Your Guide to Sending Money Orders Online:

How to Send Money Orders Online - Money is inconvenient, though maybe not as inconvenient as not having any! Cash can't be sent through the mail, checks require bank accounts, a balance, and a recipient who takes personal checks, and credit cards can lead to tremendous debt, fees, and interest rates. Luckily, sending money from one place to another, from one recipient to another, has never been more convenient. You can turn your cash into a money order and send it wherever it needs to go. Whether you are paying bills, sending money to a friend or relative, or putting cash into a more secure form, money orders help you make your money more usable and convenient. There is nothing new about money orders; their roots stretch back to 1792. What is new, however, is the increased ease and versatility consumers have. We no longer have to trek to the post office or a Western Union agent to send these orders. We just have to have an internet connection. If you are wondering how to send a money order online, you're in the right place. This is your money order how-to.

What is a Money Order?:

A money order is not money, it's not legal tender. Whoa...what happened to your cash? It's still there, but the order is a promise of payment. In this way, it is very similar to a check. You don't pay for items with a check - you pay for them with the cash you get from a check. Why do merchants or other vendors prefer a money order over a personal check, then? You can write a personal check for $50 billion if you want; but with a money order, you actually have to have the funds to prepay it. This means the merchants are assured of payment, which is not always the case with personal checks - because chances are very good that $50 billion check would bounce.

What are some other reasons why money orders are an excellent way to send money? -

*Some merchants do not accept personal checks. A money order gives them more security.
*Some merchants do not accept credit cards. This is true, ironically, when you are paying your credit card bill. Many do not allow you to pay with another credit card, so using a money order is a great alternative.
*Since you prepay a money order, there is no risk that it will bounce as is true of personal checks.
*Money orders are more convenient to the recipient. If you send a personal check, he must take it to his bank or the bank the check is written against. If not, he has to pay a fee to have it cashed. Money orders can be redeemed at any post office or financial institution, guaranteeing immediate access to cash.
*Because the funds are already paid for, you don't have to wait for the recipient to cash it, which affects your checkbook balancing.
*They are accepted internationally and present a safe way to send money to dozens, or even hundreds, of countries around the world.

How Do I send an Online Money Order:

Traditionally, we had to go to the post office to get a money order, and, in fact, the USPS is still one of the best places to get your online money orders. The USPS is still a great place to buy money orders, but you need to go to the post office in order to do so. When you need to send money online - now - where should you turn?

Western Union Online Money Orders - Western Union is a trusted name in the money business, which is exactly what you want when sending and receiving funds. You can still go to a Western Union agent to purchase money orders, but you can also send money, that arrives within minutes in some cases, online. To do so, go to WesternUnion.com and go to the Products and Services tab at the top left of the page. You have several options for sending money online, each of which delivers the following benefits:

*They can be sent any day, any time of day.
*They can be received as cash at a Western Union location, loaded onto a prepaid credit card, or deposited directly into the recipients "mobile wallet," which is an account accessible through mobile phones.

With the In Minutes program, your recipient can have the money in only a few minutes. To send money, you do have to register with Western Union online, which takes only a few minutes. Your purchase is safe and secure. How much does all of this cost? Western Union has a handy tool that allows you to estimate the price of your transaction. You will see this option on the toolbar at the top of any page on the website. Say you are in Virginia and wish to send $500 to a soldier in Afghanistan. To get it there within minutes, the fee is $40; next day delivery to a Western Union agent will be $28. This particular price is the same as it would be if you were sending from Virginia to somewhere with the US. Prices vary greatly; from the US to Brazil, for instance, there is a $15 next day fee. Before you send, check out your fee. Sometimes sending money is not cheap, but at least you know that with Western Union, it will be secure.

MoneyGram Online Money Orders - As with Western Union, you can go to agents all over the country to purchase MoneyGram money orders. They also offer a convenient online option. On MoneyGram.com, choose the option to send money online, and then select which country, out of scores of possible choices, to which you need it sent. You have two options for delivery: with the Money in Minutes feature, your recipient can get the money at an agent location or via a cash or debit card. This is the fastest option. The "Economy" choice draws on money from your bank account and usually arrives within 3 business days. How much do they cost? Let's use the same example we did above for comparison's sake. If you are sending $500 to a soldier in Afghanistan and want it to arrive within about 10 minutes, it will cost you $31 (payable via credit card) to make the transaction online. If you opt for the Economy option, which takes about 3 days, it will cost $15. To send to another state in the United States, the In Minutes fee is about $40, and the Economy fee stays at $15. MoneyGram also provides a cost estimator that is useful before you start your transaction. MoneyGram is a respected name in the industry, and your transaction will be secure. PayPal is another site that offers a similar service; the limiting factor here is that the recipient also needs a PayPal account.

A Word About Online Money Orders:

While there are companies like Western Union and MoneyGram that are legitimate and convenient, there are others that have a more shady business reputation. Don't just pick the first company that shows up on your Google search; Payko, for instance, appears as one of the first choices on a Google search, but consumer reviews indicate that there are serious concerns with this company's ability to pay securely or consistently. It is much safer to do a little homework before you trust your money to an online company. Choosing companies, again, like Western Union or MoneyGram that have physical locations as well as an online presence can help you make a better choice. Online money orders allow you to have more freedom and versatility in your transactions. Make sure you send with a trusted company.

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