How to Stop Payment on a Postal Money Order

Money orders are generally a safe way to send money through the mail. If you receive a money order, you don't have to worry about it bouncing, because the post office has already collected the funds. However, there may come a time when you need to stop payment on a lost, stolen or misaddressed money order.

Instructions

1. Report the problem money order to the Money Order Division of the Postal Data Center by calling 800-868-2443. Although you have two years from the purchase date to file a stop order request on the money order, you should stop payment on a missing money order as soon as possible to prevent the wrong person from cashing it.

2. Fill out Form 6401, which you can get at your nearest post office. You will need to fill out information about the money order, using the receipt which you kept after mailing the money order. Once you submit this form, the post office can stop payment on the old money order and issue you a new one. As of October 2010, it costs $5.40 to submit Form 6401.

3. Fill out Form 306 if the money order has already been cashed. If you have filled out Form 6401, and the money order has been cashed, you will receive a copy of the cashed money order, which you will need to confirm as being wrongly cashed or forged by filling out Form 306. Once you submit Form 306, the postal service will investigate the problem and, if necessary, reimburse you for the money order.

References

• University of Tennessee Knoxville: Banks and Money
• USPS: Damaged, Lost or Stolen Money Orders