Loren EatonYou cannot send a money order online. The three major providers of money orders in the United States are MoneyGram, Western Union, and the U.S. Postal Service; all of them require you to visit a brick-and-mortar location to purchase a money order. (See our list of places that sell money orders, instructions for how to mail a money order, and how money orders work.) For other ways to securely send money online, see below.
Online Alternatives to Money Orders
Several online money transfer services offer similar benefits to money orders, including guaranteed funds and theft protection. For instance, many banks allow account holders to make money transfers in their mobile apps. MoneyGram allows you to transfer funds on its website or through its smartphone app (available for iOS and Android). Western Union will also let you send money online and through your iOS or Android device.
You can generally send money transfers directly to a person’s bank account or mobile wallet — or you can send it to a MoneyGram or Western Union agent location for cash pick-up.
Additional smartphone-based money transfer services include:
- Venmo (Note: For shopping options after transferring funds, see our list of places that accept Venmo.)
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
- Amazon Pay
- Zelle
- Facebook Messenger
- Square Cash
- Dwolla
- WorldRemit
- Payoneer
- TransferWise
- Popmoney
- OFX
- Xoom
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