April 25, 2024

Does Walgreens Do Money Orders?


Walgreens is the second largest drug retail store after CVS health in the United States. Aside from selling health and wellness products, it also offers photo services and sells grocery items.

Walgreens accepts different payment methods to gain different kinds of customers and to keep the long queue short. Among many existing payment methods, we will discuss Money Order and if Walgreens works with it.

Money Order is one of the safest ways of sending money to someone. Unlike a check, it doesn’t require your personal information. Many grocery stores sell and cash Money Orders. So, it is safe to assume that Walgreens also does it. But instead of relying on assumptions, let’s find out.

What is Money Order?

A money order is a paper document, similar to a check, used as a payment method. It works as a directive or instruction to a financial institution to pay a pre-specified amount to the recipient. 

For example, when you purchase a Money Order from places like the post office, the money used to purchase the Money Order is with the post office until the recipient wants to retrieve it.

Unlike checks, Money Order does not take money directly from your account, so you don’t need a bank account before purchasing it. It also does not contain your personal details like your account number and address.

You can purchase Money Order from places like MoneyGram, Western Union, banks, grocery stores, and postal offices. Purchasing Money Order comes with a charge fee which ranges from $0.35 to $1 depending on the place you bought it.

The highest value of a Money Order is $1000. If you want to purchase a Money Order above $1000, then you have to buy more than one Money Order.

Does Walgreens sell and cash Money Orders?

No. Walgreens does not do Money Orders. Instead, they do money or wire transfer in cooperation with Western Union. You can’t cash or purchase money orders from Walgreens but can do money transfers.

Money orders and money transfers may seem similar, but they are different. You will also learn about their differences.

Read Also: Does Safeway Do Money Orders?

What is a money transfer?

A money transfer is an electronic transfer of money from one bank account to another in which no physical money is exchanged. Unlike Money Orders, it is not a prepaid form of payment. 

The money is paid directly to the recipient’s account. Your requirements for a money transfer are; the recipient’s name, account number, and amount. 

Differences between Money Order and money transfer

Money OrdersMoney Transfers
Money order is like a paper check or a prepaid debit card purchased in any financial institution or store.Money transfer is a form of payment where the money is electronically transferred to the recipients.
The recipient will have to go to the postal office, banks, or nearby stores to retrieve the money for the money order.The money is directly wired to the recipient’s account
It involves physical money and no bank account.It does not involve physical money, but you must have a bank account.
Money orders must be purchased in financial institutions like Western Union, MoneyGram, banks, postal offices, or approved stores.Money transfers can be done in financial institutions or at the convenience of your home.
It takes time to reach the recipientIt doesn’t take enough time before it reaches the recipient

How much does Walgreens charge per money transfer?

When you use the Western Union kiosk at Walgreens, the standard charge rate is $0.99 for each transaction. This transaction takes a day or two to reach the recipient. 

But you can speed things up by paying $12.50 for a charge rate. The money transfer will be made as soon as possible.

What is the maximum amount sent via money transfer at Walgreens?

At Walgreens, you can send up to $6000 via money transfer and receive up to $300 using the Western Union service. Unlike money transfers, the highest limit in Money Orders is $1000.

However, MoneyGram offers online transfers at a limit of $10,000 for a month.

How can I do money transfer at Walgreens?

First, you need to ensure that the particular Walgreens store you are about to visit does a money transfer with Western Union by using the Walgreens/Western Union locator.

Once you are done with that, you can either go directly to the Walgreens store or use the Western Union app to start the money transfer process.

If you are already a member of Western Union, it will be easy for you to use the app. Western Union has rewards for money transfers done with the app. If you are visiting the Walgreens store, you must take the following processes;

  • Gather your money and choose your payment method. You may decide to use cash, debit, or credit card. After all, money transfer through Western Union allows them. However, you should note that there is a higher fee for debit/credit cards than cash. The fees depend on the bank you are using for the money transfer.
  • Provide the recipient’s information. The information you need to provide about the recipient are Name, Address, State-issued ID, and Phone number
  • Double-check the information for accuracy
  • Provide information for the recipient. This will include Recipient’s address, State-issued ID, Phone number, the 10-digit tracking number provided after making payment, and Answer to any secret question if any.

What hours is Walgreens open for money transfers?

The western Union service offerings through Walgreens are available between 8 am and 10 pm local time. Walgreens’ closing time is different in each of its sectors. For stores and photos, it is 24 hours open while the pharmacy sector is open until 9 pm

Does Walgreens cash money transfer?

Yes, they cash money transfers via Western Union. However, you should note that the highest limit you can cash is $300 at Walgreens. If you are sent more than $300, ensure you go to another Western Union location to cash your money.

Does Walgreens work with MoneyGram?

No, Walgreens does not work with MoneyGram. The financial institution they work with is Western Union.

Key Takeaway…

Walgreens does not do Money orders, but it does money transfers through Western Union. The difference between Money Order and a money transfer is not much, but the latter is safer than the former as long as the information you provided about the recipient is accurate.

23 thoughts on “Does Walgreens Do Money Orders?

Leave a Reply