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Money Order Online
MONEY ORDER PROVIDERS ONLINE:
a guide by Margaret Heimer
To send a money order, whether domestic or international, has never been more convenient, simple and secure thanks to the Internet. And now, with the c2it service by Citibank, you can even do it free of charge in the U.S. Receiving a money order is now easier, faster and safer than ever - with c2it by Citibank and PayPal it is done online.
If you need to send money internationally or just to a kid in college, but have neither time nor inclination to visit a postal office or bank, then any of the online money order service providers reviewed in the frame to the right can help, as with all of them you are able to send the money from your computer.
But if your kid needs the money urgently; you do not want him to run around with cash, and would rather not pay a fee, then c2it by Citibank may be your single option for now. With this service the money order funds are not just sent, but also received online, and both sending and receiving are free. The whole process is instant, the kid does not have to leave his computer to get the money, and you do not have to pay anything. (At this time the online-receipt, no-charge money order service is available within the U.S. only.)
Let us see how these online money order services, both U.S. domestic and international, compare overall. As far as the sending part is concerned, they are about the same - you order to send money from their web sites. However, when it comes to the receipt of the money, order transit time and the price, they become different.
U.S. domestic service
Western Union. The receiver should first find out if the money has come in. Then, after the confirmation, go to a Western Union agent location, during the agents working hours, and pick up the cash. The web site does not say how long it will take the money to get through. According to another source, the order should be in on the same day. To send $100 this way will cost you $15.
PayPal. The addressee receives the notification email, logs in at the PayPal web site and orders to transfer the money to his checking account or requests a check. Sending is free. The recipient pays $3.20 on $100 (free in case of a non-credit card payment). Free accounts may not receive credit card payments.
c2it by Citibank. Your recipient gets a notification email practically instantly, logs in to the c2it web site and transfers the money to one of his bank or credit card accounts, all online. He can do it any time, and the service does not cost anything to either one of you. |
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Every effort is made to keep the information on this page as accurate as possible. However, please, refer to the web sites of the respective money order providers before you make your decision.
Each link opens a new window, so it will be easy for you to return to this page and check out another online money order provider if you choose to do so.
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Western Union U.S. domestic service: $15*.
International service: $43*.
Both: send money online (from the U.S. and Canada only) - receive cash at an agents location. The orders transit time is not specified on the web site, supposedly on the same day. Check out when the agent is open. PayPal U.S. domestic service: $3.20*.
International service: $14.80*. Available in 38 countries: in 5 of them - sending only; in 16 countries - sending and receiving at PayPal, but transfers to local banks are not allowed; in 17 countries - full service. Make sure that the service is available in the country of your recipient.
Both: send money online - receive at a PayPal account, then request a check by postal mail or, in the U.S. and some other countries, order a withdrawal to a local bank account. There is a $1.50 flat fee for the withdrawal to a non-U.S. bank where it is possible.
c2it by Citibank U.S. residents only.
U.S. domestic service: free; send and receive money online. Do not be discouraged by the promotion of the international toll service on the c2it web site - the domestic service is there and free all right!
International service: $15 flat fee. Available to more than 120 countries. Send money online - receive direct deposit to a bank account on the same or next business day, or receive the order in the form of an international check by postal mail at a $10 flat fee.
* The prices are comparative - they are based on money orders paid with a credit card: $100 to anywhere in the U.S., and, for the international service, $500 from the U.S. to the U.K., sent, in the case of postal mail delivery, by express mail. |
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International service
Western Union. With the international service everything is the same as with the U.S. domestic service. To send $500 from the U.S. to the United Kingdom will cost you $43. At this time online orders are possible from the U.S. and Canada only.
PayPal. The international service is available to the residents of the U.S. and 37 other countries. Make sure it is available in the country of your recipient. Users in some countries are limited to only sending money with their PayPal accounts. They may not receive payments. In most countries PayPal does not accept transfers to local bank accounts. Other than that the procedure, timing and fees are the same as with the U.S. domestic service, except that there is an additional $1.50 flat fee for the recipients order to transfer the money from a PayPal account to a non-U.S. bank account where it is possible, and it may take longer.
c2it by Citibank. To do it fast you can use the direct deposit option, which will bring the money to the recipient bank account on the same or next business day. The fee is $15 regardless of the order amount. There is also an option of an international check sent by postal mail. The service fee is $10 no matter how big the check is. U.S. residents only can send money with c2it. |
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