How to Send a CVS Money Order

With over 9,900 CVS locations in the United States, CVS is the largest pharmacy chain in the country. It also provides convenience store products as well as money order services via MoneyGram.

All you need to do is purchase a CVS money order from designated outlets, complete the relevant information, pay for the money order and send it to the recipient.

Money orders enable you to send people money without paying cash or cashing or writing a personal check. Like a cashier’s check, they are safer and more secure compared to personal checks though they are harder to trace. Also, money orders are more convenient and available in more locations including the U.S. Post Office and convenience stores like CVS. If you live near a CVS, sending a MoneyGram money order is easy.

The authorized body or financial institution issuing the money order needs the payee’s name, sender’s name and amount of money that can be cashed. But they require less personal information compared to checks. And you should keep the receipt that comes with your money order until it clears.

You can purchase a money order at the checkout register of any CVS Pharmacy store. Since CVS happens to issue and cash MoneyGram money orders, the issuer’s conditions apply. There is certain required information:

• the payee’s name and address
• the payee’s name and address
• other details, such as the payee’s account number
• a valid form of payment – cash, traveler’s checks or debit cards (credit cards may be accepted, but will incur an extra fee or interest)

Most money orders have a maximum limit of ‌$1,000.‌ So, you may need to buy multiple money orders for larger amounts. However, Go Banking Rates states that CVS MoneyGram money orders have a ‌$500‌ limit. But they only cost ‌$1.25‌ per money order.

For example, if you need to send $750, you would buy two money orders for $500 and $250 and pay $2.50. But buying them at CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart is probably cheaper than buying from banks, which tend to have more expensive charges.

If you no longer need to send a money order, you can normally get a full refund by showing your original sales receipt at the customer service desk. However, your money order will need to be unaltered, uncashed and undamaged.

Fortunately, money orders are inexpensive. You can use these step-by-step instructions to fill out and send your CVS money order:

Write the name of the person or business to whom you are sending the money order in the “PAY TO THE ORDER OF” field and ensure that you use the correct spelling and information because you can’t change anything once the money order has been processed.

Since you are the purchaser, fill in your own information in the field that indicates “Purchaser,” “Sender,” “Remitter” or “From.” Some issuers, like Western Union, may require your full name and address, but others may only require your name. You should use your full legal name and current mailing address to fill out this section.

Sign the front of the money order, but leave the back blank, because this is where the recipient will need to sign. Some money orders may provide space for a memo or note to denote the payment purpose for you to fill. Ensure everything is accurate before sending them.

Keep the detachable receipt that provides your proof of purchase and tracking information so you can monitor your money order and confirm if and when it’s been deposited or goes missing.

If your money order is lost or stolen, visit MoneyGram to find out how to cancel. Their page includes tips for how to locate important details on your money order for tracking purposes, such as your serial number, as well as a "Check Status" function. If your money order is lost, you can request a replacement and also check the status of your replacement.

There is a non-refundable ‌$18‌ processing fee for online requests to replace a money order and the process may take 7 to 10 business days. But mailed requests cost ‌$25‌ and can take 20 business days or more to process.

If you need a paper request, call MoneyGram's automated line at ‌1(800) 542-3590‌ and press "0" to speak to a representative.

Since CVS sells MoneyGram money orders but does not cash them, you'll need to explore other options. Many credit unions will cash money orders, as well as check-cashing stores and some grocery stores if you show proper ID.

Also, you can cash your CVS money order at brick-and-mortar MoneyGram locations. Just use the MoneyGram locator tool to find CVS store locations near you.

Generally, expect to pay around ‌$2 to $5‌ as a service charge to cash a CVS money order, depending on location and amount. Remember, when you cash your money order, you'll need to bring your government-issued photo ID. And your details must match the recipient information on the money order as it was sent.