 TITLE: Can You Use a Credit Card to Pay for a Money Order? CONTENT: How Do You Buy a Money Order With a Credit Card?\n------------------------------------------------\nIn most cases, you'll need to buy a money order with cash or a debit card. Because issuers want the money in hand before they issue the money order, you cannot pay with a personal check. The only places that let you buy a money order with a credit card are 7-Eleven stores and Western Union.\nIf you plan to charge a money order, be aware that your credit card company may consider a money order purchase to be a cash advance, which has some significant downsides. You'll be charged more interest on a cash advance than you would for a regular purchase—sometimes a lot more. While credit card purchases give you a grace period before interest on the purchase begins to accrue, interest on cash advances usually starts to accrue immediately. On top of these costs, your credit card issuer may charge a fee of $20 or more for the cash advance.\nTaking a cash advance can also hurt your credit score if it raises your credit utilization ratio to more than 30%. If the credit card you use is already carrying a balance, the issuer may put your future payments toward the purchase balance before putting them toward the more expensive cash advance balance. This can make it harder to pay down your balance.\nTo protect yourself from unexpected charges, read your cardholder agreement carefully or check with your credit card issuer to see if using a credit card to buy a money order is considered a cash advance. END