Jun 22, 2013, 10:42 am
Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
There is a new thread for 2017: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1819569-pin-available-now-visa-mc-prepaid-debit-cards-2017-a.html
Federal Reserve interpretation of Dodd-Frank financial reform regulations has resulted in Visa/MC gift cards getting PINs as of April 1, 2013.
Setting PINS
At Walmat, many MCs default to credit(and fail) and require pressing a button to change the payment type to debit. Here are the workarounds:
Old POS systems (monochrome black on green terminals and replacement color terminals):
1a. Screen shows "Insert or Swipe Card Quickly" with "Espanol" button in lower right (note if your screen blinks)
1b. Swipe card
1c. Screen shows "Waiting for cashier..." with with working animation in lower center and "Cancel" button in lower right
2. Press "Cancel" on the screen or red button on pad (if your screen blinks, do not hit button until after blink)
3. Press "ATM/DEBIT" from upper left
4. Press "No Cash Back"
5a. Enter PIN
5b. Screen shows "Waiting for cashier..."
6. Cashier hits blue (not green) Debit button on their side.
New POS systems (color terminal):
1. Swipe GC
2. Press "Change Payment" on screen (Yellow button on pad should also work, but screen works better for some. Timing is critical.)
3. Press "DEBIT"
4. Press "No Cash Back"
5. Enter PIN - Screen showing another 'Waiting for cashier...'.
6. Ask Cashier to hit blue color Debit button on the screen
When splitting transactions among multiple cards at a Walmart register, make sure to have the cashier hit the debit button on their physical keypad. If they hit the debit button on the touchscreen, it will not work. If your transaction got declined, try having the cashier hit 'Debit' using the physical keypad on the right of the screen.
As of 6/19/2014, Walmart rejects Debit attempts above $49.99 on all cards issued by InComm/ITC Financial Services, namely all Vanilla VISA and OneVanilla. There is no workaround.
Error Messages
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Not enough funds available to cover whatever amount was typed in, or most likely NOT typed in.
DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.
HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again.
Federal Reserve interpretation of Dodd-Frank financial reform regulations has resulted in Visa/MC gift cards getting PINs as of April 1, 2013.
Setting PINS
- MetaBank VISA or Sunrise VISA -use the last four digits of the card number (or to set personal PIN call 888-524-1283)
- US Bank VISA and Mastercard - Newer cards come with a PIN printed on cardstock inside the package. To set/reset PIN, call 866-952-5653. One person reports: VISA that has pre-set PIN locks PIN on first use if not previously reset; always call to set PIN before use. If you forget to reset the pin and you can't unload the funds to your BB, call the toll free # and ask rep. to "reset" the card and they will do some magic and you should then be able to unload the funds at WM.
- Vanilla VISA and OneVanilla(not MyVanilla, etc) - selection of 4 digits on the first transaction becomes the PIN
At Walmat, many MCs default to credit(and fail) and require pressing a button to change the payment type to debit. Here are the workarounds:
Old POS systems (monochrome black on green terminals and replacement color terminals):
1a. Screen shows "Insert or Swipe Card Quickly" with "Espanol" button in lower right (note if your screen blinks)
1b. Swipe card
1c. Screen shows "Waiting for cashier..." with with working animation in lower center and "Cancel" button in lower right
2. Press "Cancel" on the screen or red button on pad (if your screen blinks, do not hit button until after blink)
3. Press "ATM/DEBIT" from upper left
4. Press "No Cash Back"
5a. Enter PIN
5b. Screen shows "Waiting for cashier..."
6. Cashier hits blue (not green) Debit button on their side.
New POS systems (color terminal):
1. Swipe GC
2. Press "Change Payment" on screen (Yellow button on pad should also work, but screen works better for some. Timing is critical.)
3. Press "DEBIT"
4. Press "No Cash Back"
5. Enter PIN - Screen showing another 'Waiting for cashier...'.
6. Ask Cashier to hit blue color Debit button on the screen
When splitting transactions among multiple cards at a Walmart register, make sure to have the cashier hit the debit button on their physical keypad. If they hit the debit button on the touchscreen, it will not work. If your transaction got declined, try having the cashier hit 'Debit' using the physical keypad on the right of the screen.
As of 6/19/2014, Walmart rejects Debit attempts above $49.99 on all cards issued by InComm/ITC Financial Services, namely all Vanilla VISA and OneVanilla. There is no workaround.
Error Messages
DEBIT NOT AVAILABLE
Not enough funds available to cover whatever amount was typed in, or most likely NOT typed in.
DEBIT NOT APPROVED
Received when the card's monthly load limit had been reached.
HOST TIMEOUT
Connection problems. The GC may be drained but the transaction should reverse itself, and funds will become available again.
PIN available now for Visa/MC prepaid debit cards(2013-2016).
