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).
Feb 10, 2014, 2:52 pm
#3121
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New Jersey
Programs: Delta P, SPG G, Marriott S, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,007
Ok, I am lost.
I bought two Celebrate cards from stop and shop for the fuel points and was going to dump them to paper.
Went to one Wally world, dumped one of the cards no problem, with the procedure here. Different Wally, tried the second Celebrate MCGC and it would ask for alternate tender, debit not avail. Ok, figured it was cashier. Went back today, to the original Wally where it worked, and this one would not. Tried at CVS, same thing.
ended up dumping it at ceevees for a Vanilla GC via credit. Argh. I think I wasted more in gas.... nah... not this time. lol.
With these MC gc, as long as you are getting good points, 5x cb plus gas, it almost makes sense to have a merchant account and liquidate for 1.75% or so.
I bought two Celebrate cards from stop and shop for the fuel points and was going to dump them to paper.
Went to one Wally world, dumped one of the cards no problem, with the procedure here. Different Wally, tried the second Celebrate MCGC and it would ask for alternate tender, debit not avail. Ok, figured it was cashier. Went back today, to the original Wally where it worked, and this one would not. Tried at CVS, same thing.
ended up dumping it at ceevees for a Vanilla GC via credit. Argh. I think I wasted more in gas.... nah... not this time. lol.
With these MC gc, as long as you are getting good points, 5x cb plus gas, it almost makes sense to have a merchant account and liquidate for 1.75% or so.
Feb 10, 2014, 3:09 pm
#3122
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PHL based
Programs: USAir, UA, AA, BA, Hyatt, HHonors, SPG, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 356
Care to share your location (nearest Metro area/ state) so we have an idea of where this is happening?
Feb 10, 2014, 4:50 pm
#3123
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 276
After a frustrating few minutes trying to set the PIN on a couple of US Bank National Association Master Cards, and getting all sorts of fail messages (not enough numbers entered, invalid number, does not match...) I remembered that some phone systems need a longer tone. I called from my home phone and held each number down a second and it worked perfectly.
I hope that makes sense.
I'm not sure how the wiki gets edited, but if someone could add the phone number for US Bank 866-952-5653 it would be nice, the number is so tiny on the card/package, I have trouble making it out. The Wiki is nice and readable for my old eyes.
I hope that makes sense.
I'm not sure how the wiki gets edited, but if someone could add the phone number for US Bank 866-952-5653 it would be nice, the number is so tiny on the card/package, I have trouble making it out. The Wiki is nice and readable for my old eyes.
Last edited by Haleyb; Feb 10, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Feb 10, 2014, 5:22 pm
#3124
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 77
The location is in Los Angeles County. There's one really bad location. The clerk flagged me and said, "I'm really sorry - but I don't want to get fired." That tells you how bad it is there.
But they did report me to the other local WMTs. Anyways, I'm just staying away from the evil WMT and going to further areas until it calms down a bit.
But they did report me to the other local WMTs. Anyways, I'm just staying away from the evil WMT and going to further areas until it calms down a bit.
Feb 10, 2014, 5:55 pm
#3125
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 77
Hmmm idk
Last edited by PointsforHolidayBoy; Feb 11, 2014 at 8:55 am
Feb 11, 2014, 12:54 am
#3126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
Feb 11, 2014, 2:47 am
#3127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
I think they all shut down the feature when too many people wrongly used it 
Feb 11, 2014, 9:12 am
#3128
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: UNited American
Posts: 60
I bought 2K in MO this am from manager at WM in KC suburb. Used gift cards. No prob. Going to use to pay BOA Alaska CC at drive thru today.
Feb 11, 2014, 1:44 pm
#3130
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
I wish I had Metabank or other GCs at the grocery store I go to. US Bank cards take much longer to use due to having to set the pins. I love using Vanilla and Metabank cards.
Feb 11, 2014, 1:54 pm
#3131
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ATL F-Terminal
Programs: Hilton C, Marriott Pt, Delta Pt
Posts: 249
Oh man. That sucks. This is going to ruin things for the honest buyers.
Interesting to see what new policies they're going to implement next.
Only $xxx can be activated every 15 mins?
Interesting to see what new policies they're going to implement next.
Only $xxx can be activated every 15 mins?
Feb 11, 2014, 1:58 pm
#3132
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 784
deleted
Last edited by wcj; Jun 29, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Feb 11, 2014, 2:03 pm
#3133
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Down South, The Desert
Programs: Marriot Rewards, Southwest Rapid rewards, Emerald Club, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,871
The preset pin is in the package itself, or the acommpanying papers that come in there?
Feb 11, 2014, 2:26 pm
#3134
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 784
deleted
Last edited by wcj; Jun 29, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Feb 11, 2014, 3:11 pm
#3135
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
it's a 2.5" x 2.5" piece of thicker paper like a card, not that folded up thin sheet with all the small print. It says
This is your PIN. see enclosed gift card terms for additional info. regarding use of your pin. then gives a four digit code.
When done, I wrap that card around the GC with a note that says the date, method of disposal, and whose account. Figure you may need that PIN if something backs out.
This is your PIN. see enclosed gift card terms for additional info. regarding use of your pin. then gives a four digit code.
When done, I wrap that card around the GC with a note that says the date, method of disposal, and whose account. Figure you may need that PIN if something backs out.