Getting a Cashier's Check or Money Order for a US Deposit as a New Arrival

Why some landlords and dorms ask for a cashier's check or money order

A personal check bounces if the account behind it runs short, and cash carries risk for both sides during a handoff. A cashier's check or money order removes that risk because the funds are guaranteed upfront by the bank or the company that issued it, not by your personal account balance. Many landlords, property management companies, and some university housing offices still require one or the other for a security deposit or first month's rent, even though card and app payments are common everywhere else.

Cashier's check vs money order

A cashier's check comes from a bank. You give the bank the money upfront, and the bank draws a check on its own funds, which makes it as reliable as the bank itself. A money order comes from a range of sellers, including the US Postal Service, grocery stores, and check-cashing outlets, and works the same way at a smaller scale: you pay the amount plus a small fee, and the issuer guarantees that amount to whoever cashes it.

A cashier's check usually has no preset maximum amount, useful for a large deposit, but normally requires you to already hold an account at that bank. A money order caps out lower per order, works without any bank account at all, and suits a new arrival who has not opened US banking yet.

Getting a money order before you have a US bank account

A USPS money order caps at $1,000 per order and costs $2.65 for amounts up to $500, or $3.75 for amounts between $500.01 and $1,000. You pay with cash or a debit card, not a credit card, and you do not need a US bank account or Social Security number to buy one at a post office counter. If your deposit runs higher than $1,000, buy multiple money orders or ask the landlord whether splitting the payment across two orders is acceptable.

Retail stores such as grocery chains and some pharmacies also sell money orders at similar price points, useful if the nearest post office sits far from your dorm.

Getting a cashier's check once you have an account

Once you open a US checking account, request a cashier's check at a branch by telling a teller the exact amount and the payee name your landlord requires. The bank withdraws that amount from your account immediately and issues the check on its own paper, guaranteed by the bank rather than your balance. Bring your ID and confirm the fee with your specific bank branch, since cashier's check fees vary by bank and by whether you hold an account tier that waives it.

What to bring and what to keep

• A government-issued photo ID. Your passport works at most banks and post offices.

• The exact payee name, spelled precisely as your landlord or dorm office wants it.

• Cash or a debit card, since neither product accepts a credit card as payment.

• Your receipt stub after purchase. This is your only proof of payment and the reference you need if the check or money order is lost or stolen.

If it gets lost or the landlord disputes payment

Report a lost or stolen money order to the issuer using the serial number on your receipt stub. USPS charges a separate fee to research and replace a lost money order, and the process sometimes takes several weeks, so keep the stub somewhere safe rather than discarding it after the handoff. A cashier's check follows a similar process through the issuing bank, sometimes with a waiting period before the bank reissues the funds.

Before you buy either one

• Confirm with your landlord or dorm office in writing exactly which payment type they accept.

• Ask for the exact payee name and any reference number, such as a lease or room number, to write on the memo line.

• Buy the check or money order close to your move-in date, since some landlords set a validity window.

• Keep a photo of both sides of the receipt stub in case the paper copy gets lost.