Oct 19, 2013, 5:43 pm
#2596
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 250
Oct 19, 2013, 6:20 pm
#2597
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 102
This is one reason I use ten packs still sealed in plastic directly from the Blackhawk guy. Work your connections. 
Oct 20, 2013, 9:01 pm
#2598
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
Just had a troubling encounter at my local wallyworld....tried to buy my standard 999.30 money order and the transaction errored out. It said debit not available. It was one of the newer POS ingenico systems. The cashier hit the debit button on the touchscreen though, not sure if that was the issue? I then went to my grocery store and bought the MOs there no problem (so I am sure it wasn't a Vanilla Visa issue). Anyone else encounter this?
Oct 21, 2013, 8:14 am
#2599
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Posts: 1,929
cashier
error
error
Oct 21, 2013, 7:16 pm
#2600
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
Had a OneVanilla that wasn't properly activated today. Took a 30 minute call (though most of this 30 minutes was spent on hold so NBD) to get it properly activated.
Also, I've read through about 80% of the thread trying to find an answer for this question. Does the 1 hour rule for VGCs apply to OneVanilla cards as well? I've been playing it safe and waiting an hour, but was wondering if anybody here knew for sure.
Also, I've read through about 80% of the thread trying to find an answer for this question. Does the 1 hour rule for VGCs apply to OneVanilla cards as well? I've been playing it safe and waiting an hour, but was wondering if anybody here knew for sure.
Oct 21, 2013, 7:18 pm
#2601
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 809
Had a OneVanilla that wasn't properly activated today. Took a 30 minute call (though most of this 30 minutes was spent on hold so NBD) to get it properly activated.
Also, I've read through about 80% of the thread trying to find an answer for this question. Does the 1 hour rule for VGCs apply to OneVanilla cards as well? I've been playing it safe and waiting an hour, but was wondering if anybody here knew for sure.
Also, I've read through about 80% of the thread trying to find an answer for this question. Does the 1 hour rule for VGCs apply to OneVanilla cards as well? I've been playing it safe and waiting an hour, but was wondering if anybody here knew for sure.
Oct 21, 2013, 10:16 pm
#2602
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
For Vanilla Visa, wait an hour after you purchase to use the card. Otherwise, you will get a redemption error.
Oct 21, 2013, 10:32 pm
#2603
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Oct 22, 2013, 7:42 am
#2604
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
Can no one in this forum just answer a question without being a smartass? I thought we came to this forum to help each other.
A simple "yes" would have sufficed and also been more useful to the people you forum vets constantly yell at to read the thread.
A simple "yes" would have sufficed and also been more useful to the people you forum vets constantly yell at to read the thread.
Oct 22, 2013, 7:45 am
#2606
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
Oct 22, 2013, 7:55 am
#2607
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 16
I had an activation issue last week I'm still waiting to resolve. I purchased a Vanilla Visa GC at a local grocery store. When the cashier began checking me out, she scanned the card without realizing it was a gift card, and then panicked when she wasn't sure what to do. She voided the transaction and started over. She re-rang up the items, including the gift card, and everything appeared to be fine. The receipt printed with the gift card showing as being activated. I immediately stopped by WM to liquidate to BB, but the card gave the error of "payment method not authorized". I tried several times to run the card, but each time, it came back with the same error.
I tried calling the number on the back of the card while in the store, but only got errors when I entered the card number. When I got home, I tried the website to check the balance and got a "system error". I called again and got a CSR who said the card was not property activated, that I would need to submit scans of the receipt, the packaging, both sides of the card, and my ID. I'm still waiting for resolution, but they said it would take 3-5 business days.
I tried calling the number on the back of the card while in the store, but only got errors when I entered the card number. When I got home, I tried the website to check the balance and got a "system error". I called again and got a CSR who said the card was not property activated, that I would need to submit scans of the receipt, the packaging, both sides of the card, and my ID. I'm still waiting for resolution, but they said it would take 3-5 business days.
Oct 22, 2013, 7:58 am
#2608
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 809
I tried calling the number on the back of the card while in the store, but only got errors when I entered the card number. When I got home, I tried the website to check the balance and got a "system error". I called again and got a CSR who said the card was not property activated, that I would need to submit scans of the receipt, the packaging, both sides of the card, and my ID. I'm still waiting for resolution, but they said it would take 3-5 business days.
Oct 22, 2013, 8:13 am
#2609
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
I had the phone on speaker while I worked so I didn't mind the 30 minutes it took to resolve my issue.
Oct 22, 2013, 8:15 am
#2610
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: TLH
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 109
I tried calling the number on the back of the card while in the store, but only got errors when I entered the card number. When I got home, I tried the website to check the balance and got a "system error". I called again and got a CSR who said the card was not property activated, that I would need to submit scans of the receipt, the packaging, both sides of the card, and my ID. I'm still waiting for resolution, but they said it would take 3-5 business days.
Good luck.