Q&A for How to Pay for a Money Order

Yes.

This would depend on who you are purchasing from. If you are buying it in person, changes are they will request cash, however American Express does have different allowances with some of their vendors. They may only allow a traveler's check, however many places will no longer accept them because of fraud potential.

In a roundabout way, yes. You would have to go to your bank and request a cash advance from your credit card. This cash would be deposited in your account, and the bank would issue a cashiers check. However, be forewarned: a cash advance from a credit card will cause the highest potential interest rate to begin accruing the same day as you take the cash, and there are usually a cash advance fee of a percentage of what you advance. Only do this in an emergency situation, and pay the balance off immediately.

Yes.

The choice in method of sending money by phone would be dictated by where you are sending the money and how you would expect the money to be picked up. If you are sending it to another person and they have access to a bank, you can send a wire to the recipient's bank and they would be able to access the cash at an ATM with their ATM card. If this person doesn't have access to a bank you can try to do a MoneyGram or a Western Union, but the person will need a picture ID and you will need the person's exact name, city, state, and country.

With the sender's express permission, you can write your name into the payee section. However, if you do not have their permission, you are not the originally intended recipient of these funds, or the order is flagged as being lost or stolen and you write your name in and deposit the money order, it is the federal crime of fraud.