Yes, you can use a credit card to buy a money order, but not everywhere and not always the way you expect
Most places that sell money orders — post offices, grocery stores, check-cashing outlets, banks — will not let you swipe a credit card at the counter. They accept cash, debit cards, and sometimes checks, but treat credit cards as a separate category. However, you have two real paths forward: buying a money order online through a service that accepts credit cards, or using your credit card to withdraw cash first, then buying the money order with that cash.
The catch is that both routes carry costs. A cash advance on your credit card typically charges a fee (often 3 to 5 percent of the amount) plus interest that starts accruing when ready. An online money order service charges its own fee on top of the money order fee itself. Understanding which route costs less, and whether it makes sense at all, depends on what you are trying to do and how much you need to send.
Key Takeaways
- Most retail locations that sell money orders do not accept credit cards directly at the point of sale.
- You can use a credit card to get cash through an ATM or bank withdrawal, then use that cash to buy a money order, but this triggers a cash advance fee and interest charges.
- Some online money order services accept credit cards, but they add their own processing fee on top of the standard money order fee.
- For small amounts, the fees often make a credit card route more expensive than paying by debit card or cash.
- If you have no other payment method available, a debit card is almost always cheaper than a credit card for buying a money order.
Why most places won't take your credit card for a money order
Money order sellers treat credit card transactions differently from cash or debit card transactions because of how the payments flow. When you pay with a debit card or cash, the money moves directly from you to the seller. When you use a credit card, the seller has to wait for the credit card company to process and send the payment, and they pay a processing fee for that service. For a transaction as small as a money order (usually $1 to $5 in fees), that processing cost eats into their margin.
The other reason is fraud prevention. Money orders are often used to send money to someone you do not know well, or to pay for something sight-unseen. Credit card companies have chargeback protections that let you dispute a transaction if something goes wrong. Money orders do not. A seller who accepts a credit card for a money order is taking on the risk that you will dispute the charge later, even though the money order has already been sent and cashed. That risk is not worth it to them for a small transaction.
Using a cash advance to buy a money order
The most straightforward way to use your credit card is to treat it as a way to get cash. You withdraw money from an ATM using your credit card, then walk into a store and buy the money order with that cash. This works, but it is expensive.
A cash advance on a credit card typically costs 3 to 5 percent of the amount you withdraw, charged as an upfront fee. If you withdraw $500 to buy a $500 money order, you might pay $15 to $25 just to get the cash. On top of that, interest on the cash advance usually starts accruing when ready — not after a grace period like a regular purchase. Credit card cash advance interest rates are often higher than purchase rates, sometimes 2 to 3 percentage points above your regular APR. If you carry that balance for a month, you will pay another $5 to $10 in interest on a $500 advance.
The math only makes sense if you have no other way to pay and the money order is urgent. For most situations, this is the most expensive option available to you.
Online money order services that accept credit cards
A smaller number of online platforms let you buy and send a money order using a credit card. Services like MoneyGram and Western Union, which operate both in-person and online, accept credit cards for online orders. You enter the recipient's information, the amount, and your credit card details, and they issue the money order or send the funds directly.
The cost structure is different from a retail money order. You pay the standard money order fee (usually $1 to $10 depending on the amount), plus a credit card processing fee (often 2 to 3 percent), plus sometimes a delivery or service fee if the money is being sent to someone else. For a $500 money order, you might pay $15 to $25 in fees total — roughly the same as a cash advance, but without the interest charges that follow.
The advantage is that you avoid the cash advance interest. The disadvantage is that you are paying fees upfront and you have less control over the exact delivery method. If you need the money order in hand today, an online service will not help you.
When a debit card is your better option
If you have a debit card linked to a checking account, use it instead. Nearly every place that sells money orders accepts debit cards, and there is no fee for using one. You pay only the money order fee itself — typically $1 to $5 depending on where you buy it and how much you are sending.
A debit card transaction is treated the same way as a cash transaction from the seller's perspective: the money comes out of your account and goes into theirs, with no processing delay or chargeback risk. This is why they accept it readily. If you have a debit card available, there is almost no scenario where using a credit card makes financial sense.
The real cost comparison
The costs of each method vary significantly depending on the amount you are sending and which service you use. A $500 money order bought with cash or a debit card costs only $1 to $5 in fees. The same money order bought with a credit card cash advance costs $15 to $25 upfront, plus $5 to $10 per month in interest if you carry the balance. An online credit card service costs $15 to $25 in combined fees but avoids the ongoing interest charges.
The table below shows the typical cost breakdown for a $500 money order using each method. The credit card routes cost three to five times more than paying with cash or a debit card, even before accounting for interest that accumulates over time. The only time the cost becomes worth it is if you are buying multiple money orders or sending a very large amount, where the percentage-based fee becomes smaller relative to the total.
| Payment Method | Upfront Cost | Interest or Additional Fees | Total Cost for $500 Money Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash or debit card | $1–$5 (money order fee) | None | $1–$5 |
| Credit card cash advance | $15–$25 (3–5% fee) | $5–$10+ per month (interest) | $20–$35+ (first month) |
| Online credit card service | $15–$25 (processing + service fees) | None | $15–$25 |
When you might actually need to use a credit card
The real scenario where this matters is if you have no debit card and no cash on hand, but you have a credit card and an urgent need to send money. In that case, the cash advance route is faster than waiting for an online service to process your order. You get cash within minutes, buy the money order when ready, and the recipient can cash it the same day.
If the amount is small — under $100 — the fee might be acceptable as the cost of solving an when ready problem. If the amount is large, it is worth waiting a day or two to find a debit card, borrow cash from someone, or use an online service instead. The difference between a $5 fee and a $25 fee on a $500 transaction is real money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a credit card to buy a money order at Walmart or the post office?
No. Walmart, the U.S. Postal Service, and most grocery stores that sell money orders do not accept credit cards at the counter. They accept cash, debit cards, and sometimes checks. You would need to withdraw cash using your credit card first, then buy the money order with that cash.
Will using a credit card to buy a money order hurt my credit score?
A cash advance itself does not directly hurt your score, but it increases your credit utilization (the percentage of your available credit you are using), which can lower your score slightly. If you carry the balance and miss payments, that will hurt your score more significantly. A regular purchase on your credit card has the same effect on utilization.
Is there a limit to how much I can withdraw as a cash advance?
Yes. Your credit card issuer sets a cash advance limit, which is often lower than your overall credit limit — sometimes 20 to 50 percent of it. You can call your card issuer to find out your specific limit before you try to withdraw cash.
What if I buy a money order with a credit card and the recipient never cashes it?
You are still responsible for the credit card charge. Money orders do not expire for many years (usually 5 to 10 years depending on the issuer), so the recipient can cash it later. If you need to cancel it, you can contact the issuer, but you may not get a full refund of the fee you paid.
Is it ever worth using a credit card for a money order to earn rewards points?
Rarely. Even if your credit card earns 2 percent cash back, you would earn only $10 on a $500 money order. But you would pay $15 to $25 in fees, so you would lose money overall. The only exception is if you are buying a very large money order and your card offers a high rewards rate, but most cards do not count cash advances as may be able to access for rewards anyway.