copy of the money order so you can have the information available if you need to track it .
Pay Service Fees
Tracking a money rate may be time-consuming, and it can be expensive if you believe the money order is lost or stolen. The USPS charges a $ 6.95 processing tip to replace a lost or stolen money order. other issuers charge up to $ 15 or more to research potentially lost or stolen payments and issue refunds ( if needed ). You may besides have to fill out forms, sometimes in person, and you might not get an suffice ( much less a refund ) for 30 days or more .
Contact the recipient
If possible, communicate with the person to who you sent the money order. sometimes people and businesses don ’ triiodothyronine process money orders immediately, and it may take even longer to deposit the funds once they are received. Getting information immediately from your payee may be easier than filling out forms .
Consider Waiting
It may be worth waiting at least two weeks after you send a payment before giving up and canceling a money order. Most letters arrive at their destination within a few days, but for some reason payments seem to move slower. During holidays and weekends, that process can take even longer. What ’ s more, your recipient role may have been busy or out of town when the payment arrived. That said, if anything seems fishy, it ‘s fresh to seek answers promptly .
USPS Money Orders
If you used a USPS money order, you need to visit a military post function and fill out a money Order Inquiry. You can besides check the condition of the money order on-line. To complete either form, you need the receipt from your master buy showing the money order phone number, amount, and information about the post position you purchased from .
USPS charges $ 6.95 for researching a money ordain. The process can take 30 to 60 days, and if the money holy order has been cashed or deposited, you ’ ll receive a copy of the front and back of the document. With that data, you can learn where the money ultimately went .
If you can ’ metric ton wait that long, there may be some unofficial “ workarounds ” that might help you determine whether or not the money ordain was cashed or deposited. For exercise, you can try the mail function inquiry line or use the Money Order Status shape and see if the detail “ does not match. ”
however, the information you get might not be dependable because the system was not designed to do what you ’ re trying to do. The only way to know for sure is to use Form 6401 and wait .
MoneyGram Money Orders
Tracking a MoneyGram money order is a bite easy. Call MoneyGram ’ s Customer Care Center at 1-800-926-9400 or use MoneyGram ‘s on-line form. You ’ ll need to provide your money order number and the exact dollar sum ; the system should then tell you whether the item has been cashed or not. If you do n’t have the transaction ‘s issue you will need to complete a mannequin and visit a MoneyGram localization near you .
If the money club has been cashed and you want a copy of the endorse money order, or if you need to file a claim, you can do so by filling out a Claim Card, paying $ 18, and waiting 15 to 30 days for a mail-clad reaction .
If you don ’ t have your money order count, you may need to pay an extra fee and fill out a different form to dig up the data you need. You may besides be able to request these services in person to ensure that the process goes smoothly.
Western Union Money Orders
Western Union ’ s process is alike to MoneyGram ’ sulfur. Before filling out forms and paying fees, verify that the money orderliness was cashed by calling 1-800-999-9660 .
If you need a copy of the paid money arrange and you do n’t have your receipt, you can fill out and mail in the Money Order Research Request phase. You ‘ll pay a $ 30 administrative tip for the transcript. Don ’ thymine submit your request for a copy until your money order has been processed by the recipient—unless you want to cancel the money order. It could take six to eight weeks to hear back from Western Union. At that time, depending on the condition of your money order, you ‘ll either get a photocopy, a refund, or Western Union will tell you that it could n’t locate the money holy order .
The Money Order Customer Request on-line human body may besides help you if you believe the money order has been lost, stolen, not used, not received, or destroyed.
other Money Order Issuers
many money orders issued at grocery store stores, public toilet stores, and check cash stores are Western Union or MoneyGram money orders. If your money order was issued by an organization not already covered here ( such as your bank or credit marriage ), there ’ mho placid a commodity prospect that you can track it. It might even be easier—especially if you bank at a little initiation. alternatively of filling out forms, a simpleton telephone call option might be all that ’ mho needed .
Tracking and Cashing Money Orders You ‘ve Received
If you receive a requital by money regulate, your bank handles the logistics of processing the payment. You can deposit the payment into your depository financial institution account barely like you would deposit a match, or cash the money order .
If you ’ re concerned that a money club you received may be deceitful, contact the money rate issuer and discuss your concerns. It may be possible to verify funds on the requital or at least find out if it ’ s a known fake. Don ’ t spend the money until you ’ re certain that the funds have cleared. The authorize process can take a few weeks, even if your bank ’ randomness funds handiness policy allows you to use the money immediately. If you use the funds and the money order turns out to be talk through one’s hat, the bank will require you to repay the amount .
ideally, you know who you ‘re dealing with when you accept requital by money order. But money orders make anonymous payments possible, for better or worse. You may need to involve law enforcement officials if you need help researching criminal action ( and they might not be able to help ) .
frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs )
How do you cash a money order?
many of the places that cash checks besides cash money orders, such as banks, citation unions, and grocery store stores. You ‘ll have to endorse the money order and show ID, and you may have to pay a fee .
How much is a money order?
money order fees vary by company and by the size of the rate, but they ‘re typically less than $ 2 per $ 1,000 being sent. For case, in January 2022, USPS charged $ 1.45 for money orders of up to $ 500 and $ 1.95 for orders between $ 500 and $ 1,000.
Read more: How to Tie a Tie: 7 Knots for All Occasions
How long is a money order good for?
money orders do n’t typically have an termination date, so they ‘re technically good everlastingly, but there may be fees imposed if a money decree is n’t cashed within a certain time frame .
