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).
Jun 19, 2013, 2:03 am
#1742
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Banks would not shut you down unless they (A) thought you did something they dont like (sadly, our world of depositing coins or money orders or working with GCs often LOOKS a lot like the bad guys stuff so there's that) or (B) if they didnt like that you just earned say 400k Ty points or some big cash back number they wish they did not offer you. I have great experience with these very things happening and being the main reasons, and it seems all too rampant.
Jun 19, 2013, 2:08 am
#1743
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
perhaps. But they tend to do it only when they find they owe you something (like a big reward) that they suddenly dont want to pay, which I find to be totally wrong of them.
Banks would not shut you down unless they (A) thought you did something they dont like (sadly, our world of depositing coins or money orders or working with GCs often LOOKS a lot like the bad guys stuff so there's that) or (B) if they didnt like that you just earned say 400k Ty points or some big cash back number they wish they did not offer you. I have great experience with these very things happening and being the main reasons, and it seems all too rampant.
Banks would not shut you down unless they (A) thought you did something they dont like (sadly, our world of depositing coins or money orders or working with GCs often LOOKS a lot like the bad guys stuff so there's that) or (B) if they didnt like that you just earned say 400k Ty points or some big cash back number they wish they did not offer you. I have great experience with these very things happening and being the main reasons, and it seems all too rampant.
Jun 19, 2013, 2:26 am
#1744
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
Kinda like a big winner in a casino (who keeps on winning): they say you're counting cards, kick you out, and if they're nice (don't want as much trouble), they'll give you your winnings but ask you politely to never come back. And just like we've previously stated earlier, this is perfectly legal.
I wrote about this exact same thing in another thread not long ago in fact. We ARE like card counters...this miles and points and CB game is a lot like black jack in my mind.
I used to work in Atlantic City for 3 summers dealing at Caesars and saw a lot of strange things. Also they used to sell these little cards that had basic strategy printed on them as a grid--you know, split your aces and 8s, double on this or that etc. I had to constantly remind customers that they could of course take the card out and refer to it but could not put it on the table. that was just the rule of CVS I mean the casino lol. So I had a friend in this t shirt shop in the mall near by and we made shirts that had the strategy
printed upside down on it.
We sold tons of them to tourists who could now wear it and just pull the shirt outward to glance down on what to do next. These people were like the readers of the blogs. We are like card counters. We bet say $300 in fees in a single statement period to get say $2500 in travel or other credits if it all works.
But if the casino kicks us out and some guy named Vinny comes to us and politely asks us to leave but without all our chips, well, we have to figure out whether to try another casino or get out of the game.
Point is, there are some ways around some things for a while but in the end, many things are crooked and iit's not often us!
Also, to be frank, I am good with cards but I don't really gamble that much and never really wanted to risk more than maybe $100-200 of my own money if I ever went to a gazina after having worked in one. I do however trust the calculated risk of most of what we do here. For now at least
Jun 19, 2013, 9:36 am
#1746
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
I just applied for the Chase Ink plus and was approved. I visited to the Office Depot that is 1.5 minutes from my house to scout for GCs. They had a bunch of 200 GCs, but the variable loads were empty. Is this the norm in your area? Do they stock the variable loads, or do they just run out often? I don't think there are many Fters that live on my side of town anymore...
Jun 19, 2013, 9:51 am
#1747
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 784
deleted]
Last edited by wcj; Jun 29, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Jun 19, 2013, 10:03 am
#1748
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
You can keep looking, but they haven't carried them in months. Best you can do is the $200 ones.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...2013-a-35.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...2013-a-35.html
Jun 19, 2013, 10:09 am
#1749
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BNA
Programs: No preference
Posts: 1,176
I just applied for the Chase Ink plus and was approved. I visited to the Office Depot that is 1.5 minutes from my house to scout for GCs. They had a bunch of 200 GCs, but the variable loads were empty. Is this the norm in your area? Do they stock the variable loads, or do they just run out often? I don't think there are many Fters that live on my side of town anymore...
(I'm pretty sure I bought the last stack at that particular OD)
Jun 19, 2013, 10:11 am
#1750
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
Jun 19, 2013, 12:58 pm
#1751
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
I used to work in Atlantic City for 3 summers dealing at Caesars and saw a lot of strange things. Also they used to sell these little cards that had basic strategy printed on them as a grid--you know, split your aces and 8s, double on this or that etc. I had to constantly remind customers that they could of course take the card out and refer to it but could not put it on the table. that was just the rule of CVS I mean the casino lol. So I had a friend in this t shirt shop in the mall near by and we made shirts that had the strategy
printed upside down on it.
We sold tons of them to tourists who could now wear it and just pull the shirt outward to glance down on what to do next. These people were like the readers of the blogs. We are like card counters. We bet say $300 in fees in a single statement period to get say $2500 in travel or other credits if it all works.
But if the casino kicks us out and some guy named Vinny comes to us and politely asks us to leave but without all our chips, well, we have to figure out whether to try another casino or get out of the game.
printed upside down on it.
We sold tons of them to tourists who could now wear it and just pull the shirt outward to glance down on what to do next. These people were like the readers of the blogs. We are like card counters. We bet say $300 in fees in a single statement period to get say $2500 in travel or other credits if it all works.
But if the casino kicks us out and some guy named Vinny comes to us and politely asks us to leave but without all our chips, well, we have to figure out whether to try another casino or get out of the game.
Jun 19, 2013, 2:33 pm
#1752
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 417
To avoid money laundering, I've started washing my Credit Cards and Visa / MC Gift Cards before using them.
