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Fill in the payee name first, then the purchaser line with your name and address, write the amount in the box, add a memo, sign the front, and keep the stub. The stub is your only proof of purchase, so store it until the payment clears. Do this at the counter, before you hand the money order to anyone.
| Field on the money order | What to write | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Pay to the order of / Payee | The exact name of the person or company being paid | Writing it in pencil or leaving it blank "for later" |
| Purchaser / From | Your full name | Signing your name here instead of the signature line |
| Purchaser address | Your street address, city, state/province, ZIP or postal code | Leaving it blank, which can complicate stop-payment requests |
| Amount box | The numeric amount (the pre-printed part usually already shows it) | Altering it after purchase; any change voids the document |
| Memo / Re | Account number, invoice number, or purpose ("October rent") | Skipping it, then arguing later about what the payment covered |
| Purchaser signature | Your signature, in ink | Forgetting to sign, which can get it rejected by the payee |
Because a money order with a blank payee line works like cash: whoever holds it can write in their own name and cash it. This is the single most common way people lose money orders, and it is entirely avoidable. Write the payee's name in ink the moment you buy it, before you put it in your pocket or your envelope. If you are mailing it, fill out the whole money order at the counter where you bought it, so it is complete before it ever leaves your sight.
One more detail: use the payee's full legal name, exactly as it appears on whatever account or bill you are paying. A nickname or a partial name can get the money order refused at the cashing window, and getting that fixed costs you a replacement process.
They look similar and sit near each other, which is why people mix them up. The purchaser (or "from") line takes your printed name: who bought this. The signature line takes your actual signature: your attestation that the document is legitimate. On some money orders these are combined into one "purchaser's signature" line. The key point is what NOT to do: do not sign the BACK of the money order. The endorsement line on the back belongs to the payee. If you endorse the back, you have effectively signed the money order over, and it becomes cashable by the bearer.
Keep it. The stub (sometimes called the receipt copy) has the money order's serial number, and it is the only way to track, cancel, or replace the money order if it is lost or stolen. A replacement without the serial number is possible but slow and expensive; with the serial number it is routine. Store the stub somewhere separate from where you mail the money order, and keep it until you have confirmed the payee received and cashed it, not just until you mailed it.
Here is the part most guides skip: take a photo of the filled-out money order before you mail it. The photo gives you the serial number, the amount, and proof of the payee name if the stub gets lost. It takes five seconds and has saved countless people a painful replacement process.
Yes, money orders are routinely mailed, and the US Postal Service sells its own money orders precisely for that. But do not drop a money order in a mailbox like an ordinary letter if the amount matters to you. Send it with tracking at minimum, and certified mail with return receipt if you need proof the specific payee received it. The tracking record plus your stub plus the photo means you have three independent ways to prove what happened to the payment.
In Canada, money orders from Canada Post work the same way: fill in the payee, keep the customer's copy (the stub), and consider registered mail for larger amounts. Canadian money orders are in Canadian dollars; a US money order in US dollars cashed in Canada will be subject to the bank's exchange process, so match the currency to the payee.
Do not cross things out and write over them: an altered money order looks tampered with and can be refused. If the mistake is small (a wrong apartment number in the memo), it usually does not matter. If the mistake is in the payee name or the amount, go back to the issuer and ask for a replacement. There is typically a small fee for replacement, which is much cheaper than a money order that cannot be cashed. And this is exactly the situation the stub exists for: bring it, and the issuer can verify and reissue quickly.
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