Money orders?

[Cream Soda]

So I am making a payment tomorrow and the preferred method on their end is a money order. Anyone have any experiences with these? I know Amscot does them, but I was recommended to go to the post office. I'm assuming I could get the order and send it at once?

Is there a stub or something I can keep to make a claim if it gets lost/doesn't get cashed?

[Dimmauk]

Yeah there is a receipt stub. There is also a fee, so bring more money than the exact amount.

[fantasticdan]

Any reason you're using a money order instead of paypal/check/bank transfer/whatever? The only reason someone would prefer a money order is that their is no recourse if you get scammed/want a refund/etc.

[BaneTheBrawler]

everything i've ever heard about money orders tells me you should never use money orders.

[Aksannyi]

There is also a fee, so bring more money than the exact amount.

Amscot always has free money orders. They're pretty painless. I've used them a few times - usually the first rent check when you first move in has to be on a money order.

It's basically a check written to cash, if it gets in the wrong hands it's not really secure. I would never use a money order for something I wasn't going to pay in person, like rent or a utility.

[zoobernut]

Any reason you're using a money order instead of paypal/check/bank transfer/whatever? The only reason someone would prefer a money order is that their is no recourse if you get scammed/want a refund/etc.

There are lots of legitimate businesses that use money orders or require them. If you buy a large item for cash say like a car some dealers will require money also if you are buying a house sometimes you need to get a money order or cashiers check for your down payment or good faith payment. I have lived in a couple of apartments run by large managing companies that required a money order to cover first and last months rent plus deposit. Though usually you can choose money order or cashiers check.

Money orders are not always a scam.

[Cream Soda]

Any reason you're using a money order instead of paypal/check/bank transfer/whatever? The only reason someone would prefer a money order is that their is no recourse if you get scammed/want a refund/etc.

Money order is what was requested; that or cash. Which I've already given the first installment in cash so if they were going to rip me off they'd have just taken that and been off with it. But I can't take the bike out to Sarasota (hour drive), so he said to send a money order if I couldn't get to his office.

[MF Perm tha Fineass]

I liked the part where he asked if you kept the stub you could get your money back

[Sol-Blackguy]

I used to use 7-Eleven's money orders to pay bills back when my account was hacked. It's 99 cents per $500. As far as I know you can't make claims on money orders since they're essentially cash. You can return one, but you have to have both pieces.

[Meresgi]

CS you buying gear with money orders?! Don't leave a paper trail bro!


I used to pay my rent with M.O.s, landlord wanted cash or those, since he was obviously not reporting that he was renting the house to me and my friends and writing it off as a loss. If I sent it via mail I usually sent it with a "signature on delivery" service, but yeah they have a tear off receipt too from what I remember. I just didn't trust the fucker and doubled up to make sure he didn't try to flip around and say I didn't pay rent.

[Xno Kappa]

People still use money orders lol!?

[Korialstrasz]

Who knows, maybe it's for a wealthy Nigerian prince who will pay him back 10x over once he gets the money.

[Kohan]

People still use money orders lol!?

I use them all the time, and have for years.

Unnecessary back story:

Spoiler: show

I have never willingly used checks, and only cut duds for things like direct deposit information at my workplaces—otherwise, I did not pay for a single thing with a check. This is despite my being old enough to have taken home economics classes, wherein I learned how to write said checks, balance a check book, and so on. This gives me the knowledge I need to fill out bank slips correctly, but it has never been used on a check. I never wanted my funds to be subject to the whims of when and if an institution processed things, and preferred to know down-to-the-second my financial status. As such, whenever I ordered products via mail, won auctions in the earliest years of eBay, etc., I always sent a money order obtained from a US Post Office, or my bank. Today, I use plastic more often than not, but if a check or money order is required, I will acquire the latter every time.

I personally prefer USPS Money Orders because there isn't a bank that will refuse them, while some will not take money orders issued by certain institutions. This is one reason you'll hear people suggesting that you pick things up from USPS over anywhere else. The second is that they can be cashed at post offices themselves, which are far more abundant and easy to find than, say, a particular branch of someone's bank. Even the majority of the tiniest towns in the United States have post offices, but they do not all have banks.

Needless to say, being able to mail them to wherever you wish right after you've bought them is another huge advantage.

[Quixon]

USPS is the cheapest fee you will find, unless you can find a free place.

And money orders are used all the time, although mostly for big ticket items. Good luck trying to pay for a 25K car with stacks of 100's or a personal check, they'll laugh you right out of the dealership. Same thing if you try and buy a house cash. For that you have to supply a certified bank check, which is basically the same thing as a money order.

They've replaced personal checks at a lot of places too. You have much less liability in regards to actually receiving the funds when you deal with a money order in lieu of a personal check.

[zoobernut]

USPS is the cheapest fee you will find, unless you can find a free place.

And money orders are used all the time, although mostly for big ticket items. Good luck trying to pay for a 25K car with stacks of 100's or a personal check, they'll laugh you right out of the dealership. Same thing if you try and buy a house cash. For that you have to supply a certified bank check, which is basically the same thing as a money order.

They've replaced personal checks at a lot of places too. You have much less liability in regards to actually receiving the funds when you deal with a money order in lieu of a personal check.

My wife and I just wrote a personal check at a dealership for $23k to buy our new truck. I asked why they were ok with that and apparently if you bounce a check that large it is a felony so they feel pretty confident that people won't bounce checks that large lol. Though yeah most of the time any amount that large requires a money order or cashiers check.

[hey]

People still use checks?

[Aksannyi]

Only to pay my rent, other than that, no.

[Quixon]

I rage hard when someone cashing out at a store in front of me is paying by fucking check.

[AoE]

I rage hard when someone cashing out at a store in front of me is paying by fucking check.

Those same people always seem to move slow as hell, too.

[Seraph]

Good luck trying to pay for a 25K car with stacks of 100's or a personal check, they'll laugh you right out of the dealership.

I call bullshit so hard on this specifically. I literally did this a few years ago. Drove the car off the lot the next day.

Also, I paid for our engagement ring with the huge stack of 100s. The bank was right across the street. I even had exact change. Look on the salesgirls face was awesome.