Here is how it works: put a regular load of Tide in a washing machine, put your cards, use "Regular Cycle". Don't use bleach. You are done. You'll have clean money from now on and WMT CSRs won't bother you with stupid questions.
Here is how it works: put a regular load of Tide in a washing machine, put your cards, use "Regular Cycle". Don't use bleach. You are done. You'll have clean money from now on and WMT CSRs won't bother you with stupid questions.
Jun 19, 2013, 3:36 pm
#1753
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,818
To avoid money laundering, I've started washing my Credit Cards and Visa / MC Gift Cards before using them.
Here is how it works: put a regular load of Tide in a washing machine, put your cards, use "Regular Cycle". Don't use bleach. You are done. You'll have clean money from now on and WMT CSRs won't bother you with stupid questions.
Here is how it works: put a regular load of Tide in a washing machine, put your cards, use "Regular Cycle". Don't use bleach. You are done. You'll have clean money from now on and WMT CSRs won't bother you with stupid questions.
Jun 19, 2013, 5:58 pm
#1754
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
more on card counting...
When I was a blackjack dealer in the 1989,90, 91 summers at Caesars, Atlantic City, NJ, I saw a few strange things. Once a guy came over and batted his eyes and glanced this way and that, and then he sat down at my table, where no one else was currently at play.
Pit boss comes over and whispers in my ear... "This is a card counter," he says. I had never seen one so ok...
I deal and he gets a hand and wins like $20. Then again and then another... loses maybe $20. So after a few hands like this he's even. Then he pauses and puts up like $2,000.
Pit boss leans into me and says, reshuffle! I recall my shoe was like 1/2 spent.
I take out all eight decks and shuffle them. The guy shrugs, tosses me a $5 chip tip and leaves. I see him wandering about looking for a new table to sit at.
So in card counting, they may not actively HATE on you or kick you out, they just discourage you and make it so you cant play what you know.
VERY much like this gig, no?
When I was a blackjack dealer in the 1989,90, 91 summers at Caesars, Atlantic City, NJ, I saw a few strange things. Once a guy came over and batted his eyes and glanced this way and that, and then he sat down at my table, where no one else was currently at play.
Pit boss comes over and whispers in my ear... "This is a card counter," he says. I had never seen one so ok...
I deal and he gets a hand and wins like $20. Then again and then another... loses maybe $20. So after a few hands like this he's even. Then he pauses and puts up like $2,000.
Pit boss leans into me and says, reshuffle! I recall my shoe was like 1/2 spent.
I take out all eight decks and shuffle them. The guy shrugs, tosses me a $5 chip tip and leaves. I see him wandering about looking for a new table to sit at.
So in card counting, they may not actively HATE on you or kick you out, they just discourage you and make it so you cant play what you know.
VERY much like this gig, no?
pretty much!!
I wrote about this exact same thing in another thread not long ago in fact. We ARE like card counters...this miles and points and CB game is a lot like black jack in my mind.
I used to work in Atlantic City for 3 summers dealing at Caesars and saw a lot of strange things. Also they used to sell these little cards that had basic strategy printed on them as a grid--you know, split your aces and 8s, double on this or that etc. I had to constantly remind customers that they could of course take the card out and refer to it but could not put it on the table. that was just the rule of CVS I mean the casino lol. So I had a friend in this t shirt shop in the mall near by and we made shirts that had the strategy
printed upside down on it.
We sold tons of them to tourists who could now wear it and just pull the shirt outward to glance down on what to do next. These people were like the readers of the blogs. We are like card counters. We bet say $300 in fees in a single statement period to get say $2500 in travel or other credits if it all works.
But if the casino kicks us out and some guy named Vinny comes to us and politely asks us to leave but without all our chips, well, we have to figure out whether to try another casino or get out of the game.
Point is, there are some ways around some things for a while but in the end, many things are crooked and iit's not often us!
Also, to be frank, I am good with cards but I don't really gamble that much and never really wanted to risk more than maybe $100-200 of my own money if I ever went to a gazina after having worked in one. I do however trust the calculated risk of most of what we do here. For now at least
I wrote about this exact same thing in another thread not long ago in fact. We ARE like card counters...this miles and points and CB game is a lot like black jack in my mind.
I used to work in Atlantic City for 3 summers dealing at Caesars and saw a lot of strange things. Also they used to sell these little cards that had basic strategy printed on them as a grid--you know, split your aces and 8s, double on this or that etc. I had to constantly remind customers that they could of course take the card out and refer to it but could not put it on the table. that was just the rule of CVS I mean the casino lol. So I had a friend in this t shirt shop in the mall near by and we made shirts that had the strategy
printed upside down on it.
We sold tons of them to tourists who could now wear it and just pull the shirt outward to glance down on what to do next. These people were like the readers of the blogs. We are like card counters. We bet say $300 in fees in a single statement period to get say $2500 in travel or other credits if it all works.
But if the casino kicks us out and some guy named Vinny comes to us and politely asks us to leave but without all our chips, well, we have to figure out whether to try another casino or get out of the game.
Point is, there are some ways around some things for a while but in the end, many things are crooked and iit's not often us!
Also, to be frank, I am good with cards but I don't really gamble that much and never really wanted to risk more than maybe $100-200 of my own money if I ever went to a gazina after having worked in one. I do however trust the calculated risk of most of what we do here. For now at least
Jun 19, 2013, 9:32 pm
#1755
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA, SPG, UA, CSP
Posts: 338
You can keep looking, but they haven't carried them in months. Best you can do is the $200 ones.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...2013-a-35.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...2013-a-35.html