Last edit by: shdflyer
11/3/17: The vast majority of popular prepaid debit cards are now blocked via a register hardcode at most locations.
This is the thread for 2017. The previous discussion can be found here.
Newbies: READ for days and learn before trying. It is best to know what you are doing, so start slow. Refer to cards as "Debit" not gc.
"Money orders can be purchased at any Post Office™ location.
Pay for your money order with cash, debit card, or traveler’s checks."
Fees:
$0.01 to $500.00: $1.20
$500.01 to $1,000.00: $1.60
Most post offices allow split payment (multiple debit cards) for one money order up to a max of $1000.
Example of how to split payment:
1. "One MO please for $998.40. Id like to pay with 2 debit cards, $500 on each."
2. Swipe first card and enter pin.
3. Remind teller that its "$500 on that card". They will change the amount on their screen to $500. Transaction goes through and a small receipt prints.
4. Swipe 2nd card, enter pin.
5. Done.
Note: If you encounter a problem with the second card and have to cancel the transaction, it can be very difficult to recover your funds on the first card. Always have a back-up payment method available (bank debit card or cash).
GC Information: The fine print on the back of the package shows the bank issuer. Don't buy GCs with tampered packaging and always use cards ASAP.
Visa OneVanilla and Vanilla GC issued by Bancorp work at PO.
Visa/MC Gift Cards issued by MetaBank have not had any success at MOST USPS anywhere in the country since around September 2016.
These will NOT work if the clerk uses a touchscreen
These MAY work, and often do, at small, rural post offices where clerks do not have touch screens.
Visa Gift Cards from Walmart issued by Green Dot have stopped working for MO purchases for some.
GAME MOSTLY OVER, MOST USPO are HARD CODED to NOT ACCEPT NON BANK DEBIT CARDS
Exception seems to be small, rural post offices where clerks do not use touch screens.
This is the thread for 2017. The previous discussion can be found here.
Newbies: READ for days and learn before trying. It is best to know what you are doing, so start slow. Refer to cards as "Debit" not gc.
"Money orders can be purchased at any Post Office™ location.
Pay for your money order with cash, debit card, or traveler’s checks."
Fees:
$0.01 to $500.00: $1.20
$500.01 to $1,000.00: $1.60
Most post offices allow split payment (multiple debit cards) for one money order up to a max of $1000.
Example of how to split payment:
1. "One MO please for $998.40. Id like to pay with 2 debit cards, $500 on each."
2. Swipe first card and enter pin.
3. Remind teller that its "$500 on that card". They will change the amount on their screen to $500. Transaction goes through and a small receipt prints.
4. Swipe 2nd card, enter pin.
5. Done.
Note: If you encounter a problem with the second card and have to cancel the transaction, it can be very difficult to recover your funds on the first card. Always have a back-up payment method available (bank debit card or cash).
GC Information: The fine print on the back of the package shows the bank issuer. Don't buy GCs with tampered packaging and always use cards ASAP.
Visa OneVanilla and Vanilla GC issued by Bancorp work at PO.
Visa/MC Gift Cards issued by MetaBank have not had any success at MOST USPS anywhere in the country since around September 2016.
These will NOT work if the clerk uses a touchscreen
These MAY work, and often do, at small, rural post offices where clerks do not have touch screens.
Visa Gift Cards from Walmart issued by Green Dot have stopped working for MO purchases for some.
GAME MOSTLY OVER, MOST USPO are HARD CODED to NOT ACCEPT NON BANK DEBIT CARDS
Exception seems to be small, rural post offices where clerks do not use touch screens.
Buy MO's at Post Office(2017-2018)[Gift Cards no Longer Allowed]
#751
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Cincinnati
Programs: AA, Hyatt
Posts: 371
otherwise you use the mag stripe
#752
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
#754
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
#755
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 6
Prediction MO's with Gift Cards to Stop
The clerk said they were looking at not allowing these purchases by debit card soon. It sounded like she knew what she was talking about and this will affect all you guys who do this daily.
I have over $15K I need to buy for my recent spend bonus and plan on getting it done over the next week so I am not holding anything when it occurs. The last thing I want to do is deal with Walmart.
#756
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: LAX-HNL-TYO
Programs: ANA PLATINUM,HYATT GLOBALIST, AA PLATINUM FOR LIFE, UNITED SILVER, HILTON DIAMOND, MARRIOTT TITANIUM
Posts: 606
I went in to do a 498xx Mo with normal OVGC (Bancorp) and it declined me 2 times..the card was active and the amount was correct and not a penny over.The clerk asked if I wanted to swipe on another clerks POS I said no that's ok..( I didn't want them to ask to see the card if it failed again)! I said I know I have plenty of money in my account..My clerk said they have been having problems with that POS terminal...I said oh well thanks anyway and quietly left. Went down the street to grocery store and liquidated there no problem...so it pays to have a backup plan...because even tho the PO is very reliable..sometimes things do go wrong...
#757
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 59
#759
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Re: USPS, for some strange historic reason I have a lot of B&M post offices near me. If similar for you, you could map out a circuit, maybe hit multiple offices each day. Bonus for doing it, say, Friday and then again Saturday morning, odds are at least even that Saturday staffing will be different.
#760
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 64
USPS is a new avenue for me. Do the Bancorp MCs from giftcards.com need to have the pin set when you register them? I thought the PIN was last 4 of card number, but I got an invalid PIN message when I tried yesterday.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
#761
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 6
USPS is a new avenue for me. Do the Bancorp MCs from giftcards.com need to have the pin set when you register them? I thought the PIN was last 4 of card number, but I got an invalid PIN message when I tried yesterday.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
#762
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 283
USPS is a new avenue for me. Do the Bancorp MCs from giftcards.com need to have the pin set when you register them? I thought the PIN was last 4 of card number, but I got an invalid PIN message when I tried yesterday.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
These are Bancorps I bought before they switched.
Also, GC.com just started shipping new MCGCs on June 1. They are Metabank issued and do not work at USPS.
#763
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 37
I just like to have a variety of places to liquidate. I have 3 grocery stores and 3 post offices within 10 miles that all take OVGC, and I just like to break up my frequency to each of the locations. The difference in MO price is negligible to me, so I just try to alternate. I also don't like to do more than one GC at a time, so that factors into it, especially as I am just starting to MS. As I get more comfortable I will probably start doing 1k at a time, but for now, just doing 500 at a time, I like to switch it up. I also only buy OVGC from WG right now, so I go to PO and grocery that are close to the WG I buy from.
#764
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
I went to one a few blocks away and had no issues.
I think we have to hope for clerks who have short term memories, new clerks, ones who just don't care, or maybe even just do one transaction for $500 (and be sneakier about changing the card).
What other places can I liquidate OVGCs at?
#765
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 37
I got shut down at a post office in downtown chicago today (worked fine there 2 weeks ago). Clerk asked me to see the card I was paying with, showed a B of A debit card. Then swiped my GC, she said "it look like you changed cards". And then refused to do the transaction. She went to get the supervisor, but the supervisor was out. She said I could talk to the postal inspector if I want.
I went to one a few blocks away and had no issues.
I think we have to hope for clerks who have short term memories, new clerks, ones who just don't care, or maybe even just do one transaction for $500 (and be sneakier about changing the card).
What other places can I liquidate OVGCs at?
I went to one a few blocks away and had no issues.
I think we have to hope for clerks who have short term memories, new clerks, ones who just don't care, or maybe even just do one transaction for $500 (and be sneakier about changing the card).
What other places can I liquidate OVGCs at?
Pretty stupid idea switching cards IMO