What payment methods are accepted at USPS passport acceptance facilities in my ZIP code?
Executive summary
USPS passport acceptance requires two separate payments: the U.S. Department of State application fee and a facility “acceptance” or execution fee collected by the acceptance facility; accepted instruments for each can differ and some locations impose tighter limits than national guidance [1] [2] [3]. The national USPS guidance lists credit, debit, check and money order for Post Office acceptance fees, but applicants must verify the exact methods at their local facility because State Department rules and local policies can restrict options [1] [4].
1. How the payment split works — two separate checks on the table
Every first-time or in-person DS-11 passport application normally requires payment of a State Department processing fee plus a separate acceptance/execution fee paid to the place where the application is submitted; the facility collects the acceptance fee and sends the State Department fee on with the application or instructs the applicant how to pay it, so applicants should prepare two distinct payments [2] [3].
2. What USPS national guidance says about accepted methods at Post Offices
USPS’s own passport information states that applicants may pay the Post Office acceptance fee in person by check or money order payable to “Postmaster,” debit card, or credit card, and that many Post Offices accept credit cards, checks, and money orders for the Post Office acceptance fee — language that positions cards and traditional paper payments as acceptable options for the USPS-collected charge [1].
3. What the Department of State requires and where cards are accepted
The State Department distinguishes its own fee rules from facility fees: passport agencies and some State Department online services accept credit, debit, and contactless payments (Apple Pay/Google Pay/Samsung Pay), but the State Department payment that travels with a DS-11 package is often required in specific instruments — many acceptance facilities ask that the State Department fee be a check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State,” and some locations explicitly do not accept cards for that portion [5] [6] [7].
4. Local variation and real examples — why ZIP-code level checks matter
Local acceptance facilities are free to set practical limits; county or municipal passport offices sometimes refuse credit/debit for the State Department fee and accept only checks or money orders (Rockwall County’s facility is explicit that credit/debit and cash cannot be used for the State Department payment), whereas many USPS locations will take cards for the acceptance fee — this mismatch means the payment tools accepted at “a Post Office” nationwide do not guarantee the same in every ZIP code and applicants must confirm with the specific location listed by the State Department locator [6] [1] [4].
5. Practical guidance for applicants in any ZIP code
Prepare for both possibilities: bring a check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State” for the application fee and be ready to pay the local $35 acceptance fee to the Post Office (or facility) by the methods the location accepts — many USPS passport appointment confirmations note the acceptance fee is paid in person and that the facility accepts checks, money orders, and often cards, but the State Department fee rules and some local policies may require only checks/money orders, so call or use the State Department/USPS acceptance-facility search for the exact payment rules at the facility in the applicant’s ZIP code before the appointment [2] [1] [4] [3]. Where special circumstances apply — U.S. territories, expedited QR-code Pay.gov instructions, or unique municipal policies — applicants should follow the facility’s instructions or the Pay.gov guidance provided for those regions [8] [3].